Dart Golf

DART GOLF: AN UNABRIDGED HISTORY

It is said that Dart Golf was formed inside the mind of Dan O’Callaghan. A dangerous place, Dan’s mind, and one filled with such corruption that it would seem an impossible place to give birth to something so pure.

But so it was back in the Year of Our Lord 2000 that O’Callaghan passed along his vision to Scott Lee, a man whose hair at the time had little beginning in the front and no end in the back.

Lee was a part of a threesome who partook regularly in libations. This group, dubbed “My Three Drunks” by Scott Van Pelt, routinely roamed the greater Orlando area in search of good alcohol, better conversation and a record titty game.

One of their favorite haunts was a pub called Fiddler's Green, a place where the beer flows like wine and trust-fund blondes run rampant. And so it was one Monday night that Lee and Matthew Hegarty and Mercer Baggs were attending this beloved establishment when they encountered a girl who called herself Samantha Stonebraker.

Ms. Stonebraker left quite an impression on the three, as they showed up the following Monday at “Fid’s” to see if she was about.

To bide their time while awaiting her possible arrival, Lee told his two friends of the new game he had learned. They played this new game. And this new game they loved. It was called Dart Golf.

In the Mondays that were to follow, Ms. Stonebraker was rarely to be seen. But the motivation for attending had been altered. My Three Drunks were there for the game, not the girl.

This is when the game began to take its modern shape. Lee, Hegarty and Baggs made their own rules in accordance to eagles and birdies and bogeys. They met every Monday at 11:00 p.m. ET . They played against themselves, as well as Old Man Par, in an effort to make it competitive. They stayed well after last call, thanks to the good people at Fiddler’s Green.

The following year, the game began to grow. Word of mouth spread and instant addiction was acquired by many to whom it was introduced.

They would play regular tournaments, in relation to the most recent PGA TOUR event contested. If an adequate field could not be formed, they played not individually but as teams. Lee, who in May of 2001 had moved to Canada with his future wife, wished them well.

It was decided in 2002 that the first major championship would take place the Monday after the Masters Tournament. Baggs, Hegarty, Adam Slansky, Christopher Hill, Alan Robison and Christopher McTammany comprised the field of six.

Baggs won that first major, and was awarded the White Jacket, which had been donated by McTammany. The jacket was left to hang high on the upper-shelves of the bar. It was stolen quickly thereafter. Baggs replaced it with a consignment store Green Jacket, which to this day is passed on from one major champion to the next.

At the 2002 Open Championship, Dena Davis shattered Dart Golf's gender barrier, becoming the first female to compete in a major championship.

By the time the PGA Championship rolled around that year, the field had nearly doubled in size. To further showcase the increasing interest in Dart Golf, two six-man teams competed in a Ryder Cup-style match. Baggs and Hegarty were its inaugural captains.

The game continued to blossom in 2003. Individual tournaments were on the rise, as players wanted to test their wares against one another. They started the official season with the Mercedes Championships and concluded it with the Tour Championship. Every Monday there was a tournament; and almost every Monday there was a solid turnout. Interest was such that players had to qualify for major championships, for which fields were capped at 15. In the interest of time, cuts had to be enforced.

Lee’s return to the scene in late 2003 helped take the game to new heights. By March of 2004, a sophisticated world ranking system was in place, along with well-kept records and statistics.

Field sizes continued to increase. Split dart times had to be implemented during some tournaments to allow everyone to compete. Team competitions were relegated to Ryder/Presidents Cup matches, as well as Silly Season tournaments. Players wanted to compete on their own in order to increase their world ranking and notch individual wins.

In February 2005, this website (www.golfdarts.org)was created to offer weekly reports, biographies, news, discussion, and world ranking and statistical updates. In August of that year, a Dollar Fund was created. Competing players were asked to give a dollar each week with proceeds going to the betterment of the tour.

As Dart Golf entered its sixth year, attendance reached an all-time high. Trophies were awarded for major championships and other select events. Many of them are still in circulation. The Official World Dart Golf Governing Body (OWDGGB) also began to meet regularly to discuss ways in which the overall experience for tour members could be improved.

By the end of 2007, Dart Golf saw serious changes to its landscape. Many of the old stalwarts – most notably among them co-founder Baggs – began to reduce their appearances. For a variety of reasons, some disappeared altogether. Some moved away. Some chased greener pastures. Some found other avenues of affection. For more than a few, the pull of a single girl replaced the allure of many single girls. Dart Golf is, after all, just a game – and some things are bigger than that.

Some of those who have wandered far away from the friendly confines of Dart Golf's Home have vowed to spread its charms to those they encounter along their travels. It can be confirmed that more than one game of Dart Golf has been played across the pond, much closer to the birthplace of another, more familiar version of golf. (The one we affectionately refer to as "ball golf".)

Talks of a satellite tour are underway in the Pacific Northwest, thanks to longtime friend of the OWDGGB and one of the game's most renowned characters, David Kamens.

Just as Dart Golf begins to germinate in other parts of the globe, fields have shrunk noticeably back in the pub where it all began. Record keeping has become more casual – though many of the game's major achievements are still readily available in the minds of a precious few aficionados. Yet, the game continues.

In many ways, it resembles the Glory Days – that bygone era that occurred well before the heydays. The only thing that rivals the competition is the camaraderie. Some nights, the beer flows like milk. But while the faces and the drinking habits may change, the sobering fact is the basic rules have never changed: Show, throw and try to go low.

The game was created by one and nurtured by three. But it is what it is today thanks to all who participate, all who have ever participated, as well as those who allow the game to be contested in their fine establishment.

So try it. Share it with a friend. Share a drink. Or a laugh. Or both. You might be surprised by what it gives back.