Time for another Off the Shelf, and this post marks the first time that I’m covering a game I picked up in a thrift store. It’s called
CribbGolf is a game originally released in 1988 from designer Ken S. Slaker. It was initially published by CribbGolf Inc., though my version (pictured above) was by MJ Moran. The game is for 2-6 players, and is based on both Cribbage and Golf.
So before I get to CribbGolf proper, I feel that it’s only fair to give a quick overview on how Cribbage plays. I won’t get another chance in this Off the Shelf series as I’ve made the decision to leave it off the list. It’s my favorite game of all-time, and the main point of this series is to give time and consideration to other titles. So, here is your crash course on how to play standard Cribbage.
Cribbage is a two player game (and while, yes, there are three- and four-player variants out there, I don’t recommend them), and uses a traditional 52-card deck. At the start of the game, players cut the deck, with the low card being the first dealer. The dealer starts each hand by dealing out six cards from which each player will discard two cards to the crib. The crib is basically an extra scoring hand for the dealer. After this, the non-dealer will cut the cards and the dealer will reveal the top card. This is basically a fifth card for each player’s hand. If it’s a Jack, the dealer scores two points for Nibs.
When deciding what cards to keep, you should keep scoring possibilities in mind. There are five ways to score in Cribbage:
- Pairs: Two cards of the same value are a pair and score two points. Three cards of the same value are essentially three pairs and count as six points. Four cards of the same value are six pairs and thus twelve points.
- Runs: At least three cards in numeric sequence are considered a run and count as many points as there are cards in the run. So a three-card run (i.e. 3-4-5) would be three points, while a four-card run (i.e. 3-4-5-6) would be four. For numeric purposes, an Ace is considered to be 1. Face cards are all valued at 10, but for run purposes, their low to high sequence is J-Q-K. You can’t wrap a run around from K to A.
- It is possible to have a double run. If your hand were, say, 3-3-4-5, you would score two different runs of three and the pair of 3s. This makes eight points for a double run of three.
- Fifteens: Any group of cards that add up to 15 scores two points. So, combinations like 7-8, 4-5-6, A-2-3-9, 5-J, and so one. Remember that all face cards are considered to be 10.
- Flush: A flush is when you have all cards of the same suit in your hand, and scores four points.
- A cut that is the same suit as your flush adds a point to your hand. In order to score a flush in your crib, all five cards must be the same suit. You can’t get a crib flush if the cut card is a different suit than everything else.
- Nobs: If you’re holding a Jack that is the same suit as the cut card, you’ll score one point.
After the crib is complete and the cut has happened, it’s time for pegging. Cribbage is generally played on a peg board, but all you really need is a piece of paper to track score. It’s still called pegging if you do. The way it works is that, starting with the non-dealer, players alternate playing cards in front of them, keeping track of the current count (values of cards add up). You can score points by making pairs, runs, and fifteens. You also score two points if you bring the count to exactly 31. 31 is the hard limit, and if you can’t play a card that keeps the count under 31, your opponent will score one point for what is known as a “go.” Then the count resets, and you keep playing until you’re both out of cards.
After that, it’s time to count the hands. The non-dealer scores their cards first, then the dealer. The hand ends when the dealer counts the points in the crib. Then the roles switch. You keep playing until someone gets to 121 points. They win instantly.
CribbGolf uses the basic mechanisms of Cribbage, but played on a golf course pegboard and with golf scoring. Players play hands and peg normally, but each time you finish a hole, you figure out your score for that hole. If, in one move, you start at one tee and score enough to make it to the cup, you score an eagle, which allows you to subtract two from the listed par score. If you make it from the tee to the cup of the next hole, you score a double eagle (-3) for the second hole (and, I think, a birdie for the first one). If you start somewhere other than the tee on one hole and complete the next hole, you get a birdie (-1). If you complete a hole after having stopped for any reason on the fairway or green, you get par (+0). If you hit any hazards, you may end up with penalty strokes, leading to bogeys (+1 or so).
There are hazards you’ll encounter as you play. Landing in the water incurs a penalty stroke, and moves you back to the water’s edge. Landing out-of-bounds incurs a two stroke penalty. Landing in the sand trap means you have to make an up-and-down roll. There are two dice, which you roll, and if they add up to par for the hole (or one of the dice has a value that equals par), you move out of the sand trap and don’t incur a penalty. If you don’t make the roll, your peg stays where it is and you get a one stroke penalty.
Once a player has completed the 18th hole, the other player incurs some penalty strokes based on where they were, and you see who had the lowest score. Very likely, it will be the person who finished first.
My story of why I like Cribbage so much is well documented. I grew up watching my dad and grandfather play, and then eventually learned myself so I could join in games. I’m always super-excited to find another Cribbage player – it’s a great way of bonding with them.
CribbGolf is really just another way to play Cribbage. There’s a lot more than 121 holes, so that makes for a longer game. And having all the hazards makes the strategy very important – you may want to pass up that opportunity to score a 15 in the pegging because 2 points will land you in the water. Or you might want to get a pair when you suspect your opponent will be able to make three of a kind just so you can get past a sand trap. I remember my dad having a difficult time with this concept when we played it, and I’ll never forget when he said “That’s just pants!” after hitting the water a couple of times in a row. I have never heard him use that expression before or since.
While I do like how the hazards provide all kinds of obstacles to the standard Cribbage strategy, this game suffers in a number of ways. The first and most obvious is that the rules are an absolute mess. I have had to read them and reread them to try to understand what they mean about scoring holes. My copy has a large reference sheet that explains them, but the detail is severely lacking. There’s also a rulebook, which is pretty much word for word what the reference sheet says – no extra examples or anything, so it’s just kind of redundant and unnecessary.
Another big problem the game has is the board itself. The game comes in what is known as a coffin box – a long, rectangular box that takes up a lot of shelf room since you kind of have to lie it flat. This is to accomodate the board, which is large and colorful, but still really really cluttered. Each hole has three paths you can choose to take, and they bounce around, cross over each other, basically just mimicking where real golf shots might go. Each path is marked by a line, but the lines don’t have a lot of contrast to the board. So, it’s pretty easy to get confused about where your peg should go. It’s nice to have a golf course to play on, and having three different paths means you could try a different way each time, but it’s just a busy board. The golf ball pegs, though, are fantastic.
I think a solution to do this would be to have a multiple smaller boards that you can line up. Maybe even two holes per board, and then you could have two or three out at once. Then you could customize the course the way you want it and not play the same course every time.
Overall, I do think this is a fun game. I like it as a Cribbage variant. I just think it could be a lot better. And so, it lands on the Off the Shelf rankings at #32.
That’ll do it for today. Thanks for reading!
Boards and Bees 