These golf card game rules explain the classic 6-card version that families love, plus the 4-card and 9-card versions you may have learned at camp or from a grandparent. Just like the sport, the aim is the lowest score, and a round of nine "holes" takes about half an hour. It is a great pick for mixed ages because the decisions are simple but the last few turns get tense.
Quick rules
- Each player gets six face down cards arranged in two rows of three.
- Turn two of your cards face up before play starts.
- On your turn, draw from the stock or take the top discard, then swap it into your layout or discard it.
- Low cards are good: kings are 0, twos are minus 2, and matching pairs in a column score 0.
- When one player has all six cards face up, everyone else gets one final turn.
- Play nine holes (deals). Lowest total score wins.
What you need
- A standard 52-card deck for 2 to 4 players. Use two decks shuffled together for 5 or more.
- Pencil and paper, or our scoreboard tool, to record each hole.
Setup
- Choose a dealer. The deal passes to the left after each hole.
- Deal six cards face down to each player. Without looking, each player arranges them in two rows of three in front of them.
- Place the rest of the deck face down as the stock and turn the top card face up to start the discard pile.
- Each player turns any two of their own cards face up. (Some groups require one card in each column or let you peek instead; agree first.)
How to play
Taking a turn
- The player to the dealer's left goes first, and play continues clockwise.
- Draw either the top card of the stock or the top card of the discard pile.
- If you took the discard, you must swap it for one of your six cards, face up or face down. The replaced card goes face up on the discard pile.
- If you drew from the stock, you may swap it into your layout the same way, or discard it straight away. Some groups let you flip one face down card when you discard a stock card; check your table's rule.
- Cards you swap in always stay face up.
Ending the hole
- As soon as one player has all six cards face up, the hole is nearly over.
- Every other player gets exactly one more turn.
- Everyone then turns any remaining face down cards face up and scores their layout.
Scoring
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Two | Minus 2 |
| Ace | 1 |
| 3 to 10 | Face value |
| Jack, queen | 10 |
| King | 0 |
| Pair of equal ranks in the same column | 0 for both cards |
Pairs only cancel when the two matching cards sit in the same column (one above the other). A pair of twos in a column scores 0, so many players prefer to keep twos separate. Card values differ slightly between families: some score jokers as minus 2 or kings as 13, so settle your table first.
How to win
Record each player's total after every hole. After nine holes, the player with the lowest total wins. For a shorter game play four or five holes; for a full course play eighteen.
Variations
- 4-card golf: each player has a 2 by 2 layout and may look at their two nearest cards once at the start, then keep them face down. On your turn you may "knock" instead of drawing to end the hole, giving everyone else one last turn. Pairs in a column cancel.
- 9-card golf: a 3 by 3 layout. Turn up two or three cards to start. Three matching cards in a row or a column score 0, and some tables also count diagonals.
- Bonus pairs: four matching cards across two columns score minus 10 or minus 20.
- Jokers: add two jokers worth minus 2 or minus 5 for a lower scoring game.
- Penalty for going out: if the player who ended the hole does not have the lowest score, their score for the hole is doubled.
Tips and strategy
- Swap out jacks and queens as early as possible; they are the most expensive cards.
- Watch the discard pile. If an opponent is building a pair of sevens, do not throw them the third seven.
- Keep twos and kings, but avoid pairing your twos, since a pair would lose the bonus.
- Do not rush to finish. Ending the hole with three face down cards can backfire if they turn out to be high.
- Late in the hole, count your opponents' visible cards to decide whether to close out now.
Common mistakes
- Pairing cards in a row instead of a column. Only same-column pairs cancel in the 6-card game.
- Taking the top discard and then discarding it again. A card taken from the discard pile must go into your layout.
- Forgetting the final lap after someone goes out. Every other player gets one more turn.
Enjoyed golf? Try trash or kings corner next, or find more ideas in our card games for kids list.
Questions people ask
How do you play the card game golf?
Each player has a grid of face down cards, usually six. On your turn you draw a card and either swap it into your grid or discard it, trying to end with the lowest point total. When one player has all cards face up, everyone else takes one last turn and the hole is scored.
What are the golf card game rules for 6 cards?
Lay six cards face down in two rows of three and flip two face up. Kings are worth 0, twos minus 2, aces 1, jacks and queens 10 and other cards face value. A matching pair in the same column scores 0.
What are the golf card game rules for 9 cards?
Each player lays nine cards in a 3 by 3 grid and turns two or three face up. Play works like the 6-card game, but three of a kind in a row or column cancel to 0. Some groups also allow diagonal lines.
How do you play the 4-card golf card game?
Deal four cards in a 2 by 2 square and peek at your two nearest cards once. Draw and swap to lower your total, and knock when you think you are lowest, which gives everyone else one final turn. Pairs in a column cancel.
How does golf card game scoring work?
After each hole, add up the values of your cards: twos are minus 2, kings 0, aces 1, jacks and queens 10, and other cards face value. Column pairs score 0. The lowest total after nine holes wins.