Golf Solitaire

Play higher or lower. Clear the seven columns.

How to Play Golf Solitaire

Golf Solitaire deals 35 cards into seven columns of five. The remaining 17 cards form the stock, and the first stock card starts the waste pile. Only the top card of each tableau column can be played.

A card is legal when it is one rank higher or one rank lower than the waste card. Suit does not matter. The classic version also wraps between King and Ace, so an Ace can follow a King and a King can follow an Ace.

Click a legal top card to move it to the waste. Click the stock when no tableau card works. The game is won when all seven columns are empty.

Golf Solitaire rules

Seven tableau columns, five cards each.
Only the top card of each column is available.
Play a card one rank higher or lower than the waste.
King and Ace wrap in both directions.
Stock draws one card; one pass, no redeal.
Win by clearing all 35 tableau cards.

Golf Solitaire strategy

Before drawing, check every exposed column. The best move is often the one that opens a long run of further moves. If two cards are legal, prefer the one that exposes a card close to the current waste rank.

Do not rush the stock. A draw changes the waste and may make a previously blocked column playable, but it also spends one of the 17 stock cards. Try to chain several tableau moves before drawing again.

Near the end, count the remaining cards in each column. Sometimes a move that looks temporary is the only way to reach a buried card and finish the board.

Building a Golf chain

Golf is not only about finding one legal card. The stronger move is the one that creates another legal move after it. Suppose the waste is a 6 and one column shows a 5 while another shows a 7. Both are legal, but the 5 may expose a 4, while the 7 may expose an 8. Choose the branch that keeps the sequence moving.

Count the exposed cards in each direction. A column with five cards can provide a long run if its top cards alternate by one. A short column is useful when it gets out of the way, but a long column can be a source of several moves. Near the end, the longest remaining column often determines whether the board is finishable.

Watch the top card of every column, not just the columns that are currently legal. A column whose top card is two ranks away may become legal after one tableau move or one draw. Treat that column as part of the plan rather than waiting until it is the only option left.

If you have a choice between clearing a column completely and keeping a legal card for later, consider the remaining stock. Clearing a column reduces the number of available moves, which can be good when the stock is healthy but dangerous when you are close to the end. The score is the number of cards left, so every column matters.

The stock is a reset button, not a plan. Drawing changes the waste and may unlock a column, but it spends a stock card and can break a sequence. Try to exhaust the tableau moves before drawing, and save the last draws for columns that need a different rank to become playable.

Golf Solitaire FAQ

What is the goal of Golf Solitaire?

Clear all 35 tableau cards. Move a tableau top card to the waste when it is exactly one rank higher or lower than the current waste card.

Does suit matter in Golf Solitaire?

No. Any suit can be played as long as the rank is one higher or one lower than the waste card.

Does Golf Solitaire wrap from King to Ace?

Yes in this classic version. A King can be played on an Ace, and an Ace can be played on a King.

Can I redeal the stock?

This version uses one pass through the 17-card stock. Once the stock is empty, no redeal is available.

What does a good Golf score mean?

The main measure is how many tableau cards remain. Zero remaining cards is a complete game; fewer moves and less time are better secondary measures.

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