| Type | Stroke |
| Alias | None |
| Format | Tournament |
| Number of players | 4 |
| Team or Individual play | Team |
- This game is played in four-player teams. Each member of the team is assigned one of the four playing card suits (heart, club, diamond, spade) randomly by the tournament organizer. This assignment of the suits has no impact on the gameplay.
- This game is played in stroke play, with each player playing their own ball.
- After the players of a team reach the green or complete a hole, they find out which member’s score will count as the final team score for that hole.
Variations:
The way this game is scored can vary. The two most common scoring options are:
- Once all team members complete the hole, they find a playing card at the bottom of the cup. The suit on that card determines which player’s score will be counted as the team score.
For example, suppose Player A’s designated suit is a spade and they score a 5. If the card at the bottom of the cup is also a spade, then the team’s score would be 5.
- Another scoring option is that after all members finish a hole and move on to the next tee. Depending on whether the tournament is using one or two scores for each hole, the tee box contains one or two card suits. The scores of the players with these designated card suits are combined to determine the score of the previous hole.
For example, Player A (heart), Player B (diamond), Player C (club), and Player D (spade) of Team 1 score 5, 6, 4, 5, respectively. If the suits displayed on the tee box are heart and spade, then the team score would be 5 + 5 = 10.
If the same suit, for example, diamond, is displayed, then the score of the player will be doubled to determine the team score, i.e., 6 x 2 = 12.
Why is this game called “Joker’s Wild”? Because tournament organizers can use the joker card at any hole. If a team finds the joker card in the cup, the lowest score among all members is counted as the team score. If a joker is found with another suit in the tee box, then the score of the player with the designated suit is combined with the low-ball score. If that suit also happens to be the low ball, then the score is doubled.