How to Play Golf Solitaire
Clear seven columns onto the waste, one rank up or down.
Also known as Golf · Golf Patience
Learn Golf Solitaire: 7 columns of 5 played onto one waste pile, one rank up or down in any suit, a stock turned once, wrap-around optional. Work through one chain, then play in your browser.
A chain of five without a draw
The waste card is the 8♣ and the columns end in the 9♠, 10♥, J♦, 10♠, 9♣, K♥ and A♠. Play the 9♠ (one up), then the 10♥, the J♦, back down with the 10♠ and the 9♣: 5 cards cleared without touching the stock. The K♥ and A♠ have to wait: only an 8 or a 10 fits a 9, and with Wrap around off the A♠ would never play on the K♥.
| Situation | Result |
|---|---|
| Waste 8♣, column ends in 9♠ | Plays: one rank up, suit does not matter |
| Waste 8♣, column ends in 7♦ | Plays: one rank down |
| Waste 8♣, column ends in 10♠ | Does not play: two ranks apart |
| Waste K♥, column ends in A♠ | Plays only with Wrap around on |
| Nothing fits, cards in the stock | Tap the stock: its top card becomes the waste card |
The stock is turned once and a card never leaves the waste. The deal is lost the moment the stock is empty and nothing fits; the score is the cards cleared, 35 for a win.
Practise this game in your browser🎯 Objective
Play all 35 tableau cards onto the waste pile before the stock runs out. If you don't clear the table, your score is the number of cards you cleared.
🃏 Golf Solitaire Setup & Rules
- One standard 52-card deck, no jokers. The app deals 35 cards face up into seven columns of five, overlapping so every card shows.
- One card is turned face up to start the waste pile; the other 16 cards are the face-down stock.
- It is a solitaire for one, so there are no other seats to fill. The only setup option is Wrap around, off by default: with it on, an ace plays on a king and a king on an ace.
▶ How to Play Golf Solitaire
- Only the exposed card at the end of each column can be played. Tap it and it goes onto the waste pile when it is one rank above or below the waste card; suit and color do not matter.
- Each card played becomes the new waste card, so you can run chains in either direction, such as 8, 9, 10, 9, 8.
- Aces are low and kings high. By default the sequence does not wrap: a queen is the only card that plays on a king, and a 2 the only one that plays on an ace. The Wrap around option makes an ace and a king neighbors.
- Tap the stock to turn its top card onto the waste pile. You may draw at any time, even when a card still fits, but the 16 stock cards are turned only once: there is no redeal, and a card never leaves the waste.
- Empty columns stay empty; nothing is ever moved back to the table.
- Auto makes the move the app's own policy would make, Undo takes back the last move, and Give up ends the deal where it stands.
🎬 Watch: How to Play Golf Solitaire
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📖 Detailed Guide
Setting up your table
- From the game menu choose Golf Solitaire. It is a solitaire for one, so there are no other seats to fill and no app opponents.
- The setup screen offers one option, Wrap around, off by default. Leave it off for the common rules, where nothing plays on a king but a queen; turn it on and an ace plays on a king and a king on an ace.
- The app shuffles one 52-card deck and deals 35 cards face up into seven columns of five, overlapping so every card shows.
- One card is turned face up to start the waste pile, and the remaining 16 cards are the face-down stock beside it.
Playing to the waste pile
- Tap the exposed card at the end of a column. It goes onto the waste pile when it is one rank above or below the waste card, in any suit; otherwise the app says why not.
- Each card played becomes the new waste card, and the card above it in the column is exposed, so chains such as 5, 6, 7, 6, 5 are the heart of the game.
- Aces are low and kings high, and by default the ranks do not wrap: a 2 is the only card that plays on an ace, and a queen the only card that plays on a king.
- With Wrap around on, an ace also plays on a king and a king on an ace, which makes most deals easier.
The stock
- Tap the stock to turn its top card onto the waste pile. It becomes the new waste card, whatever it is.
- You may draw whenever you like, even while a column card still fits, but each draw is a card you did not clear.
- The 16 stock cards are turned only once. There is no redeal, the waste is never turned back into a stock, and a card never leaves the waste.
- Cards never return to the columns, and an empty column stays empty.
Ending the deal
- You win when all 35 tableau cards are on the waste pile, even if cards remain in the stock; the summary shows how many moves it took.
- The deal is lost the moment the stock is empty and no exposed card fits the waste card. The app ends it there and tells you how many of the 35 cards were left.
- Your score is the number of cards cleared from the columns, 35 for a win. Each deal stands alone: no 9-hole rounds and no bonus for stock cards left over.
- Auto plays one move of the app's own policy each time you tap it, Undo takes back the last move, as many times as you like, and Give up ends the deal where it stands.
📊 Golf Solitaire Scoring
You win the moment all 35 tableau cards are on the waste pile, even with cards left in the stock; the summary counts your moves. The deal is lost the moment the stock is empty and no column's top card fits the waste card. Either way your score is the number of cards cleared from the columns, 35 for a win. Each deal stands alone: the app does not play 9-hole rounds, there is no timer, and Play again deals a fresh random layout.
❓ Golf Solitaire — Frequently Asked Questions
How many players do you need for Golf Solitaire?
Golf Solitaire is a solitaire game for one player — just you and the deck.
Does the sequence wrap around from king to ace in Golf Solitaire?
Not by default: a queen is the only card that plays on a king, and a 2 the only card that plays on an ace. Turn on the Wrap around option on the setup screen and an ace plays on a king and a king on an ace.
Can I draw from the stock in Golf Solitaire while a card still fits?
Yes. Tapping the stock turns its top card onto the waste at any time, but the 16 stock cards are turned only once: there is no redeal, and a card never leaves the waste. A draw is a card you did not clear, so play out your chain first.
When is a deal of Golf Solitaire over?
You win the moment all 35 tableau cards are on the waste pile, even with cards left in the stock. The deal is lost the moment the stock is empty and no column's top card fits the waste card; the app ends it there and shows how many of the 35 cards were left.
How does the app score Golf Solitaire?
Each deal stands alone: the score is the number of cards cleared from the 7 columns, 35 for a win, and the summary counts your moves. The app does not play 9-hole rounds and does not subtract 1 for each stock card left over, as the traditional scoring does.