How It Works
What Is Fergus?
Fergus is an on-course card game for real golf. Every hole, you draw a card that adds fun house rules along the way — some are playful challenges, some are welcome breaks. Fergus is the old-school traditionalist — discipline and challenge. Rusty is the warm, rule-bending one — advantage and a break when you need it.
The Three Ways to Play
Quick Play: no setup, just browse cards at your own pace using Back and Next — nothing saved. 9-Hole Game / 18-Hole Game: pick a deck filter, then play a real round, one card per hole. Decline a card you don't like and redraw as many times as you want.
Deck Filters
Before a 9-Hole or 18-Hole round, choose which cards you want in play: All Rules (both Fergus's Rules and Rusty's Breaks), Fergus's Rules only, or Rusty's Breaks only.
Ways to Play With Others
Solo Challenge — play alone and set your own goal. The Handicap Duel (1v1) — the stronger player uses Fergus's Rules only, the weaker player uses Rusty's Breaks only, for a fairer fight. Everyone, Own Phone — the standard way, each player on their own device. One Deck, One Group — the whole group shares one phone, one card per hole for everyone. Team Challenge (2v2) — pair up and combine your outcomes however your group prefers.
Playing a Card
Every card shows a rule and some flavor text. Accept it and play it as written, or Decline to draw a new one instead. Declining is a group decision, approved by majority vote — not something one player decides alone.
Trivia Cards
Some cards are trivia questions. The front shows the question and answer choices; tap to flip and reveal the correct answer along with what happens if you got it right or wrong. Play it honestly, and you can still Decline before flipping.
Mulligans
Some Rusty's Breaks cards award a Mulligan instead of an immediate effect — held onto and redeemed anytime later in the round for a free replay, no penalty. If unused by the end of the round, it's automatically redeemed for −1 stroke off your final score.
Power Packs (Coming Soon)
Power Packs are optional mystery packs — 3 cards, and you won't know which ones until you open it. Cards include Challenge (a real feat with a stroke reward, always for yourself), Not Today (a veto, cancels a card or blocks a Rule Swap), and Rule Swap (two players trade rules for the hole). This feature isn't in the app yet — here's a preview of how it'll work.
Scoring
After each hole, tap Score Hole to enter your strokes. Tap the Scorecard link to see your round at a glance — tap a hole number to see its card, tap a score to edit it. At Round Complete, you'll see your Gross score (total strokes) and Net score (Gross minus any auto-redeemed Mulligans).
Voting
Every card has a thumbs up / thumbs down. Vote honestly as you play — your own votes shape your deck over time. Cards you thumbs-up show up more often for you; cards you thumbs-down show up less.
That's It
No accounts, no setup, no waiting. Pick a mode, and start playing. Fergus and Rusty will take it from there.