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How to play Fermi Golf
Estimate wild numbers in as few swings as possible.
How to play
A course is nine holes, each a wild estimation question. Your running estimate starts at 1.
Play cards to multiply or divide it (×2, ×3, ×10, ×100, ÷2, ÷3, ÷10) — every card is one stroke. When you like your number, PUTT (also one stroke).
A putt sinks if your estimate is within 3× of the truth in either direction; otherwise you're told too high or too low and keep swinging. A hole mercy-ends after 15 strokes.
Scoring
- Your score is total strokes across nine holes — lower is better, exactly like golf.
- Each hole has a computed par (fewest possible cards plus the putt), and your result gets a golf verdict: eagle, birdie, par, and worse.
- Practice and the daily course (same nine holes for everyone, one attempt) have separate leaderboards.
Tips
- Get the order of magnitude first with ×100 and ×10, then fine-tune — creeping up with ×2s wastes strokes.
- The 3× sink window is generous: putt as soon as you're plausibly close instead of polishing the estimate.
- Overshooting hurts double, because correcting direction costs division strokes.
Frequently asked questions
What does "within 3×" mean?
If the truth is 1,000, any putt between about 333 and 3,000 sinks. You need the right ballpark, not the right number.
What happens after 15 strokes on a hole?
The hole mercy-ends ("picked up") and you move on — like golf's gimme, but sadder.