Family / Things to do
Holes in ones and 180s at new family-friendly golf and darts venue
If you want to throw your arrows like Luke Littler or sink the winning putt with the accuracy of Shane Lowry, then a new venue in Bristol is for you.
Putt Above is now open on Nelson Street promising “a high tech mini golf and interactive darts experience”.
Both sports feature a variety of mini-games suitable for players of all abilities, with all of the golfing challenges played on the same ‘hole’ and the courses changing thanks to some clever projection mapping.
Putt Above has arrived in Bristol after opening its first locations in Blackpool and Dudley – photo: Martin Booth
Unlike several other ‘activity bars’ in Bristol, children are welcome here until 9pm. The pricing is simple too: a 60-minute session of golf or darts costs £10 per person.
I recently visited with my two daughters, neither of who had played darts before or swung a golf club in anger away from a crazy golf course.
Fuelled by Pepsi Max and cheesy chips, we switched from emulating Littler on the oche to channelling Robin Hood as the points in one darts mini-game came from getting as near to the bull as possible.
A treble-17 followed by a treble-19 to win one of the other darts mini-games was a lifetime sporting highlight for ten-year-Lois, while her big sister Mersina remained calm on the greens sinking some pressure putts.
I meanwhile was trying my best not to be Competitive Dad from The Fast Show. We all left the venue with smiles on our faces so I hope I achieved that aim.
Ten-year-old Lois on the oche at Putt Above on Nelson Street – photo: Martin Booth
This is called Putt Above and it’s the golf here that was the most interesting element for me in a space that has been knocked together from what were previously three different shops.
A steam punk theme differentiates Putt Above from the neon of Par 59 on Millennium Promenade but it’s only a mild distraction from the mini-games which attentive staff are more than happy to help you with if you get stuck.
One golf mini-game features a moving searchlight with the putt needing to find a hole lit up – photo: Martin Booth
There are seven golf lanes here for teams to base themselves in, and inside each one there are about the same number of holes which you have to aim at depending on what game you are playing, from catching a prisoner on the run to destroying planets.
Sink the putt and you either gain or lose points. Our favourite mini-game featured a swingometer which ricocheted back and forth, our numerous lipping out putts both helping and hindering our cause.
Littler and Lowry have nothing to fear but my daughters and I have agreed to return to Putt Above for more fun soon with our newly found darts and golf prowess.
There are four dart boards and seven golf lanes at Putt Above – photo: Martin Booth
Main photo: Martin Booth
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