Golf rules
Golf is a card game where the lowest score wins. Each player has 6 cards in two rows, most of them face down, and swaps in new cards one at a time to bring their total down. Two equal cards in the same column cancel out. A game is 9 deals, called holes.
Also called Six Card Golf, 6 Card Golf.
- Players
- 2 to 4 with one deck, up to 8 with two decks
- You need
- A standard 52-card deck (two for 5 or more players), plus paper and a pencil
- Deal
- 6 cards each, face down, in 2 rows of 3. Each player turns 2 of them face up.
- Each turn
- Draw 1 card and swap it for one of your 6 cards, or discard it
- Goal
- Have the lowest total in your 6 cards when the hole ends
- Game ends
- After 9 holes. The lowest total wins.
- Playing time
- About 30 minutes for 9 holes
Quick start
- Deal 6 cards face down to each player. Each player sets them out in 2 rows of 3 and turns any 2 face up. Never look at the others.
- Stack the rest face down as the stock and turn its top card face up to start the discard pile.
- On your turn, take the top card of the stock or the discard pile. Swap it for any one of your 6 cards, face up or face down.
- The new card goes in face up and the old card goes face up on the discard pile. A card from the stock may be discarded instead.
- The hole ends as soon as one player’s 6 cards are all face up. Everyone turns up the rest of their cards and adds them up.
- Ace 1, 2 minus 2, other number cards their number, jack and queen 10, king 0. A pair in a column scores 0. After 9 holes the lowest total wins.
Rule sheet and score sheet
Print the whole game on one page, and a score sheet made for Golf. Both are free PDFs for Letter paper.
Setup
2 to 4 players with one deck, each playing alone. With 5 to 8 players, shuffle two decks together.
You need: One standard 52-card deck with the jokers taken out.
| In the set | Count | Worth when scoring |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 4 | 1 point each |
| 2s | 4 | Minus 2 points each |
| Number cards, 3 through 10 | 32 | The number on the card |
| Jacks and queens | 8 | 10 points each |
| Kings | 4 | 0 points |
| Total | 52 |
- With 5 to 8 players, shuffle two standard decks together for 104 cards.
- Two equal cards in the same column score 0 together, whatever their rank.
- Use one standard 52-card deck with no jokers for 2 to 4 players. For 5 to 8 players, shuffle two decks together.
- Pick a dealer. The deal passes to the left after each hole.
- Deal 6 cards to each player, one at a time and face down. Each player lays them out in 2 rows of 3 without looking at them.
- Put the rest of the cards face down in the middle as the stock. Turn its top card face up beside it to start the discard pile.
- Each player turns any 2 of their own cards face up. The other 4 stay face down, and nobody may look at them. The player on the dealer’s left goes first.
| Players | Each player gets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 6 cards | 1 card starts the discard pile and 39 form the stock. |
| 3 | 6 cards | 1 card starts the discard pile and 33 form the stock. |
| 4 | 6 cards | 1 card starts the discard pile and 27 form the stock. |
| 5 to 8 | 6 cards | Two decks, 104 cards. The stock holds 73 cards with 5 players and 55 with 8. |
Top row
Bottom row
Any 2 of the 6 cards can be the ones turned up
Stock
The undealt cards, face down
Discard pile
Starts with one face-up card
- The two rule sources we checked do not say how to pick the first dealer. Any fair way works, such as cutting the deck for the lowest card.
- Some groups use two decks even with 2 to 4 players so the stock lasts longer. It makes little difference to the game.
How to play
Turns go clockwise. On every turn you draw one card and either put it into your layout or throw it away. The hole ends the moment one player has no face-down cards left.
-
Draw one card
Take the top card of the stock or the top card of the discard pile. Everyone can see the discard before you choose.
- Only the top card of the discard pile can be taken.
-
Swap it into your layout
Swap the card you drew for any one of your 6 cards, face up or face down. Put the new card in its place face up. Put the card it replaced face up on the discard pile.
- You may not look at a face-down card before you decide to replace it. You find out what it was when it goes on the discard pile.
- Replacing a face-up card is allowed. It is how you swap a high card you can see for a lower one.
- Once a card is face up in your layout it stays face up for the rest of the hole.
-
Or discard a card from the stock
If you drew from the stock and do not want the card, put it face up on the discard pile. That ends your turn. A card taken from the discard pile must go into your layout.
- You may not take the top discard and put the same card straight back.
