Final Nine: A Disc Golf Card Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Icons
• Card Types
• Disc Cards
• Action Cards
• Hole Card Features
• The Game Objective
• Setup
• Levels of Play
• Game Play
  • 1. Start a Hole
  • 2. Select a Disc
  • 3. Add Skill
  • 4. Throw
  • 5. Add Luck
  • 6. The Landing
  • 7. Refill
  • 8. The Next Players Turn
  • 9. Approach (Next Throws)
  • 10. Completing a Hole (Putting)
  • 11. Scoring (and Endgame)
• Battle Rules
• Flight Examples

Contents

Counts shown in the booklet's Contents page: 18 HOLE cards; 13 Driver DISC cards; 9 Mid-range DISC cards; 15 Putter DISC cards; 18 Skill ACTION cards; 11 Luck ACTION cards; 16 Deviation ACTION cards; 6 Call ACTION cards; 8 markers. The page also shows a number of reference/score tracker cards (1, 2, 2, 1, 1) whose names are not printed.

Icons

• Cannot apply to a PUTT
• Can only apply to a PUTT
• INSTANT during a THROW
• Either TYPE
• Remove these cards to halve the STACKS (Easy)
• EXPANSION: Can be added to a round
• SUBURBAN course (Expansion Pack)
• FOREST course (Expansion Pack)
• Immune to WIND
• Immune to BUSHES
• Immune to SKIP or ROLL (SUBURBS / FOREST)

Card Types

• HOLE: Play a layout from TEE PAD to BASKET, moving from GRID to GRID.
• DISC : Driver: The longest flying DISCS. FLIGHT shown as GRIDS. They are either Backhand (BH) or Forehand (FH) specific.
• DISC : Mid-range: The mid-flying DISCS. FLIGHT shown as GRIDS. They are either Backhand (BH) or Forehand (FH) specific.
• DISC : Putter: The shortest flying DISCS. FLIGHT shown as GRIDS. Either BH or FH. Use when needed, or to complete a HOLE.
• ACTION : Skill: Apply before a THROW to modify a DISC FLIGHT or ACTION. Can be played from your HAND or INSTANT.
• ACTION : Luck: Apply after a THROW, to readjust the LANDING or ACTION. Can be played from your HAND or INSTANT.
• ACTION : Deviation: Modifies a FLIGHT if drawn during a THROW. Cannot be played from your HAND (unless playing BATTLE).
• ACTION : Call: Modifies the ACTION if drawn during a THROW. Cannot be played from your HAND (unless playing BATTLE).

Disc Cards

Card layout: FLIGHT pattern (the arrow = current GRID); a line means immune: a line under = immune to BUSHES, a line at the side = immune to WIND; DISC graphic; DISC name; FLIGHT specification (beyond current GRID); information ICON; type (e.g. PUTTER).

Action Cards

Card layout: information ICONS; ACTION graphic; ACTION name; effect / instruction; type (e.g. LUCK).

Hole Card Features

• GRIDS: The dotted lines define each GRID. Majority surface cover indicates GRID type.
• MOVEMENT: DISCS move linear up/down or across GRIDS. Only diagonally if shown.
• OBJECT : Tee Pad: The starting GRID for a HOLE. Choose a DISC and TEE OFF.
• OBJECT : Basket: The target GRID for a HOLE. Get a DISC IN to complete the HOLE.
• SURFACE : Grass / Circle: Safe GRIDS for LANDING.
• SURFACE : Bushes: Safe LANDING GRID. From BUSHES has -1 Distance applied.
• SURFACE : Clump: Same as the BUSHES GRID, though it only covers a single GRID.
• OB : Water: OUT-OF-BOUNDS.
• OB : Edges of Cards: OUT-OF-BOUNDS.
• OB : Structures: OUT-OF-BOUNDS.
• EXTRA : Island Line: The DISC must LAND inside the dark lined area from the TEE OFF.
• EXTRA : Mando: The DISC FLIGHT must pass the corner indicated, on that side.
• OTHER : Small Trees / Paths / Seats: No effect on FLIGHT. They are decoration only.

The Game Objective

To win the game, and prove you are the best DISC GOLF player on the course, complete each HOLE by getting from the TEE PAD INTO the BASKET in the LOWEST number of THROWS possible!

