How to play Play Nine Golf Card Game for Rulebook Haters
Hate reading rulebooks? I compiled this How to Play Nine Golf Card Game guide to cover the rules to get your game started quick without the hassle of going through the entire rulebook.
If you want to find out if this is the right game for you, click here for an overview with videos about that game.
What is the goal of Play Nine?
Draw, replace and turn over cards from your hand and accumulate the lowest score. After nine rounds of gameplay, the lowest score overall is the winner.
Setting Up Play Nine
- Shuffle the deck (values 0-12, eight cards each, plus four Hole in One cards).
- Players draw one card; the lowest card determines the dealer (repeat if tied).
- Play starts with the player to the dealer’s left and proceeds clockwise.
- Each player gets 8 cards, arranged face down in two rows of four.
- Remaining cards form a draw pile in the center; top card is turned over to start the discard pile.
How to play Play Nine in Simple Steps
- Start of Round:
- All players “tee off” by flipping over two cards from their set.
- The starting player (left of the dealer) draws a card from the draw pile or discard pile
- Drawing from the Draw Pile:
- Look at the drawn card’s value.
- Replace a face-up or face-down card and discard the replaced card.
- Alternatively, discard the drawn card and turn over a face-down card.
- Drawing from the Discard Pile:
- Replace a face-up or face-down card and discard the replaced card.
- Gameplay:
- Players aim for the lowest score.
- On each turn, turn over or replace a card.
- Always keep one face-down card in hand.
- One Face-Down Card:
- A player with one face-down card can skip their turn.
- To skip, draw and discard a card without replacing or flipping a card.
- Turning Over the Final Card:
- When a player turns over their last face-down card, their play ends.
- Other players take one final turn.
- All face-down cards are flipped, and scores are noted.
- Scoring:
- Total the values of each card.
- A Hole in One removes strokes.
- Additional scoring patterns can further reduce the score.
- Additional Scoring Patterns:
- Matching Two Cards: Two same-value cards in a column cancel each other (0 strokes).
- Matching Four Cards: Two sets of two same-value cards cancel out (0 strokes) and provide -10 points.
- Matching Six Cards: Three sets of two same-value cards cancel out (0 strokes) and provide -15 points.
- Matching Eight Cards: All eight cards of the same value result in -20 points.
- Four Hole in Ones: Four Hole in One cards cancel out (0 strokes) and provide -30 points.
- Starting Another Game:
- Shuffle and deal cards.
- The player to the left of the last starter begins the new game.
- End of Game:
- After 9 rounds, the player with the lowest total score wins.
- In case of a tie, play a sudden-death playoff.
