Last Updated on August 8, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team
“Play Nine: The Card Game of Golf” is a fun and strategic card game where players aim to score the lowest total, just like in golf. Each player starts with eight face-down cards and takes turns drawing and replacing cards to improve their hand. Learn the rules, scoring system, and best strategies to master this exciting game of skill and luck!
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How to Play “Play Nine”: The Card Game of Golf
Play Nine Objective
The goal of Play Nine is simple: finish nine holes with the lowest total score. It’s a clever mix of strategy and luck where every decision could improve your standing—or cost you strokes. Think of it like golf, but with cards.
Before you begin, make sure to read all the rules, including the final section “Shaving Off Strokes,” which explains how card placement can help reduce your score.
Setting Turn Order
To determine who deals first:
- Each player draws a card from the shuffled deck.
- The player with the lowest card becomes the dealer.
- In case of a tie, those players redraw until the tie is broken.
- The player to the left of the dealer takes the first turn, with play proceeding clockwise.
Preparing the Deck
- Use all 108 cards in the Play Nine deck.
- Each card has a stroke value ranging from 0 (Mulligan) to 12 (Out of Bounds), with eight of each value.
- There are also four special Hole-In-One cards, each worth -5 strokes.
Dealing the Cards
- Shuffle the entire deck.
- Deal eight cards to each player, facedown.
- Without peeking, each player arranges their eight cards into two rows of four cards in front of them—this forms their personal “course.”
- Place the rest of the deck in the center as the draw pile.
- Turn over the top card from the draw pile to create a discard pile beside it.
Teeing Off
To begin the round, all players simultaneously turn over any two of their eight cards. This is the only time two cards may be flipped at once.
Play Nine Gameplay
Each turn consists of drawing one card, then either replacing or flipping one of your cards. Here’s how it works:
Drawing:
You can choose to:
- Take the top card from the draw pile, or
- Pick any card from the discard pile
If you choose from the discard pile:
- You must also take all cards stacked above it
- The chosen card must immediately be used, either to replace one of your own cards or to add to an existing set
- Extra cards drawn from the discard pile can be kept or used the same turn
Replacing or Flipping:
Once you draw a card, you must either:
- Use it to replace one of your eight cards, facedown or faceup, then discard the replaced card
- Discard the card you drew, and in exchange, flip over any one of your remaining facedown cards
Players must do one of the above actions on every turn.
You may continue to replace already face-up cards, as long as at least one card remains facedown.
Strategic Option: Skipping a Turn
When a player has just one card still facedown, they may choose to skip their turn instead of playing.
To do this:
- Draw a card, then immediately discard it without flipping or replacing any card.
- Turn passes to the next player.
- You may skip multiple turns this way, as long as you still have one facedown card left.
This option gives players a chance to wait for a better draw before revealing their final card.
Ending a Hole
When a player flips or replaces their final facedown card, ending with all eight cards faceup, the hole is complete for that player.
All other players then get one final turn.
Afterward:
- All remaining facedown cards are turned over.
- Players calculate their total strokes for the hole (see scoring below).
- Scores are recorded on a scorecard.
Scoring a Hole
Each card’s face value equals its stroke count, except:
- Hole-In-One cards subtract 5 points (–5)
- Mulligans are worth 0 strokes
Before tallying, check if any special card layouts give you point reductions (see Shaving Off Strokes).
Starting the Next Hole
- The player to the left of the last dealer becomes the new dealer.
- Shuffle the full deck and repeat the setup: deal eight cards, arrange them in two rows, and tee off by flipping two.
Winning the Game
After nine holes, add up the total score for each player.
The player with the lowest total strokes wins.
In case of a tie, you can play a sudden death playoff hole to determine the winner.
Shaving Off Strokes
Before finalizing your score, take a look at how your cards are arranged.
Bonus scoring rules apply to certain layouts—like matching vertical pairs, rows, or columns (as explained on the final page of the original rules). These configurations can reduce your total and give you a competitive edge, so don’t skip this step.
Play Nine is a lighthearted and engaging game that’s perfect for players of all ages. So grab your deck, channel your inner golfer, and have fun hitting the “links” with friends and family!