Setup

Lay out the HOLE cards either as a FULL course, STACKED in order, or SHUFFLED. Use the numbers on the side of each HOLE card to lay out the FULL course. Each number is an adjacent HOLE.

Shuffle the DISC cards and make a STACK with a space beside it for a DISC discard PILE. Shuffle the ACTION cards and make a STACK with a space beside it for an ACTION discard PILE.

DISC and ACTION cards must not be mixed together. They have separate STACK and discard PILES. Reshuffle and restack each one if they are empty during play.

Deal 4 DISC cards and 5 ACTION cards to each player to make up their starting HAND of 9 cards. In play you can have any combination of DISC and ACTION cards in your HAND. Remember to refill back to 9 cards after each TURN (THROW).

Add the first player's MARKER to the TEE PAD GRID. Add a MARKER for each player to the centre of the score TRACKER.

Levels of Play

Add EXPANSIONS as required, identified by the EXPANSION icon. Choose a LEVEL OF PLAY: REC, AM, or PRO.

Any LEVEL can be played with 1-4 players, a half or full pack, STANDARD or BATTLE rules, on any course.

REC:

• Ignore ISLANDS, MANDOS, WIND, CLUMPS (ROOFS, ROADS, CLUSTERS, and SLOPES)*
• BUSHES have no effect on DISC FLIGHT.
• No OUT-OF-BOUNDS (or HAZARDS)*, except Water and Card Edges which are still in effect.

(*Items in brackets and marked * are from expansions.)

AM: Play as set out in the GAME PLAY.

PRO:

• A DISC FLIGHT cannot go over a CLUMP; instead it hits and LANDS on the GRID.
• Use the WIND card as reference. At the start of each HOLE, draw and discard an ACTION card to determine the WIND direction for that HOLE. For each Fade and Distance add +1 with the WIND, or -1 into the WIND.

(The illustration shows four wind directions as arrows: yellow down, red right, blue left, grey up, with examples of how a wind direction adds or subtracts Distance and Fade.)

Game Play

1. Start a Hole

(Optional) On your turn, ONLY at the start of the HOLE, you may discard up to 2 cards from your HAND. Then redraw the same quantity from the DISC and/or ACTION STACKS.

2. Select a Disc

Choose a DISC from your HAND and play it on the DISC discard PILE, rotating the card to indicate your FLIGHT direction if going sideways or backwards.

Match the DISC FLIGHT arrow GRID to your MARKER to set your TARGET GRID.

Example 1 of 4: DISC FLIGHT (FH - Dist 2 - Fade 2) and TARGET GRID.

IF you need a new DISC, you can TRADE with other players (no cost). Or, discard a DISC from your HAND and draw a new DISC (cost: 1 added to your SCORE).

IF you play a DISC with a line under the FLIGHT pattern it is immune to BUSHES. The -1 Distance from BUSHES does not apply.

IF you play a 'DIST 1' PUTTER from the BUSHES with no immunity, it will not move without SKILL or LUCK.

IF you play a DISC with a line to the side of the FLIGHT pattern, it is immune to WIND. Cards with WIND in the name, or PRO Level WIND, do not affect the DISC if applied from your HAND or the THROW.

3. Add Skill

After your DISC is selected, play as many SKILLS from your HAND as desired (on the ACTION discard PILE), and only if you want to.

SKILLS can give you a benefit to apply, or can adjust your TARGET GRID.

Example 2 of 4: Initial DISC FLIGHT (FH: Dist 2: Fade 2) with old TARGET GRID; +1 Distance SKILL applied and new TARGET GRID.

4. Throw

Once the DISC and SKILLS are applied, THROW by drawing the next ACTION card from the STACK and playing it onto the ACTION discard PILE.

IF a BLUE or YELLOW is drawn, the THROW is good. Do not apply the effect / instruction on the card, only apply cards with an INSTANT, and only if you want to.

IF a RED or GREY is drawn, it must be applied. Apply the effect to the DISC FLIGHT, or follow the instruction.

(Icons: cannot apply to a PUTT; can only apply to a PUTT; INSTANT.)

Example 3 of 4: Initial TARGET GRID after SKILL applied, and new LANDING GRID after -1 Fade DEVIATION applied from the THROW.

