Golf is an interesting card game and Golf card game rules can be pretty complex. The problem is that there is a lot of ways you can play it; it has many different variations. You can play with either a single pack or a double pack, and with varying amounts of initial down cards.

Either way, here I’ll present you with what I consider to be the most common rules and some ideas on how you can spice them up a bit.

General

• When you think of golf, you’re probably not thinking of a card game. However, the 6 card golf game is actually a very popular game. This game also goes by several other names, including Hara Kiri, Crazy Nines, and Polish poker. Unlike other card games, you don’t want to get the highest score.
• See full list on wikihow.com.
• Try out this online version of the classic card game. Can you get the lowest score possible while you play through nine exciting rounds?
• Each player is dealt half-dozen cards face-down, that they organize into a pair of rows of three cards.

The golf card game is played with a standard deck of fifty-two playing cards (the use of the jokers is optional) and anywhere from two to twelve players. For higher numbers of players, or if you want to start with more cards, you should add additional decks. A good general guideline is that for two to four players you can get away with using just one deck, but if you want to have five or more you should use two decks otherwise you might run out of cards.

Golf Solitaire is a popular solitaire card game where you're trying to remove all the cards from the seven columns by moving them into the waste pile. You can click a card to move it into the waste pile if it is one more than or one less than the card that is currently on the top of the waste pile.

The Deal

Each player is dealt four, six or eight initial cards (you decide what kind of a game you want to play). Each player’s cards are spread in front of him like this (depending on how many cards you used):

4 CARD GAME

6 CARD GAME

8 CARD GAME

Players are not allowed to look at their cards. The rest of the deck is put in the center of the table and the top card is turned over; this is the first card of the discard pile.

Goal of the Game

The point of the game is to score as little as possible. The whole game usually consists from nine or eighteen rounds. In order to limit your score you want to either trade away high value cards, or make pairs. Having a pair negates the normal point value of the card.

Gameplay

Before the play starts players can look at two of their down cards (in alternative golf card game rules each player can turn two cards face up, it’s up to you), after this they are not allowed to look anymore.

Now the first player, starting with the player on the dealers left, can either draw a card from the discard pile or the stock pile or knock…

• …if the player picks a card from the discard pile, then he has to replace one of his cards with that card(if you are playing the face up version, then he has to put the new card face up in place of the old card). Picking up a card from the discard pile and then returning that same card to the discard pile is prohibited.
• …if the player picks a card from the stock pile, he can either discard it right away or switch it for one of his cards. He’s not allowed to look at his card before he makes the switch, but he can look at the card he drew (if you are playing the face up version, then he has to put the new card face up in place of the old card).
• …if the player knocks, the game ends and players tally up their score(there is no knocking in the face up version).

Play continues clockwise like this until a player knocks, or in the face up version until one of the players has all his cards face up. When this happens the round is done and players score appropriate points.

In case the deck runs out, shuffle up the discard pile to make a new deck and leave the top card as the new discard pile.

Variants

There are a lot of different ways you can max up your usual game of golf if it has gone stale. You can change up the number of down cards, the number of decks that you use and you can mix up the scoring as well.

Four card vs six card :

In six card golf every player is dealt six cards face down. They then have the chance to rearrange their down cards and then choose two of their cards to be exposed. In four card golf the players do not expose any of their four down cards, and they only look at two. This element of uncertainty can make for an exciting game.

Nine card golf :

Nine card golf is another variant. In this game, dealt with two decks, each player lays out a three by three grid of down cards and chooses three to expose. Unlike four and six card golf, where pairs negate the point value of the cards, in nine card golf you need to get three of a kind in either a column, row or diagonal line. If you can get a four block of the same card this knocks twenty five points off your score and you will be well on the way to victory.

You can also mix up the scoring to keep things interesting. You can add penalty cards, like making the queen of spades worth forty points, or you can make one eyed jacks wild so that they automatically pair with the card next to them.

Another interesting idea is to turn jacks into miss-a-turns, so that any time one is discarded the next player in line has to skip their turn.

Scoring

At the end of each round players tally up their points according to the cards in front of them. The most common values are as follows:

• A = one point
• Deuce to Ten = face value
• Jacks and Queens = ten points
• Kings = zero points

You can also add some special scoring rules. Here are a few examples:

• If two cards form a pair in a row, their total value is zero.
• A pair of aces are minus two.
• A pair of jokers is minus four.
• If you are playing with jokers, they can be wild cards, they can have a negative point value or both.
• You can add minus ten bonus points for the knocker, if he had the lowest score. At the same time you can add ten penalty points, if he had the highest score.
• You can change how many points jokers subtract for your score. So jokers can have any negative value, you can make them worth minus one, minus two, minus three etc.
• Enable the option of shooting the moon. If someone gets the maximum amount of points, then they actually end up getting nothing and everyone else gets the maximum amount of points. This adds a new element of strategy because when someone is actively trying to shoot the moon you want to try to prevent them from getting points.

Conclusion

You can play around a lot with golf card game rules. You can make different rules on when players can look at cards, what scores what etc. Play around with it a little and see what you like and what you don’t like, but most of all, enjoy yourself while you play and have fun!

OBJECTIVE OF GOLF: The objective is to score the lowest number of points.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2+ players

NUMBER OF CARDS: 1 to 3 decks, depending on variation and number of players.

RANK OF CARDS: Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A, K

AUDIENCE: Adult

Golf is a widespread game but seldom documented in card playing books. This is a consequence of the many names the game bears, it is also known as Polish Polka or Polish Poker, and the 4-card version is sometimes referred to as Turtle.The 6-card variation of Golf is also known as Hara Kiri and the 9-card game is often called Crazy Nines.

