From aiming your darts at the board to make a virtual ‘wall’ tumble down or to bag a collection of gold coins to testing your Robin Hood arrow skills – new interactive boards at Lost Island Golf in Margate are putting a whole new slant on the game.
Three digital augmented reality dartboards have been installed upstairs at the Flamingo Arcade in Marine Terrace, alongside the venue’s second jungle-themed crazy golf course and a drinks cafe for players.
The latest competitive social game circulating in London, combining traditional darts with gaming technology, is hitting Margate from this Saturday 17th June.
In augmented reality darts, players throw physical darts at a physical dartboard, but also experience interactive visuals, game statistics, virtual targets, animations, and scoring indicators superimposed onto the dartboard through projected high resolution graphics.
Housed in jungle-themed ‘booth’ sections, with handy seating and table tops, the darts and adjacent golf combination creates a layer of fun – and competitiveness.
The technology makes the game immersive and visually engaging and can introduce unique modes, challenges, and multiplayer options.
Families, work colleagues and date night players can choose from a number of games, including traditional 301, Killer and Halve It.
The new crazy golf challenge, which was completed last year, is another 18 hole course, with a lucky 19th hole. You can either book online or turn up and play. Golf opening times are 10am daily, with last entry 7:30pm Monday to Thursday and 8:30pm Friday to Sunday.
The boards are available to be booked for 1 hour slots from noon daily, closing 8pm Monday to Thursday, and 9pm Friday to Sunday. Boards can be booked for a flat hourly fee for up to 6 players.
Off peak board fees per hour are £25 all day Monday to Thursday, and up till 5pm Fridays. Peak time £35 per hour Friday from 6pm and weekends.
For bookings, head to www.lostislandgolf.co.uk and follow the link to book darts.
Give it a go
I headed to the Flamingo arcade with granddaughter Lucy to test out my skills (which I discovered were minimal).
The boards are in a nice setting and it was great to be able to order a drink while we played.
The games can be set at Easy (just as well for us) up to more challenging levels and there are several different darts adventures to try.
The more you play the more competitive you get in a bid to have you name on the winning ‘column!’
Some games involve sections lighting up for you to hit, requiring a little more skill than just getting your dart in the board, but all are based around different animated tales and it fits in quite nicely with the adjacent golf course which also holds some unique surprises for players.
Definitely worth a visit with friends and/or the kids (aged 10+).