Golf

Golf is a full-course golf game you play from above, from the tee to the cup. Pick a club, aim, check the wind and time a 3-click swing, then read the slope on the green and roll in the putt. Play the 9-hole or 18-hole course free in your browser, with no download or sign-up, on desktop or on your phone, solo or with 2 to 4 players on one device.

How to play

Choose a course and the number of players, then tee off. Every hole is a par 3, 4 or 5 with a tee box, fairway, rough, bunkers, trees and a green, and many add a pond, a lake or a creek. The game suggests a club and an aim before each shot; you can change both.

• Aim: tap, click or drag on the course, or use Left and Right (hold Shift for fine changes). The dashed line and yellow ring show where a full-power shot lands with no wind.
• Club: Up and Down, or the arrow buttons. Full-power carries are Driver 250 yards, 3 Wood 225, 5 Iron 190, 7 Iron 165, 9 Iron 140, Pitching Wedge 120 and Sand Wedge 90. A full putt rolls 30 yards on a flat green.
• Swing: press Space, the Swing button or the course three times. The first press starts the meter, the second sets your power, and the third must stop the returning marker on the white line. Early hooks the ball left, late slices it right, and missing the third press gives a big slice.

Hazards and rules

• Rough takes about 15% off your distance. Bunkers stop the ball where it lands and cost much more, except with the Sand Wedge.
• Water costs one penalty stroke, and the ball is dropped on dry ground just back from where it went in.
• Out of bounds, past the white line at the edge of the hole, is stroke and distance: a penalty stroke and a replay from where you hit.
• Trees knock down shots that fly into them below the treetops.
• The Driver goes about 12% shorter off the fairway than off the tee. A hole ends at par plus five, and the ball is picked up.

Wind and putting

The wind dial under the hole map shows the direction and strength, from calm up to 14 mph, and it changes from hole to hole. Wind acts only while the ball is in the air: a tailwind adds carry, a headwind costs it, and a crosswind pushes the ball sideways.

On the green the view zooms in. Small arrows show which way the green falls, and the panel at the top says how much the putt breaks left or right and whether it runs uphill or downhill. The yellow mark on the meter is the power that would reach the hole on a flat green. Hit a little harder uphill, softer downhill, and aim on the high side so the slope curls the ball back to the cup.

Scorecard and multiplayer

The scorecard under the course fills in as you play: birdies are circled, an eagle or better is shaded gold, a bogey is boxed and a double bogey or worse gets a double box. With 2 to 4 players, everyone tees off in turn, then the player farthest from the hole plays next. On the next tee, the best score on the last hole goes first. Your five best rounds on each course are saved in your browser, and an unfinished round can be picked up later with Continue.

Tips

• Don’t always hit the Driver. If a creek or a bunker sits where a drive lands, lay up short with a 3 Wood or an iron.
• Club up into the wind. Into a strong headwind, take one or two clubs more than the yardage says.
• Practice the third press. A pure strike flies straight; even a small hook can find the rough on a long hole.

FAQ

Is this mini golf?

No. This is full-course golf with long par 4s and 5s, a set of clubs, wind and hazards. For putt-putt with walls and bumpers, try our Mini Golf.

Can I play with friends?

Yes, on one device. Choose 2, 3 or 4 players and pass it around. The banner and the colored ball show whose turn it is.

Are the courses the same every time?

Yes. Both courses have fixed layouts, so you can learn them and chase your best round. The wind changes from round to round.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. Drag on the course to aim, use the arrow buttons for clubs and tap Swing three times. Touches on the course never scroll the page.

Prefer cards to clubs? Golf Solitaire borrows golf’s scoring, where the lowest score wins.