Single-deck golf

For two to four players. Rules are the same as in double-deck golf. Sometimes, jokers are not used.

Knocking

Golf can be played so that instead of ending the game automatically, a player must choose to "knock" instead of taking their turn. Remaining players then have one turn to draw a card to improve their hands and then scores are totaled and recorded on a running score sheet. This rule is more common for four-card golf.^[1]

Four-card golf

Suitable for 3-7 players, in four-card Golf each player receives four cards face down in a 2×2 grid and reveal two before play begins.^[5] Play proceeds similar to six-card golf. The end of a round is initiated by a player 'knocking', after which other players get one final turn.

Nine-card golf

One or two decks are involved, depending on the number of players. One deck is adequate for 1-3 players, two or more decks are suggested for 4+ players.^[6] To begin the game, each player is dealt nine cards, laying out the cards face down in a 3x3 grid. The method or pattern for how the players layout their 3x3 grid is arbitrary, as long as the cards remain face down.

The game is played as six-card golf. Once any grid contains only face-up cards, the game is immediately ended, there are no further turns, and all players must flip all their face-down cards to determine their scores. Scoring is the same as six-card golf, with players having to form a full three-of-a-kind column to have that column score zero.^[1]

This process of game play continues for nine total games or until a player exceeds 50 points.

Optional rules of this version include:

• Horizontal and diagonal lines of three also score zero^[1]
• Playing with jokers in the game, valued at -4 points^[1]
• Every pair of adjacent (horizontal or vertical) equal cards scores zero^[1]
• If the player places four cards in a square pattern (i.e. 2x2 block) of the same face-point value, this results in a negative score (e.g. -25), for those four cards^[7]
• Instead of drawing a card, a player may choose to flip a card in their grid face up
• Playing until a player exceeds 100 points instead of 50

Alternative scoring

There are many variants for point values of cards, including:

• Jokers are added to the deck and score -5,^[1] or some other negative number.
• Jokers are +15 individually, or -5 as a pair.
• Queens score 12, 13 or 20 points each.
• Queen of spades scores 40 points, other Queens 10 each, and Eights are zero points.
• One-eyed jacks are wild and automatically form a pair with an adjacent card (or complete a triplet in 9-card golf).
• Jacks score zero, Queens 12, Kings 13.
• Jacks are worth 20 points each and when a Jack is discarded, the following player loses a turn.
• Twos are plus 2 instead of minus 2 (usually played in games without jokers).
• Four of a kind wins the game (not the hole) automatically (usually played in 4-card golf).
• A player who has a 9 card straight scores -12. This hand is considered a "hole in 1". If player does not obtain correct number of cards for a straight, then all points are added as usual.
• A player may "shoot the moon" by getting the maximum 60 points. He or she gets 0 points for the round, and all other players get 60 points.
• When playing 8-card, 4x2, four kings on one side = -16 points.
• In "Cutthroat Golf" the kings are worth 15 points and if drawn from the deck can be traded for any other players up card. The card they receive must then be placed in their hand.

In some versions, making a pair or triple of cards of equal rank (sometimes vertically, sometimes horizontally and sometimes diagonally) reduces those cards' scores to zero.^[1]

Cambio

Variants known as Cambio, Pablo or Cactus include "power cards". When a power card is drawn from the stock, it can either be used for its normal value or discarded to activate its power. (If a power card is drawn from the discards, it must be played as its number.)^[1] A simple version of the game played in Malaysia has the following power cards:^[1]

• A Jack allows a player to look at one of their own cards (without their opponent seeing it)
• A Queen allows a player to look at one of their opponent's cards (again without their opponent seeing)
• A King allows a player to swap one of their own cards with that of their opponent
• A Joker allows a player to change the positions of their opponent's cards

John McLeod of Pagat.com speculates that these variants are Spanish in origin, as the game is recorded as being played by students in Spain, and many of its variant names are Spanish words (cambio meaning "exchange").^[1] The game had a commercial release as Cabo in 2010^[1] and is similar to the 1996 Mensa Select winner Rat-a-Tat Cat.

Powers

"Powers" is an escalated version of Cambio where every card is given some sort of additional ability. The game can only end after knocking, and all cards stay face down unless a power dictates that one should be turned up. You start the game with 6 cards, and can look at any two of them, with the rest staying hidden until you swap them or look at them with a power.

On your turn, you take the top card, and put it into your deck without looking at the card with which you want to swap it, and discard. Or, you can discard the card you have drawn straight away, and instead use the power of the card instead.

The abilities are as follows:

The Black King is the only card which can have its power applied when in a player's set.

Knocker's penalties and bonuses

Some play Golf and its variations such that that a player who knocks (turns over all cards first) but doesn't end with the lowest score is penalized:

• Knocker adds a penalty of 10 or 20 points, or...
• Knocker's score for the hand is doubled with 5 points added, or...
• The knocker takes a score equal to the highest scoring player for that hand, or...
• Knocker adds twice the number of people playing.

If the knocker's score is lowest, some play with a bonus:

• Knocker scores zero instead of a positive score, or...
• Knocker's score is reduced by the number of people playing.