- Under the main rules you may not turn a face-down card up on its own. Cards turn face up only when they are replaced or when the hole ends. Some groups play otherwise, as listed under house rules.
-
Try for pairs in a column
Two cards of the same rank in the same column, one above the other, score 0 together. Two 7s in a column score 0 instead of 14. Two kings score 0 as usual.
- A pair of 2s also scores 0. The two 2s lose their minus points.
- The suits do not matter. A 7 of hearts and a 7 of clubs are a pair.
- Equal cards side by side in a row are not a pair. Only the column counts.
-
End the hole
The hole ends as soon as one player’s sixth card is face up. Nobody takes another turn. All players turn up their face-down cards.
- Some groups give every other player one more turn before the cards are turned up. The main rules here do not, so agree on it before the first deal.
-
Score the hole
Each player adds up their 6 cards. Ace 1, 2 minus 2, 3 to 10 their number, jack and queen 10, king 0. A pair in a column scores 0. Write each score down, then the next dealer deals.
| What changes | 6-card golf | 4-card golf | 9-card golf |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cards each | 6 | 4 | 9 |
| Layout | 2 rows of 3 | 2 rows of 2 | 3 rows of 3 |
| At the start | Turn 2 face up | Look once at 2. All stay face down | Turn 3 face up |
| A 2 is worth | Minus 2 | 2 | Minus 2 |
| Matching cards | A pair in a column scores 0 | No discount for pairs | 3 equal cards in a column score 0 |
Example: making a pair in a column
Your top row shows the 7 of hearts, a face-down card and the king of spades. Your bottom row shows a face-down card, the 4 of diamonds and a face-down card. The top discard is the 7 of clubs. You take it and swap it for the face-down card under your 7 of hearts. That card turns out to be the 9 of diamonds, which goes on the discard pile. Your first column now holds two 7s. They would count 14, but a pair in a column scores 0.
Column 1
A pair: 0 points
Column 2
Column 3
Discard pile
The face-down card you replaced
Scoring
Every player scores every hole. Low is good. A score can be below zero.
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Ace | 1 |
| 2 | Minus 2 |
| 3 through 10 | The number on the card |
| Jack or queen | 10 |
| King | 0 |
| Two equal cards in one column | 0 for the column, even a pair of 2s |
- Count your cards column by column. A column with a pair scores 0. Any other column scores its two cards added together.
- Face-down cards count in full once they are turned up at the end of the hole.
Play 9 holes. The player with the lowest total wins.
Use a score card with a row for each player and a column for each hole. Write each player’s score after every hole, minus signs included, and add up the row after the ninth hole.
A worked example: one player’s hole
The hole has ended and all of your cards are face up. Your top row is the 5 of hearts, the king of clubs and the 2 of spades. Your bottom row is the 5 of diamonds, the queen of hearts and the ace of clubs. You score 9 for the hole.
Column 1
A pair: 0
Column 2
0 + 10 = 10
Column 3
Minus 2 + 1 = minus 1
| What happened | Points |
|---|---|
| Column 1: two 5s, a pair | 0 |
| Column 2: king of clubs | 0 |
| Column 2: queen of hearts | 10 |
| Column 3: 2 of spades | −2 |
| Column 3: ace of clubs | 1 |
| Your score for the hole | 9 |
Scorekeeper
Enter everyone’s score for each hole, minus scores included. After 9 holes it adds up the totals, and the lowest total wins. It works in this browser, keeps the game if the page reloads, and needs no account.
Other ways to play
Golf for 5 or more players
Shuffle two standard decks together, which makes 104 cards. Deal, play and score as usual. With more than 8 players, add a third deck. Some groups bring in the second deck from 4 players, and some use it even with 2 or 3, so the stock lasts longer. With two decks, two identical cards in a column, such as two 8s of spades, are a pair like any other and score 0.
4-card golf
Deal 4 cards face down to each player in a square of 2 rows of 2. Each player looks once at the two cards nearest them. All 4 stay face down. On your turn, draw from the stock or the discard pile and swap the card for one of yours without looking at it first. The new card goes in face down. A stock card may be discarded instead. Instead of drawing, you may knock when you think your score is lowest. Each other player then has one more turn, and the hole ends. Aces count 1 and other number cards their number, so a 2 counts plus 2. Jacks and queens count 10 and kings 0. Pairs get no discount. Play 9 holes. Lowest total wins. With 8 or more players, two decks may be used.
