Golf Card Game

Wanna learn how to play Golf? Check out my Golf Card Game printable rules and scoring guide and get ready to have some fun at the card table!

Related: Check out How to Play Spoons, Hand and Foot, and Garbage Card Game.

The object of the card game Golf

Just like the real game played on the golf course, the concept of the Golf card game is to have the lowest total score after 9 or 18 rounds! So, the winner of the game has the lowest points.

Golf Card Game Rules

The rules below are for 6-Card Golf, one of the many versions of the game.

• For 2-4 player games, the object is to score the least number of points at the end of 9 game rounds.
• Pick a dealer who removes Jokers and shuffles a standard deck of cards.
• Dealers deal six cards to each player.
• The remaining cards are placed, face down in the center of the table forming a stock and the top card is placed face up next to the stock forming a discard pile.
• Players place their cards without looking at them in a 2×3 grid. Then every player flips over 2 of their cards .
• The player left of the dealer goes first and then play proceeds clockwise.
• On your turn, you must either draw the top card of the stock or draw the top card of the discard pile. You may use the card you drew to replace any of the 6 cards in your grid. If you choose to replace a face down card, you must not look at it first.
• The replaced card is discarded in the discard pile and your turn ends.
• If you choose to take the card from the top of the discard pile, you must use it in your grid.
• Play continues until 1 player has all of their cards face up. Players total their grid by adding the points of each column. (In another version of the game, after 1 player turns up all 6 cards, everyone else gets one last turn and then the cards are totaled.)
• The dealer collects all cards, passes the card deck to the next player on the left and the 2nd round begins.

Golf Card Game Scoring

If you have a pair of equal cards in the same column, the total for that column is zero points.

Ace= 1 point

2= -2 points

3-10= their face value

Queens and Jacks= 10 points

Kings= zero points

Strategy Tips

• Keep an eye on the other player’s layout before you discard. Will you discard something that will pair with one of their columns?
• You can’t see the face-down cards, but if you watch what your opponent is picking up and discarding, you can notice what they are trying to do.
• Kings, Aces, and 2’s are your power cards.
• Jacks and Queens are 10 points each unless they make a pair!
• Any pair in a column is zero!

In case you were wondering

This card game is also known as Hara Kiri, Polish Polka, Polish Poker, or Turtle, in case these rules sounded familiar. Although this game is widely known, it is not often listed in books about card games.

Before you Go

Thank you for stopping by today to check out this super fun and easy card game! Trust me, it is the only kind of golf I’m any good at! Please drop your favorite card game in the comments below and take a look at some awesome printable games and board games!

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