How Golf scoring works
Golf is a card game played over nine or eighteen deals, called holes, in which each player tries to finish with the lowest-scoring grid of cards in front of them.
The deal
In six-card Golf each player gets six cards face down in two rows of three and turns two of them face up. Four-card Golf uses two rows of two and nine-card Golf three rows of three. The rest of the deck is the stock, and its top card starts the discard pile.
A turn
Draw the top card of the stock or the discard pile, then either swap it for one of your cards, face up, and discard the card you replaced, or discard it. The aim is to replace high cards with low ones and to make pairs.
Going out
When a player has all their cards face up, the hole ends after everyone else has had one more turn. Every hidden card is then turned up and counted.
Counting
The common count is aces 1, twos minus 2, three to ten at face value, jacks and queens 10, and kings 0. Two cards of the same rank in a column cancel to 0. Jokers, where they are used, are usually minus 2. Many families have their own values.
Winning
Scores are added up hole by hole, and the lowest total after nine or eighteen holes wins.
House rules
A popular penalty doubles the score of the player who went out if someone else scored lower on that hole, or adds 10. Some tables reward four of a kind with a bonus, and ties are often settled by playing extra holes.
What Score All does with these rules
One hole is one deal
Each deal is a hole. When it is over, everyone turns their cards up and counts them, and you enter each player's score. Nine holes is the usual game; eighteen is a full round.
Counting a hand
The common count is aces 1, twos minus 2, three to ten at face value, jacks and queens 10 and kings 0, and two matching cards in a column cancel to 0. Tables vary, so enter the total your table counts; negative scores are fine.
Going out without the low score
Many tables punish the player who goes out first if someone else scored lower on that hole. Choose a doubled score or 10 added, pick who went out each hole, and the sheet applies it.
Ties and versions
Six-card Golf is the classic, with four-card and nine-card games played the same way. After the last hole the lowest total wins; a tie can be shared or settled with extra holes.
Golf (card game) scoring FAQ
How do you score the Golf card game?
Count the cards in your grid: aces 1, twos minus 2, numbers at face value, jacks and queens 10, kings 0, and a matched pair in a column 0. Lowest total wins.
How many holes are in a game of Golf?
Nine deals is the usual game, eighteen a full round.
What happens when a player goes out in Golf?
Everyone else gets one more turn, then all cards are turned up and counted.
Is there a free score keeper for the Golf card game?
Yes. Score All keeps the Golf score sheet for free on any phone: each player's score per hole, running totals and a live link for the table.
What is the best score in the Golf card game?
The lowest. Every card counts against you, kings and pairs count 0 and twos are worth minus 2 in many games, so a great hole can be below zero.
How many holes is a game of Golf?
Nine deals is the usual game, and eighteen is a full round. Score All plays any number from 1 to 18.