9-card golf
Deal 9 cards face down to each player in a square of 3 rows of 3. Each player turns 3 of them face up. Some groups turn up only 2. Use two decks shuffled together. One deck is enough for 2 or 3 players. Turns, card values and the end of the hole are the same as in 6-card golf. Matching is different. A pair does not score 0. A column of 3 equal cards does. Some groups also let a row or a diagonal of 3 equal cards score 0, so agree on it first. Play 9 holes. Lowest total wins.
House rules and other versions
- One more turn for everyone
- When one player’s last card goes face up, each other player has one more turn before the hole is scored. Some groups play this way, so agree on it before the first deal.
- Turn a card instead of drawing
- On your turn you may turn one of your face-down cards face up instead of drawing.
- Turn a card after a stock discard
- If you draw from the stock and discard that card, you must also turn one of your face-down cards face up. With only one face-down card left, you may leave it down.
- Choosing the first 2 cards
- Some groups make the 2 face-up cards share a column. Others say they must be in different columns. In another version nobody turns cards up: each player looks once at the row of 3 nearest them and turns those cards back down.
- Jokers
- Add 2 jokers to each deck. A joker counts minus 2, and the 2s count plus 2 instead. Some groups make a joker worth minus 5, minus 3 or 0 instead.
- A pair of 2s keeps its points
- Two 2s in a column keep their minus points and score minus 4 for the column instead of 0.
- Four of a kind
- Some groups give four equal cards in two columns a bonus, such as minus 10, instead of 0. Others score minus 20 when the two columns sit side by side and make a square.
- Pairs anywhere
- Two equal cards score 0 wherever they sit in the layout, in a row as well as in a column.
- 18 holes
- For a longer game, play 18 holes instead of 9.
Rule questions
How many cards do you get in golf?
6 in the usual game, laid out in 2 rows of 3. One 52-card deck covers 2 to 4 players. With 5 to 8, shuffle two decks together. Other versions deal 4 cards in 2 rows of 2, or 9 cards in 3 rows of 3.
Do the other players get one more turn after someone turns their last card?
No, under the main rules. The hole ends as soon as one player’s sixth card is face up. Some groups give each other player one more turn, and some rule books list that as a choice. Agree on it before the first deal.
Can you swap out a card that is already face up?
Yes. The card you draw can replace any of your 6 cards, face up or face down. The card you take out goes face up on the discard pile.
Can you take the top discard and throw it straight back?
No. A card taken from the discard pile must go into your layout. Only a card drawn from the stock may be discarded without using it. One short rule book makes no such exception, so agree on it if your group plays from that one.
Can you look at your face-down cards?
No. They stay unseen until they are replaced or the hole ends. You also may not peek at one before deciding to replace it.
Do two 2s in a column score 0 or minus 4?
0. Under the rules a pair in a column scores 0, even a pair of 2s. Some groups let the 2s keep their value, minus 4 for the column, so agree on it first.
Does a pair count if it is in a row instead of a column?
No. Only two equal cards in the same column cancel out. Two equal cards side by side in a row each count in full. Some groups play that a pair anywhere scores 0.
Can you turn a card face up instead of drawing?
Not under the main rules. A card turns face up only when you replace it or when the hole ends. Some groups allow it as a house rule.
What happens if the stock runs out?
The rule sources we checked do not say, so agree before you start. A fair fix is to keep the top discard, shuffle the rest of the discard pile and turn it face down as a new stock.
How many holes are in a game of golf?
9. After 9 holes the player with the lowest total wins. For a longer game, play 18.
What is a king worth in golf?
0 points. Only a 2, at minus 2, is worth less.
Words used in Golf
- Hole
- One deal, from the deal until the cards are scored. A game is 9 holes.
- Layout
- Your cards set out on the table in front of you, in 2 rows of 3 in the usual game.
- Column
- Two cards one above the other in your layout. The usual layout has 3 columns.
- Pair
- Two cards of the same rank in one column. A pair scores 0.
- Stock
- The face-down pile of undealt cards that players draw from.
- Discard pile
- The face-up pile beside the stock. Only its top card can be taken.
- Knock
- In 4-card golf, to end the hole instead of drawing. Each other player then has one more turn.
What you need
- A standard deck of playing cardsOne 52-card deck is enough for 2 to 4 players. Take the jokers out.Find it on Amazon (A standard deck of playing cards, opens in a new tab)
- A second deckFor 5 or more players, and for 9-card golf with 4 or more. Decks are often sold two to a box.Find it on Amazon (A second deck, opens in a new tab)
- A score pad and pencilAny paper works. Our printable score card has a column for each of the 9 holes.Find it on Amazon (A score pad and pencil, opens in a new tab)
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Checked against
These rules are written in our own words from Bicycle Cards and checked against Pagat. Sources last checked on October 12, 2026.
