What you need
- A standard 52-card deck for 2 to 4 players. Use a second deck for 5 or more players and a third for 9 or more.
- Pen and paper, or the free score keeper
Players and time
2 to 8 players. About 20 to 30 minutes for nine holes.
The goal
Finish with the lowest total score. A game is nine deals, called holes. On each hole, you try to swap the cards in your six-card layout for cards that score fewer points.
Low cards, kings and matching pairs in the same column are what you are after.
Setup
- The dealer gives each player six cards face down and each player lays them out in two rows of three.
- Put the rest of the deck face down as the stock. Turn the top card over next to it to start the discard pile.
- Each player turns over any two of their six cards. Nobody may look at their other four cards.
A turn
- The player to the dealer's left goes first, then play passes around the table.
- On your turn, draw the top card of the stock or the top card of the discard pile.
- Either use the drawn card to replace one of your six cards, or discard it (only if you drew it from the stock). If you replace a card, the old card goes face up on the discard pile and the new card goes face up in the layout.
- You may replace a face-down card without looking at it first. You may not take a card from the discard pile and then put it straight back.
- The hole ends as soon as all six of a player's cards are face up. Everyone then adds up their layout.
- Write down each player's total for the hole, deal again, and play the next hole. After nine holes, the lowest total wins.
Special cards and combinations
- Matched columns
- Each column has two cards. If the two are the same rank, that column scores 0, no matter what the rank is. A pair of 2s scores 0, not -4.
- The 2 is a good card
- A 2 is worth -2 points when it is not matched, so it is the only card with a negative value. A king scores 0 and is also a good card to keep.
- The face-down cards
- You cannot look at your face-down cards before replacing one. Every time you swap into a hidden spot, you are gambling on what is under it.
Scoring
Add up the six cards in your layout when the hole ends. Matched columns score 0. The lowest total wins the hole, and the totals from all holes are added to find the winner of the game.
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 |
| 2 | -2 |
| 3 to 10 | Face value |
| Jack | 10 |
| Queen | 10 |
| King | 0 |
| Two cards of the same rank in one column | 0 for the whole column |
Worked example
Your final layout has these columns: king over king, 7 over 2, ace over 10. The king column is a matched pair, so it scores 0. The 7 and 2 give 7 + (-2) = 5. The ace and 10 give 1 + 10 = 11. Your total for the hole is 0 + 5 + 11 = 16.
A rival's layout is 2 over 2, queen over 5, 9 over king. The pair of 2s scores 0. The queen and 5 give 10 + 5 = 15. The 9 and king give 9 + 0 = 9. Their total is 0 + 15 + 9 = 24, so you win this hole by 8.
Keep score with the Golf (card game) score keeper
How to win
After nine holes, the player with the lowest total score wins.
To play 18 holes, change the number of holes in the score keeper settings.
Common house rules
These are house rules. They are not part of the official rules, so agree on them before you start.
- One more turn for everyone else (variation) House rule
- Many groups let every other player take one last turn after a player turns up their sixth card, and then score the layouts. The basic rules end the hole at once.
- Eighteen holes (variation) House rule
- Instead of nine holes, some groups play 18 for a longer game. Another option is to play until someone reaches 100 points, where the lowest total wins.
- Four-card golf (variation) House rule
- Each player gets four cards in a square and may look at the two nearest to them. On a turn, a player may knock instead of drawing; each other player then gets one more turn and the hole ends. Number cards score face value (ace 1), jack and queen 10, king 0. In the basic version, matching pairs do not cancel. Some groups let matching pairs in a row or column score 0, or add a 10-point penalty for a knocker who does not have the lowest score.
Frequently asked questions
How many holes are in a game of Golf?
Nine deals is the standard game. Some groups play 18 holes, or play until one player passes 100 points.
Why do two 2s in a column score 0 and not -4?
A matched column always scores 0, whatever the rank. Matching 2s therefore score 0. You can do better by leaving a 2 unmatched, for example under a king, which scores -2 + 0 = -2.
When does a hole end?
In the basic rules, the hole ends as soon as a player has all six cards face up. Some groups give each other player one more turn first, so agree on this before you start.
Can I look at my face-down cards?
No. You turn over two at the start and the rest stay hidden. When you replace a face-down card you do not get to see it first, and the new card is placed face up.
Can I take the top discard?
Yes. You may draw from the discard pile instead of the stock, but you must use it to replace a card in your layout. You cannot take a discard and then put the same card straight back.
Can I discard the card I draw?
Yes, if you drew it from the stock. You may put it on the discard pile instead of using it. You may not do this with a card you took from the discard pile.
How many people can play?
One deck is enough for two to four players. Add a second deck for five or more players and a third for nine or more. The score keeper supports up to eight players.
Sources
- Pagat: Golf (Six-card Golf deal, play, card values, matched columns, number of holes, extra decks, and the four-card and other variations.)
- Bicycle Cards: Six Card Golf (Six-card layout, card values, matched columns, nine holes, and how a hole ends.)