A Golf Novice Visits London's Coolest Driving Range (And Does Pretty Well)

I'm known to be good at maybe four things. But golf? Nope, that's not one of them.

However, in a bid to be London's coolest big sister, I knew there was only one place to take my golf-mad baby brother for his 30th, and that was Greenwich Peninsula Driving Range, powered by Inrange. A two-story driving range overlooking the Millenium Dome, I wasn't just getting props for the views, cutting-edge ball-tracking technology meant I was probably going to get a Christmas card this year too.

Few driving ranges boast a view quite like this. 

Setting up in two ground floor bays after collecting our clubs from reception (you can bring your own if you know what you're doing), we added our names to two HD screens and watched as a handful of games cropped up on the screen. Yes, I can do this with a little competition.

From longest drive (just whack it and hope for the best) to 21, where you'll aim to hit and stick across a deck of virtual cards, Inrange proved that golf is a lot more fun than I'd spent 31 years thinking it was. Inrange also happen to be launching a new game this month; Destroyer is a futuristic and explosive experience where you'll take turns to try and dominate the most territory... by dropping virtual bombs on the range.

To top that all off? People who know a fair bit about golf can also play on 'true-to-life' virtual championship courses, meaning you can watch your sibling take on the real stuff, while you have a go at beating your mum at Inrange's version of 'the floor is lava'. For the record, my mum is pretty good at golf.

Inrange put the tee in compe-tee-tion.

Inrange understands that all that thwacking is hungry work, meaning they provide a bar and restaurant on-site (along with a bay drinks service for those of us that knew we'd need a little support from a glass of Sauvignon).

The Joint (with a view of the bays) is a perfect finale to all the action, with a burger menu and wings to be envied London over. We closed the show with a chargrilled halloumi burger with pickled cucumber for a more than fair £8.50, while the 16hr smoked pulled pork was perfect for a carb-hoarding family member who was running the London marathon the next day. 

The DesignMyNight Digest 

For 5 of you to have fun? This experience would cost you only around the £80 mark. For one of you to earn the respect of your golf-loving sibling? Well, that's priceless. And while I scored (very) low and put my friction burns down to a little unbridled enthusiasm, I think this is the perfect example of a London experience that suits all interests and ages.

On the lookout for activities in London? Take a look at our guide to fun things to do here.