- First source: Bicycle Cards, Six Card Golf. 2 to 4 players with one deck, the 6-card deal in 2 rows of 3 with 2 turned up, the turn, the end of the hole, card values, pairs in a column including 2s, and 9 holes with the lowest total winning.
- Second source: Pagat, Golf. Extra decks above 4 and 8 players, swapping face-up cards, no throwing back the top discard, the end of the hole, card values, 4-card golf, 9-card golf and most of the house rules.
Other sources we used (1)
- Wikipedia, Golf (card game). Confirms the main rules and values. A double deck from 4 players, one deck for 9-card golf with up to 3 players, the extra final turn as an option, 18 holes, and 4-card golf with knocking.
Where the sources differ (9)
| Topic | Bicycle Cards | Pagat | This page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Another turn after a player’s last card goes face up | Not mentioned. The round ends when all of one player’s cards are face up. | Play ends at once. One more turn for each other player is a variation. | The hole ends at once. One more turn each is the first variant and a rule question. Wikipedia says the others are sometimes given a final turn. |
| Players and decks | 2, 3 or 4 players with one 52-card deck. | 2 to 4 with one pack. A second pack above 4 players and a third above 8. Some use two decks with fewer. | 2 to 4 with one deck, 5 to 8 with two. Wikipedia suggests a double deck from 4 players, which the 5-or-more version mentions. |
| Swapping a face-up card | The drawn card may be swapped for one of the player’s 6 cards. Face-up cards are not singled out. | Any card, face up or face down, may be replaced. | Any of the 6 cards, face up or face down. Wikipedia agrees. |
| Throwing back the top discard | Its wording lets any drawn card be swapped or discarded, with no exception for the discard pile. | Not allowed. A card taken from the discard pile must go into the layout. | Follows Pagat. Wikipedia agrees. |
| Which 2 cards are turned up at the start | Each player turns 2 cards face up. Who picks them is not stated. | Any two, the player’s choice. Rules about which columns are variations. | Any 2, the player’s choice. The column rules are a variant. |
| 4-card golf | Not covered. | 2 to about 8 or more players. Look once at your two nearest cards. Cards go into the layout face down. Knock instead of drawing, then everyone else has one more turn. A 2 counts 2. No pair rule. 9 deals. | Follows Pagat. Wikipedia gives 3 to 7 players and says two cards are revealed before play, which is not clear, so it is not used for the start. |
| 9-card golf | Not covered. | Two or more decks. Turn 3 up, or 2 in some groups. Otherwise as 6-card golf, except that only a column of 3 equal cards scores 0. No number of holes for this version, though its introduction says a game is commonly 9, or sometimes 18, deals. | Follows Pagat, with 9 holes because the game is otherwise the same as 6-card golf. One deck for 2 or 3 players comes from Wikipedia. Wikipedia’s limit of 50 points is marked citation needed and is not used. |
| Stock running out | Not stated. | Not stated for the standard games. | A rule question says the sources do not cover it and gives our own suggestion. |
| Next dealer | Not stated. | Says only that the deal and play are clockwise. | The deal passes to the left after each hole. |
What on this page is our own
- The playing time of about 30 minutes is our estimate.
- The example swap and the scoring example are our own. So are the layout after the deal and the picture at the top of the page.
- The stock sizes after the deal (39, 33 and 27 cards with one deck, 73 down to 55 with two) are our arithmetic.
- That the deal passes to the left after each hole is our reading of Pagat’s note that the deal is clockwise. The way to pick the first dealer is our suggestion.
- The answer on the stock running out is our own suggestion. No source we checked covers it.
- That equal cards means equal rank, so suits do not matter and two identical cards from two decks also pair, is our reading. Wikipedia says equal-ranked.
- That equal cards side by side in a row are not a pair follows from the sources limiting pairs to a column.
- Playing 9 holes of 9-card golf follows from Pagat saying that game is otherwise played and scored like 6-card golf. Reading Pagat’s “square block” of four equal cards as two columns side by side is ours.
- The scorekeeper and score sheet layouts are ours. The notes under What you need describe products and are not rules.
Spotted a mistake? Email [email protected] and we'll check it against the sources.