Golf
Also called Six-Card Golf, Polish Polka
Nine rounds, lowest score wins. Kings are free and twos are better than free.
drills completed
- Players
- 2–4 players (best with 3–4)
- Time
- 20–30 min
- What you need
- Standard 52-card deck
- Difficulty
- Easy to learn
Objective
Keep the lowest total across nine rounds, swapping cards into a face-down grid you can only partly see.
Setup
- Deal six cards face down to each player, in three columns of two.
- Put the rest face down as the stock and turn one card up beside it as the discard pile.
- Each player turns any two of their six cards face up. The other four stay hidden.
Your turn
Draw one card — from the top of the stock or the top of the discard pile — then do one of two things:
- Swap it in. Put it face up over any card in your layout, and discard the card it replaces. If you replace a face-down card, you do not get to look first.
- Discard it. Throw the drawn card straight onto the discard pile and change nothing. You may only do this with a card drawn from the stock.
Card values
This is the whole game. Two ranks break the normal pattern.
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| King | 0 |
| 2 | −2 |
| Ace | 1 |
| 3 – 10 | Face value |
| Jack, Queen | 10 each |
Matching columns
If the two cards in a column are the same rank, that column scores 0 — whatever the cards are. A pair of Queens that would cost you 20 costs you nothing instead.
They must be in the same column, one above the other. Two Queens sitting in different columns are just 20 points.
Ending the round
The round ends the moment any player has all six cards face up. Everyone else gets no further turns — whatever is still face down is turned over and counted as it lies.
Add up all six cards using the values above, applying the column rule. Play nine rounds — nine holes — and the lowest total wins.
Card library
Low is good, and two ranks are worth more than their pip value suggests.
-
2. Two−2
The best card in the deck. Actively lowers your score.
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K. King0
Free. Swap one in over anything expensive.
-
A. Ace1
Almost free.
-
3–10. Number cardsface
Worth their pip value. A 3 is fine, a 10 is not.
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J. Jack10
Expensive unless you can pair it in a column.
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Q. Queen10
Expensive unless you can pair it in a column.
-
=. Matching column0
Two of the same rank stacked in one column cancel to zero.
No cards match that filter.
Try it
Short drills on the rules people get wrong. Nothing is saved anywhere but this browser.
Drill 1 of 2
Know the free card
CompletedWhich of these is worth nothing at all in your layout?
Kings score 0 in Golf. Swapping one over a Queen saves you ten points in a single turn.
The Ace is 1 — close, but the King is the one worth exactly zero. Queens and tens are 10 each.
Drill 2 of 2
Cancel a column
CompletedWhich of these pairs scores 0 when stacked in the same column?
Two of the same rank in one column cancel each other out, whatever the rank. Suits are irrelevant.
It has to be the same rank, one above the other. K and 2 are only worth 0 and −2 individually — that is −2, not 0.
House rules & variations
Every table plays a little differently. These are the common variants — agree on them before you deal.
Nine-card Golf
Deal nine cards in a 3×3 grid and turn three face up. A column of three matching ranks scores 0. Longer rounds, and you will want a second deck past four players.
Four-card Golf
Deal four in a 2×2 and turn two up. Very quick — a full nine holes takes about ten minutes, good for teaching the game.
Knocking
Instead of ending when someone is fully face up, a player may knock at the end of their turn. Everyone else gets one final turn, then all cards are revealed. Adds a real decision about when to stop.
Jokers at −5
Add the two jokers and score them −5. It widens the gap between a good round and a great one, and gives the stock a jackpot.
Rows instead of columns
Some tables cancel matching rows rather than columns, or both. Both is much more forgiving — decide before dealing.
Fewer holes
Nine rounds is the standard, but five plays fine and stops the game outstaying its welcome.
Strategy hints
Turn up two cards in different columns at the start. Two in the same column tells you a lot about one column and nothing about the other two.
A King over a Queen is a ten-point swing in one turn. Take that trade every time before chasing a matching column.
Only take from the discard pile when it genuinely improves a card you can see. You are committed once you pick it up.
Remember the cards you covered. Knowing you buried a 9 in the top-left is what lets you pair it later.
Do not race to turn your last card over if your visible score is bad. Ending the round early just freezes everyone else’s losses in your favour — or yours in theirs.
Late in a round, count what your opponents have exposed. If someone is showing 4 points across five cards, ending it fast costs you.
Frequently asked
Can I look at a face-down card before replacing it?
No. You choose the position blind, and only see what was there once it hits the discard pile.
Do the two cards I turn up at the start have to be in a particular place?
No, any two of the six. Most players pick two in different columns to spread the information.
Does the column rule work with three of a kind?
In six-card Golf a column only holds two cards. In the nine-card version, a column of three matching ranks scores 0.
What happens to the players who have not finished when the round ends?
Nothing — they simply turn their remaining cards face up and score them as they are. There are no extra turns.
Can I score a negative round?
Yes. Two 2s in separate columns and a couple of Kings gets you below zero, which is exactly what you are aiming for.
Is this related to the Cambio family?
Closely. Both are low-score memory games with a hidden layout, but Golf has no card powers and no calling — you play a fixed number of rounds instead.
Cheat sheet
Golf
2–4 players · 20–30 min · Standard 52-card deck
Setup
Six cards face down each, in three columns of two. Turn any two face up. Stock face down, one card up to start the discard pile.
Your turn
- Draw from the stock or the discard pile.
- Swap it into your layout (discarding what it replaces), or discard it — stock draws only.
- Round ends when any player’s six cards are all face up.
Key rules
- Values: K = 0, 2 = −2, A = 1, 3–10 face value, J/Q = 10.
- Two matching ranks in the same column score 0.
- A card taken from the discard pile must go into your layout.
- No extra turns once someone goes out.
Scoring
Total your six cards each round. Play nine holes. Lowest total wins.
Score tracker
Lowest points wins.