Golf (card game)

Golf is not one, but two "different" card games where players try to earn the lowest number of points (as in golf, the sport) over the course of nine deals (or "holes" to further use golfing teminology). The first is a form of solitaire with a tableau of 35 face-up cards and a higher ratio of skill to luck than most other solitaire card games. The second is a game for four or more players using a double-deck of 108 cards.

Golf Solitaire

In the solitaire game of golf (also known as One Foundation) the object is to remove all the cards from the tableau.

etup

From a standard 52-card pack, deal a tableau of 5 overlapping rows containing 7 cards each (i.e.: 7 columns, each containing 5 overlapping cards). The remaining cards form the stock, the top card of which is turned face up to form the foundation.

Play

Rules are as follows:

* .
* Only the topmost card in each column (closest to the player) may be removed from the tableau. When it is removed, the card beneath becomes available for play.
* Cards may be moved from the tableau to the foundation if they are either one rank higher or one rank lower than the top card of the foundation, regardless of suit, but nothing may be played on top of a King.
* Cards rank A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 J Q K. There is no "turning the corner" (Ace on a King, or King on an Ace) in golf.
* Whenever there are no possible plays, turn cards up one at a time from the stock to the foundation and resume playing cards from the tableau when possible.
* There is no redeal. The game is over when the stock is exhausted and no more moves are available.

coring

Player scores one point for each card remaining in the tableau after the stock has run out. If the tableau is cleared, player scores a negative point for every card left in the stock. Game is nine "holes" (deals) and a score of 45 or lower is considered par, with a score of zero or lower being perfect.

Impossible win

If a tableau is dealt that would make it impossible for the player to clear all of the cards (if all queens are covered by kings for example), then the cards may be reshuffled and redealt.

Variations

Common variations on these rules include:

* Queens may be played on top of Kings.
* Turning the corner is permitted so that a King can be played on top of an Ace, and vice versa.
* Multiple decks may be used to create larger tableaus.

Golf for four or more

The multi-player game of golf has little in common with its solitaire cousin.

Deal

Four or more players use two standard 52-card decks plus 2 or 4 Jokers . Each player is dealt 6 cards face down from the deck, the remainder is placed face down to form the stock and the top card is turned up to start the discard pile beside it. Players arrange their 6 cards in 2 rows of 3 in front of them and turn 2 of these cards face up. This arrangement is maintained throughout the game and players always have 6 cards in front of them.

Play

The object is for players to reduce the value of the cards in front of them by either swapping them for lesser value cards or by pairing them up with cards of equal rank.

Beginning at dealer's left, players take turns drawing single cards from either the stock or discard piles. The drawn card may either be swapped for one of that player's 6 cards, or discarded. If the card is swapped for one of the face down cards, the card swapped in remains face up. The round ends when all of a player's cards are face-up. 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.

Point Values

The point value of cards is as follows:
*Jokers are -2 points each
*Kings are 0 points each
*Aces are 1 point each
*Queens & Jacks are 10 points each (or 11 and 12 points in some versions)
*All other cards are face value

Pairs

Pairs are formed by cards of equal rank in the same column and override the normal point values of those cards. Pairs score as follows:
*A pair of Jokers scores -4
*Any other pair scores zero
*If two pairs of the same rank are next to each other, all other players score 10 points
*If you have a pair, call "Golf" and you will receive 1 extra card.

Game

Game is nine "holes" (deals) and the player with the lowest total score is designated winner.

Variations

The variants in multiplayer golf are endless. Some common ones include:

ingle-pack golf

For two to four players. Rules are the same as in double-pack golf. Sometimes jokers are not used.

Four-card golf

Can be played single or double pack. Each player receives 4 cards face down in a 2x2 grid and looks at 2 before play begins. Thereafter, players do not look at their face down cards. Play proceeds as in 6-card golf, but a player may knock (instead of drawing) at any time – even before all of the players cards have been swapped for face-up cards – and then all other players have one chance to improve their hands before scores are tallied. Pairs are counted horizontally and vertically, with diagonal pairs being an optional rule.

Nine-card golf

Two packs, with each player laying out a 3x3 grid and facing 3 cards at the outset. Pairs do not count, but 3-of-a-kind in a row, column or diagonal scores zero, and a 2x2 block of 4 equal cards scores -25.

Alternative scoring

There are many variants for point values of cards, including:
*Queens score 12, 13 or 20 points each.
*Queen of spades scores 40 points, other Queens 10 each, and Eights are zero points.
*One-eyed jacks are wild and automatically form a pair with an adjacent card (or complete a triplet in 9-card golf).
*Jacks score zero, Queens 12, Kings 13.
*Jacks are worth 20 points each and when a Jack is discarded, the following player loses a turn.
*Twos are minus 2 instead of plus 2 (usually played in games without Jokers)
*Jokers are minus 1, minus 2, minus 3 or minus 5 points each.
*Jokers are +15 individually, or minus 5 as a pair
*Four of a kind wins all nine game automatically (usually played in 4-card golf).

Knocker's penalties and bonuses

Some play that a player who knocks but doesn't end with the lowest score is penalized:
*Knocker adds a penalty of 10 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.

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 total number of people playing, or a penalty of twice that number is accrued if knocker failed to make the lowest score that round.