Deal
A single 52- card deck is recommended for a two or three player game. If played with four or more players, a double-deck of 104 cards is ideal. Each player is dealt six face-down cards from a shuffled deck. The remaining cards are placed face down to form the stockpile, from which the top card is taken and turned up to start the discard pile beside it. Players arrange their cards in two rows of three in front of them and turn any two of these cards face up. This arrangement is maintained throughout the game; players always have six cards in front of them.Play
The objective is for players to reduce the value of the cards in front of them by swapping them for lesser value cards. After the end of each round, players calculate the score of their respective six cards. Beginning with the dealer's left, players take turns drawing a single card from either the stockpile or discard pile. The drawn card may either be swapped for one of that player's six cards or, if drawn from the stockpile, discarded. If the card is swapped for one of the face-down cards, the card swapped in remains face up. If the card drawn is discarded, the player can then choose to flip a card face up. The round ends when a player has six face-up cards (sometimes the other players are given one final turn following this), after which scoring happens as follows: * Each Ace scores one point * Each Two scores minus two points * Each numeral card from 3 to 10 scores its face value * Each Jack or Queen scores 10 points * Each King scores zero points * A pair of equal-ranked cards in the same column scores zero points for that column regardless of the rank of those cards During play, it is ''not'' legal to return a card drawn from the discard pile without playing it. When a player picks up the top card of the discard pile, that card must be played by swapping it with one of that player's cards. A full game is typically nine hands, also known as "holes", after which the player with the fewest points total is designated the winner. A longer game can be played to eighteen hands.Variations
The game we call Golf was invented by Elias Clark, but there are many variants There is a multitude of variants in multiplayer golf. Some common ones include:Single-deck golf
For two to four players. Rules are the same as in double-deck golf. Sometimes, jokers are not used.Knocking
Golf can be played so that instead of ending the game automatically, a player must choose to "knock" instead of taking their turn. Remaining players then have one turn to draw a card to improve their hands and then scores are totaled and recorded on a running score sheet. This rule is more common for four-card golf.Four-card golf
Suitable for 3-7 players, in four-card Golf each player receives four cards face down in a 2×2 grid and reveal two before play begins. Play proceeds similar to six-card golf. The end of a round is initiated by a player 'knocking', after which other players get one final turn.Nine-card golf
One or two decks are involved, depending on the number of players. One deck is adequate for 1-3 players, two or more decks are suggested for 4+ players. To begin the game, each player is dealt nine cards, laying out the cards face down in a 3x3 grid. The method or pattern for how the players layout their 3x3 grid is arbitrary, as long as the cards remain face down. The game is played as six-card golf. Once any grid contains only face-up cards, the game is immediately ended, there are no further turns, and all players must flip all their face-down cards to determine their scores. Scoring is the same as six-card golf, with players having to form a full three-of-a-kind column to have that column score zero. This process of game play continues for nine total games or until a player exceeds 50 points. Optional rules of this version include: * Horizontal and diagonal lines of three also score zero * Playing with jokers in the game, valued at -4 points * Every pair of adjacent (horizontal or vertical) equal cards scores zero * If the player places four cards in a square pattern (i.e. 2x2 block) of the same face-point value, this results in a negative score (e.g. -25), for those four cards * Instead of drawing a card, a player may choose to flip a card in their grid face up * Playing until a player exceeds 100 points instead of 50Alternative scoring
There are many variants for point values of cards, including: *Jokers are added to the deck and score -5, or some other negative number. *Jokers are +15 individually, or -5 as a pair. *Queens score 12, 13 or 20 points each. *Queen of spades scores 40 points, other Queens 10 each, and Eights zero points. *Cambio
Variants known as Cambio, Pablo or Cactus include "power cards". When a power card is drawn from the stock, it can either be used for its normal value or discarded to activate its power. (If a power card is drawn from the discards, it must be played as its number.) A simple version of the game played in Malaysia has the following power cards: *A Jack allows a player to look at one of their own cards (without their opponent seeing it) *A Queen allows a player to look at one of their opponent's cards (again without their opponent seeing) *A King allows a player to swap one of their own cards with that of their opponent *A Joker allows a player to change the positions of their opponent's cards John McLeod ofKnocker's penalties and bonuses
Some play Golf and its variations such that a player who knocks (turns over all cards first) but doesn't end with the lowest score is penalized: *Knocker adds a penalty of 10 or 20 points, ''or''... *Knocker's score for the hand is doubled with 5 points added, ''or''... *The knocker takes a score equal to the highest scoring player for that hand, ''or''... *Knocker adds twice the number of people playing. If the knocker's score is lowest, some play with a bonus: *Knocker scores zero instead of a positive score, ''or''... *Knocker's score is reduced by the number of people playing.References
External links