Players2–4
Layout3 × 3 grid
Game lengthAbout 20–35 minutes
GoalLowest score
How to play Nine Card Golf
- Deal nine cards to each player in a three-by-three grid and turn three cards face up.
- Draw from the stock or take the top discard.
- Use the card to replace one position in your grid, unless a stock draw is discarded instead.
- Complete vertical columns of three equal ranks to cancel all three cards.
- After the final turn, score every uncancelled card and add the result to the running total.
Nine Card Golf strategy tips
Build around columns that already contain two equal ranks; the third match can erase a large total.
Balance column-building with removing high cards. Waiting too long for one specific rank can leave costly cards exposed.
Track the cards Finn takes and rejects. The discard pile gives useful clues about which ranks are still worth chasing.
Common questions
What is the difference between Six Card and Nine Card Golf?
Nine Card Golf uses a 3 × 3 grid and requires three equal cards in a vertical column to cancel it. Six Card Golf uses a 2 × 3 grid and cancels pairs.
How many cards begin face up?
Shuffle Pals begins each Nine Card Golf hole with three cards face up in each grid.
Does a matching row score zero?
No. In this version, only three matching cards in the same vertical column score zero.