FOUR CARD GOLF

This is the most commonly played form of Golf. The game uses a standard 52 card deck for 2-8 players, if there are more than 8 players who wish to play, two decks may be combined.

Dealing

Both the deal and the play moves clockwise. The dealer will hand each player 4 cards, one card at a time. These cards are to be placed face-down in the shape of a square. The cards that were not dealt form a draw pile. The top card is moved face-up and placed beside the draw pile, this card forms the discard pile.

Before the play begins, players can look, only once, at the two cards nearest to them in their square layout. These cards must be kept secret from other players. Players may not look at the cards in their layout again unless they are discarding them during play or scoring them at the end of the game.

Playing

The player left of the dealer starts and play passes on clockwise. A turn offers players three options:

1. Players may draw a card from the draw pile. You may use this card to replace any four cards in your layout, but you cannot look at the face of the card you are replacing. Try and remember which card is the replacement. Move the card you choose to replace in your layout face-up to the discard pile. You can draw from this pile and simply discard the card, face-up, without using it.
2. Players may draw a card from the discard pile. Since these cards are face-up, you must use one to replace a card in your layout, then discard. You may not put the drawn card back in the pile without changing your layout.
3. Players can also choose to knock. After you knock your turn is over. Play moves on in a normal fashion, other players may draw or discard, but the cannot knock. Play ends afterward.

*Note: If you peep at your cards in your face-down layout, the card you look at must be discarded.

Scoring

Scoring occurs at the end of each play. All player’s cards are flipped face-up for scoring.

Golf Card Game Rules Printable

• number cards equal their face value, Ace = 1, Two = 2, etc.
• Jack and Queen = 10 points
• King = 0 points

The player with the lowest total score, summed after nine plays, is the winner.

SIX CARD GOLF

In 6-card Golf pairs in a column score 0 points. The objective then in 6-card Golf is to make as many pairs as possible while keeping the unpaired cards a low denomination.

Golf Card Game Rules Printable

Dealing

In a game with 2-4 players, a standard 52 card deck will suffice. Games with 4-8 players use two packs and games with more than 8 use three. Both the deal and the play moves clockwise. Dealers deal 6 cards to each player, one at a time, to form a rectangular layout. The cards that were not dealt form a draw pile. The top card is moved face-up and placed beside the draw pile, this card forms the discard pile. Before the play begins, players may flip any two cards in their layout face-up. No other cards may be looked at unless they are being discarded or if the situation is called for during game play.

Playing

The player left of the deal starts and play passes on clockwise. During your turn, you may either draw from the draw or discard pile. Drawn cards may be used to replace any 6 cards in your layout. However, if you choose to replace a face-down card you may not look at it before doing so. Place the new card face-up in your layout and the old card face-up on the discard pile.

Cards drawn from the face-down pile may be discarded without being used. Cards from the discard pile must be used to replace a card your layout.

Play ends when all player’s cards are face-up and scoring begins.

Scoring

Scoring occurs at the end of each play. All player’s cards are flipped face-up for scoring.

• Ace = 1 point
• Two = -2 points
• Number cards 3-10 = face value
• Jack and Queen = 10 points
• King = 0 points
• Equal cards in the same column = 0 points (including twos)

The player with the lowest total score, summed after nine plays, is the winner.

EIGHT CARD GOLF

Golf Card Game - Video Results

Eight Card Golf is played almost identically to six card Golf, however, the layout is 2 rows of four cards as opposed to three. One deck is used in games with 2-4 players and more decks may be added as needed. The dealer deals each player (starting to their left) eight cards, one at a time, in a rectangular layout (4×2). The cards that were not dealt form a draw pile. The top card is moved face-up and placed beside the draw pile, this card forms the discard pile. The player left of the deal starts and play passes on clockwise.

Playing

Players begin their turn by turning two cards in one column face-up. Players then may draw cards from the draw or discard pile, giving them three options:

1. Use drawn card to replace a face-up card. Discard the face-up card, face-up, in the discard pile.
2. Use drawn card to replace a face-down card. The card you wish to replace cannot be looked at before hand. After it is replaced, discard it face-up in the discard pile.
3. If the drawn card was from the face-down draw pile, discard face-up on top of the discard pile. Flip one of the face-down cards in one’s personal layout face-up.

After ever player has their first turn, each player can turn 2 or 3 cards face-up. Play continues on in the same direction.

If a layout has one face down card remaining one may still draw a card from the draw pile and discard without looking at the last card. When one player’s layout are face-up one turn each remains. Other player’s remaining face-down cards are flipped after last turns and scoring beings.

Scoring

• Jokers = -5 points
• Kings = 0 points
• Jacks and Queens = 10 points
• Aces = 1 point
• Number cards 2-10 = face value
• Pair in a column = 0 points
• 2 pairs in 2 columns = -10 points

Negative scores are possible. The player with the lowest total score, summed after nine plays, is the winner.

NINE CARD GOLF

Nine Card Golf is better known as Crazy Nines or Nines. This variant is played with 2 standard decks. The layout is a 3×3 square of cards. Three cards are turned face-up to begin play. The same rules as 6-card Golf apply, except pairs do not score zero points, three matching cards in a column score zero points. In the event you have two intersecting rows of equal cards, players must before the game consider how to score this. Many players will remove the block or line of equal cards.

Golf Card Game Youtube

TEN CARD GOLF

Golf Card Game Rules

This game must be played with at least two standard card decks. Players are dealt 5 cards in the same fashion as other versions of Golf, in a 5×2 rectangular layout. Any two cards may be flipped face-up. From then on, 6-card Golf rules apply.