A storm of outlandishly large hail stones and a surplus of Stonemason’s mallets in Elizabethan England led to the development of a game the wig-clad aristocracy liked to call Splat! Modern golfing gentry reap the benefit of a more permanent projectile and a less violent name with today’s deal: $35 to get two hours of indoor golf for up to four people on a state-of-the-art golf simulator, a 30-minute golf lesson for one person, plus three subsequent lessons for half-price at Inner City Golf ($200 value).

Seeking sanctuary from UV rays or incidences of inclement weather, golfers both new and seasoned delight in high-definition digital recreations of the world’s most famous golf courses. Up to four friends, feuding relatives or corporate compadres play on state-of-the-art Full Swing simulators, wielding drivers, putters, niblicks and 9-irons in convivial competition. Gaming conditions conform to individual desires as courses including Pebble Beach, Greywolf, Cambrian and Pinehurst are tuned for wind, rain, time of day, speed of greens and length of the rough. Balls take flight from playing surfaces that add additional realism – choose from light and heavy rough, bunker or fairway.

The only indoor golf venue in Sydney, Inner City Golf’s extended hours allow gregarious golfing as late as 10 pm, while a convenient St Leonards location, just 10 minutes from the city and easily accessible by public transport, trivialises travel traumas. PGA certified instructors ensure falling handicaps and long-term enjoyment of the game, whether students are under par exponents or entry-level enthusiasts. Complete provision of all equipment keeps club-less green-hounds happy and after-game appetites are assuaged with a bar and pizza-providing café where erstwhile adversaries can socialise and trade stories about birdies, bogeys and backswings.