How to Play Golf Solitaire

Golf Solitaire is a fast-paced, lightweight solitaire game where you clear cards by playing them in ascending or descending sequence regardless of suit. Like its namesake sport, the goal is the lowest score, and a fast clear can even go negative. It's perfect for quick sessions when you want a solitaire game that finishes in minutes.

Objective

Remove as many cards as possible from the tableau by playing them onto the waste pile. Cards can be played if they are one rank higher or lower than the current waste card. The fewer cards left, the lower your score — and clearing the tableau early scores negative, just like golf.

Setup

• Deal 35 cards face-up into 7 columns of 5 cards each (the tableau).
• Only the bottom card of each column is available for play.
• One of the 17 remaining cards is turned face up to start the waste pile.
• The other 16 cards form the stock pile.
• Ranking: A-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-J-Q-K. Our version wraps, so an Ace plays on a King and a King plays on an Ace.

Gameplay

• Play any available tableau card that is one rank higher or lower than the top waste card.
• Suit does not matter — only rank counts.
• Example: If the waste shows a 7, you can play a 6 or an 8.
• Build sequences: 7→8→9→8→7→6→5 is a valid chain of plays.
• When no tableau card can be played, draw one card from the stock to the waste pile.
• Continue until all tableau cards are cleared (you win!) or the stock is empty with no moves remaining.

Scoring

• You score +1 for every tableau card still unplayed when the deal ends.
• If you clear the tableau, you instead score −1 for every card still left in the stock, so clearing quickly drops your score below zero.
• Like golf, lower is better. Track your scores across multiple "holes" (games).
• A full round is nine deals; a nine-hole total of 45 or under is par, and zero or less is a perfect round.

Strategy Tips

• Build long chains — Look for sequences that let you remove many cards in a row before needing to draw.
• Choose direction wisely — If you can go up or down, pick the direction that continues the longest chain.
• Prioritize deep columns — Clear cards from the tallest columns first to expose more options.
• Use the wrap — Because Aces and Kings connect to each other here, a K or A can bridge the top and bottom of the sequence to keep a chain alive.
• Save stock cards — Don't draw from stock if you have any tableau play available. Stock cards are precious restarts.
• Scan all columns — It's easy to miss a playable card in another column when focused on a chain.

Variants

• Strict Golf — Some versions forbid K→A and A→K wrapping, making Kings hard stops and the game harder.
• Relaxed Golf — All cards in each column are available, not just the bottom card.

Play Golf Solitaire Online

Our free online Golf Solitaire features smooth card animations, streak tracking, and a par system to measure your performance across rounds.

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