Golf Darts
Nine holes, nine numbers, three darts each. Treble for an eagle, double for a birdie, single for par. The only game here where you're trying to score low.
| Treble | 1 stroke : Eagle |
| Double | 2 strokes: Birdie |
| Big single | 3 strokes: Par (the wide band between treble and double) |
| Thin single | 4 strokes: Bogey (the tapered part between bull and treble) |
| Missed it | 5 strokes: Double bogey |
Golf Darts Rules
Golf darts is the classic pub variant where: unlike every other darts game: the lowest score wins. It's played over nine or eighteen "holes," and each hole is simply a number on the board.
How to play
Each hole is a par 3. Hole one is your first number, hole two the next, and so on. You throw three darts at that number, and your best dart decides your score for the hole.
Treble = 1 stroke (eagle).Double = 2 strokes (birdie).The big single: the wide band between the treble ring and the double: = 3 strokes, par. The thin single: the tapered part between the bullseye and the treble: = 4 strokes, a bogey. The outer band is the bigger target of the two: it holds about 55% more area than the inner, which tapers to a point. Miss the number entirely and it's 5 strokes, a double bogey.
Add up your strokes across all nine holes. Par for the round is 27 (or 54 over eighteen). Anything under par is a genuinely good round.
What's a good score?
Based on simulating thousands of rounds: a beginner typically shoots around 35 over nine holes (+8), a decent league player around 28 (+1), and a county-standard thrower will go under par, around 22. Breaking par at golf darts is a real marker of accuracy.
Variations
Play the 2-dart championship version for a much sterner test: it pushes par out of reach for most players. Some pubs also play match play, where you win or lose each hole against an opponent rather than counting total strokes, and some count the bullseye as an automatic eagle on any hole.
How to Play
Golf Darts flips the usual darts logic on its head: this is the one game here where you're trying to score low, not high. There are nine holes, each one a different number, and you get three darts per hole, played as a par 3. Land your best dart in the treble and you've carded an eagle; the double gets you a birdie; the single is par. Whoever finishes the nine holes with the lowest total wins.
Why It Helps Your Game
Because low is good here, Golf Darts quietly trains precision on specific numbers rather than raw power scoring: you're not just trying to hit the board, you're trying to hit one exact segment on demand, hole after hole. It's an easy format for anyone who's ever played real golf to pick up instantly, and it's a genuinely fun change of pace to slot in between heavier training sessions or serious league games.