Dart Golf: 18 Holes, Zero Walking
Three darts thrown at hole 5, three misses off the wire, and your scorecard now reads eight strokes while your friend sits at even par two lanes over. That's dart golf — a game where the board punishes a wild round exactly like a shanked drive.
What Dart Golf Is
Dart golf turns a standard dartboard into an 18-hole course. Each numbered section is a "hole," every dart you throw is a "stroke," and the lowest total wins — just like real golf.
You don't need a putter, a green, or decent weather. If you've got a board and a set of darts, you've got a course.
- Regulation compressed sisal surface heals around steel tips for a long playing life
- Rotating number ring spreads out wear to extend the board's lifespan
- Includes six steel tip darts so you can start playing right out of the box
What You Need
- A standard dartboard hung at the regulation height of 5 feet 8 inches to the bullseye
- One set of darts per player (or a shared set if you're casual about it)
- Paper or a scoreboard app to track strokes per hole
Numbers 1 through 18 serve as the course. Some groups use 19 and 20 as a "clubhouse" playoff for breaking ties.
Basic Rules
Play the holes in order, starting at 1 and finishing at 18. On each turn, you throw up to three darts, and every throw counts as one stroke.
You can't move on until you hit the current hole's number. Miss section 3 with all three darts, and you're still stuck on hole 3 next turn — with those strokes already on your card.
Once you hit the hole, stop throwing and hand over the darts. Your remaining darts that turn don't carry to the next hole in the standard rules.
The game ends when everyone has finished hole 18. Lowest total stroke count wins.
Scoring With Par
Serious groups assign a par to every hole, usually par 3. Hit the number with your first dart and that's a birdie-style score of one; take five throws and you're two over.
Many players tighten it further: a single counts as par, a triple counts as an eagle, and a double counts as a birdie. That rewards precision the same way cricket darts rewards hitting triples instead of just landing anywhere.
Track over/under par per hole instead of raw strokes. It keeps the round tense even when one player falls behind early.
Fun Variations
- Hazards: Treat the double and triple rings of the wrong numbers as bunkers or water — landing there adds a penalty stroke.
- Clubhouse playoff: Tied after 18? Play holes 19 and 20 as sudden death.
- Team scramble: Pairs alternate throws and share one scorecard, just like a golf scramble.
- Front nine: Short on time? Play holes 1 through 9 only.
If your group likes sequential target games, dart golf sits right next to around the clock — same climb through the numbers, different scoring pressure.
Tips to Lower Your Score
Aim at the fat single area of each number, not the triple, unless your variation rewards it. A guaranteed par beats a gamble that leaves you stuck on the hole.
Keep your stance and release identical on every throw. Consistency matters more here than power, and the fundamentals in throwing darts accurately apply to every hole on the board.
Watch the wires around your target number. Adjacent sections are where penalty variations bite, so a slightly conservative aim point saves strokes.
Common Questions
How many players can join? Any number — everyone plays their own ball, so to speak, and you just rotate turns.
Do kids need a special board? No, but swap in magnetic or soft-tip darts for younger players so nobody catches a steel point.
Does it actually improve your aim? Yes, because it forces you to hit 18 different targets in order instead of camping on your favorite number.
Chalk up a scorecard, call your par, and tee off on hole 1.