Sholf: the love child of golf and shuffleboard

I’m not afraid to admit I love golf.

I am a little bit apprehensive to admit I love shuffleboard, though. I remember playing it as a child. I haven’t tried it in years, but throw me on a cruise ship in the middle of the Caribbean and I’d love to battle in a shuffleboard extravaganza.

So where does that leave Sholf?

Believe it or not, Sholf is a real game. It’s a quirky cross between the two sports that you can play inside or out. The makers of Sholf even believe it could provide entertainment at a football tailgate, the office or even parties, etc.

I can’t vouch that Sholf will go over well in large social settings, but my kids love teeing it up against dad in the basement. Sholf comes with a long carpet putting green and eight golf balls for $59.95. Putters can be purchased as well for $9.95, but it’s just as simple to grab the putter out of your golf bag. (Just don’t forget to put it back before heading out to play!)

The carpet has three scoring zones (plus a bonus zone for an extra point). The idea is to put your putt closest to the edge of the carpet without it rolling off. Like table shuffleboard, only the team with the ball closest to the end of the carpet gets to count the points.

Your strategy can involve bumping the other person’s balls off the carpet or trying to score on your own. That’s the fun of Sholf, watching your opponent hit a great putt, then retaliating by blasting it off the board. Kids love that.

I won’t dare suggest that Sholf can improve your putting, but it certainly can’t hurt to get some extra practice strokes dealing with aim and touch. Sholf might not be for the golf purist, but for anybody looking for a fun family game should give it a try.