One Shot Golf: Play mini golf with the help of a robot
One Shot Golf is the next big thing in addictive gameplay the world can’t get enough of. Play miniature golf on tiny courses located in Regina, Saskatchewan, from the comfort of your own home, with the help of an app and a robot.
The name says it all: you’ve got one shot, so it had better be good. The One Shot Golf app, available for free on iPhone or Android, lets players line up their shot, then swing a golf putter and hope for a hole in one.
The mini golf courses in question are located in a warehouse in Saskatchewan, where 50 single-lane “greens” have been set up on specialized tables, with themes including Water World, Spaced Out, Moonshot, and Pirate’s Booty. A golf putter is suspended from a fixed bar at the front of each green, and it’s controlled by the One Shot Golf app (available only in North America), allowing players to take their best shot from any remote location.
Once the app has been downloaded, players can see the course they’ve chosen via a camera attached to the robot putter, giving them a real-time view that allows them to control the direction of their shot, and decide how much force to put behind it. Take aim, go for a straight putt toward the hole, or use the obstacles on the course to make a banked shot. Like real mini golf, there is a degree of skill involved.
There is also a level of competitiveness during “tournaments” that allow top scorers to earn points toward prizes.
Win or lose, once the shot has been made, the miniature course tilts upward so that the ball finds its way onto a mechanism that puts it back into rotation for upcoming golfers.
Players only have one chance to put the ball in the hole during each putt, but while there are no throngs of spectators cheering them on, there are staff members — called “live course hosts” — stationed near the greens who can provide encouragement and offer tips.
Who came up with such a fantastic way to while away the hours? One Shot Golf is the brainchild of Dustin Coupal, co-founder of GasBuddy, and Tim Borgares, senior developer.
At this point, there are 50 courses in the warehouse, with plans to add 40 more. The app works 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Need a distraction at 2 a.m. on Christmas Eve? It’ll be there for you. In fact, odd hours may be a good idea as the app gains popularity. Because this is real-time mini golf, there may be a wait when demand is high.
Although the app is free, golfers can pay for tokens to play more rounds. What about those real-world prizes earned during tournaments? They’re given out in the form of gift cards.
One Shot Golf is the starting point, but the company plans to add more app-controlled games to their lineup. Like what, you ask? They’re not saying, but whatever comes next is bound to be just as addictive.
For more information, visit OneShotGames.com.
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