Rules · Scoring · Strategy

How to Play Nine Card Golf

Nine Card Golf expands the classic game to a 3 × 3 grid, creating more choices and rewarding players who complete three-card matching columns.

Play Nine Card Golf

Quick rules

  1. Deal the grid. Each player receives nine cards in a 3 × 3 layout. Turn three cards face-up to begin.
  2. Take a turn. Draw the top stock card or take the visible discard.
  3. Replace or discard. Replace one card in your grid. A card taken from the discard pile must be used.
  4. Finish the hole. When one grid is fully face-up, the other player receives one final turn.
  5. Score low. Add the card values after applying the matching-column rule.

Scoring

2−2 points
A1 point
3–10Face value
J / Q10 points
K0 points
Matching-column bonus

All three cards in a vertical column must share the same rank for that entire column to score zero.

Simple strategy

Protect zeroes

Do not break an existing matching column unless the replacement creates an even better result.

Use the discard pile

A visible card is especially valuable when it completes a match or replaces a high card.

Watch Finn’s grid

The discard pile reveals what your opponent rejected and may hint at the ranks they want.