5. Add Luck

To readjust the LANDING after the THROW, or nullify a DEVIATION or CALL card, apply as many LUCK cards from your HAND as desired (on the ACTION discard PILE), and only if you want to.

Example 4 of 4: +1 Distance LUCK applied and final LANDING GRID; previous LANDING GRID after SKILL applied and -1 Fade DEVIATION from the THROW.

6. The Landing

The DISC has now LANDED, so move your MARKER to the LANDING GRID.

Your next THROW is from there, unless you missed an ISLAND or MANDO, or your DISC is OUT-OF-BOUNDS.

IF you LANDED OUT-OF-BOUNDS (Water, Structures, or any Card Edge), your next THROW is from the last safe GRID before going out. Add 1 to your SCORE as a PENALTY. (Example: In Water: the safe GRID before OB on the DISC FLIGHT is the Grass GRID.)

IF you LANDED in the BUSHES, your next THROW has -1 Distance applied.

IF you are playing an ISLAND HOLE and you missed LANDING inside the line area from the TEE OFF, your next THROW is from the Drop-Zone (DZ) GRID. Add 1 to your SCORE as a PENALTY. The ISLAND line then disappears, so play the rest of the HOLE as normal.

IF you are playing a MANDO HOLE, your DISC FLIGHT must pass around the GRID corner indicated.

7. Refill

Refill your HAND back to 9 cards from the DISC and/or ACTION STACKS.

8. The Next Players Turn

The next player can now perform steps 1 to 7.

9. Approach (Next Throws)

On your next turn (after all players have TEE'D OFF), if you need to get closer to the BASKET GRID, repeat steps 2 to 7 from your MARKER GRID.

Each player keeps THROWING (one at a time) until every player is in range of the BASKET GRID, usually 2-3 GRIDS; the distance of a PUTTER in their HAND.

IF you are already in PUTTER range, ignore this step. (Illustrated: 2 GRIDS straight or corner; 3 GRIDS straight.)

10. Completing a Hole (Putting)

To complete a HOLE, a PUTTER has to LAND on the BASKET GRID to go IN the BASKET. SKILL and LUCK cards can be applied. Perform step 4 to THROW.

The icons for cannot apply to a PUTT, can only apply to a PUTT, and INSTANT are in effect.

Other DISCS (not PUTTERS) can go IN to complete a HOLE, only if a FROM DISTANCE LUCK card is applied, after the DISC LANDS on the BASKET GRID. The icons for cannot apply to a PUTT and can only apply to a PUTT are not in effect.

IF a DISC (not PUTTER) LANDS on a BASKET GRID, and no FROM DISTANCE is applied, it LANDS under the BASKET instead and is considered a DROP-IN. Add 1 to your SCORE, and do not THROW again (no ACTION draw). The HOLE has been completed.

11. Scoring (and Endgame)

Refill your HAND back to 9 cards from the DISC and/or ACTION stacks to finish.

Move your MARKER on the score TRACKER based on the number of THROWS (and PENALTIES) it took you to complete the HOLE, above or below PAR for the HOLE (e.g. 3 THROWS on a PAR 4 equals -1). Do not move the MARKER if you SCORED the same as the PAR.

Start the next HOLE and repeat steps 1 to 11. Repeat until all chosen HOLES are complete.

Then: The lowest total SCORE wins the game!

Battle Rules

BATTLE rules are played between 2-4 players, with a half or full pack, and at a REC, AM, or PRO LEVEL OF PLAY, on any course.

A. Play steps 1 to 3 from the STANDARD rules.

B. Before step 4 the next player in order can add 1 DEVIATION or CALL card from their HAND on your DISC FLIGHT (add to ACTION discard PILE) which must also be applied or instruction followed.

C. Then play step 4, although:

• IF a SKILL or LUCK card is drawn, the effect can be applied, if desired. No INSTANT is required.
• IF a RED or GREY is drawn, it cannot be applied, and the THROW is good.

D. Continue STANDARD rules, play steps 5 to 11.

Flight Examples

Diagrams show a DISC FLIGHT pattern (the arrow GRID at the bottom is the current GRID) and how modifiers change it:

• Normal
• +2 FADE
• -1 FADE
• +1 DISTANCE
• -1 DISTANCE
• +1 DISTANCE and +1 FADE
• -1 DISTANCE and -1 FADE
• SWITCH or FLIP