Wordle Golf Launches in NYT App, Echoes Earlier Social Media Trend

The New York Times has launched Wordle Golf, a new version of its popular word puzzle that applies golf-style scoring to daily gameplay—an idea that mirrors an earlier social media trend.

The New York Times has officially introduced a new variation of its widely popular word game Wordle.

Dubbed Wordle Golf, the updated format is now live within the NYT Games app and includes a built-in scorecard that tracks performance across multiple days, encouraging players to complete each puzzle in as few guesses as possible—much like keeping a low golf score.

In Wordle Golf, players are scored based on the number of guesses it takes to solve the puzzle. Solving it in two guesses results in a score of 2, while failing to guess the word counts as a 7—effectively a double bogey. The daily scores are recorded automatically, and cumulative scores over time reflect a player’s consistency, similar to a running golf handicap. A “par” score is set at 4, providing a reference point for each round.

According to the NYT, the idea was conceived internally, with staffer Nate Cardin credited for introducing the concept in a 2023 internal pitch. However, this formal release comes nearly three years after Australian writer Peter FitzSimons popularised a similar idea via social media.

In early 2022, FitzSimons encouraged his followers to share their Wordle results as golf scores, referring to it as a global Wordle Golf Tournament.