Golf Solitaire: Rules, Strategy, and How to Play Online
Golf Solitaire is a single-player card game with a simple goal: clear all 35 cards from the tableau. You build one running pile by playing cards a rank above or below its top card. There are no foundations to sort by suit and no colors to alternate. The puzzle is deciding which exposed card to play now so that you can reach the cards underneath it later.
This guide explains how to play Golf Solitaire online, the rules used in this game, and practical ways to improve. A round is quick to start, but the limited stock and the order of cards in each column make every choice matter.
How to Play Golf Solitaire
A standard 52-card deck is dealt into seven tableau columns of five face-up cards each. The other 17 cards form the face-down stock. The waste pile starts empty under the default rules. Only the exposed card at the bottom of a column can be played; removing it exposes the next card in that column.
- Choose any exposed tableau card to start a run, or draw the first stock card.
- After that, play a tableau card one rank higher or lower than the waste card.
- Suits and colors do not affect a move. A 7 can take a 6 or an 8 of any suit.
- Draw one stock card onto the waste whenever you want a new starting rank.
- Clear all seven columns to win.
For example, after playing a 7 you could play an exposed 8, then a 9, then an 8 again. Every card you play becomes the new top of the waste pile, so check the board after each move. Clicking or tapping an exposed card plays it when legal; you can also drag it to the waste. Click or tap the stock to draw. You may draw even while another tableau move is available, although saving stock cards usually gives you more choices later.
Ace, King, and Rule Settings
Under the default rules, ranks wrap around: an Ace can follow a King, and a King can follow an Ace. The Rules button lets you change this behavior before a new game. Turn off Wrapping to prevent the King-to-Ace connection. Turn off Plays on top of King to prevent playing a Queen on a King; an Ace can follow a King only when both relevant settings allow it. If you turn off Pick first card, the game draws the starting waste card for you instead of letting you choose the opener. The article's examples assume the default settings.
What Counts as a Win?
You win as soon as all 35 tableau cards are gone. If the stock is empty and none of the exposed cards can follow the waste card, the round ends with cards left on the table. Traditional Golf Solitaire describes those remaining cards as the result of the deal, so fewer is better and zero is the ideal finish. On this site, the game also tracks play data such as moves and time for its score. Clearing the tableau is still the win condition.
Golf Solitaire Strategy: Make Longer Runs
The stock is your supply of fresh waste cards. A long run clears several tableau cards without spending any of it. Before choosing between legal moves, scan the seven exposed ranks and try to see at least two moves ahead. If the waste shows 7 and the tableau offers both 6 and 8, ask what each choice leaves playable. The 6 might lead to a 5 in another column, while the 8 might lead to 9 and 10. The longer route usually preserves more stock for later.
The visible card beneath an exposed card matters too. When you remove the bottom card of a column, the next one becomes available immediately. That can extend a run or open a rank that connects two parts of the board. Look along the column before you move: a 9 sitting above a playable 8 may make that 8 more valuable than an identical 8 in a different column. The best move is often the one that exposes a useful follow-up, not simply the one that removes a card from the shortest column.
When Should You Draw from the Stock?
Draw when the current waste card has no useful continuation, or when a different rank could open a better sequence. Drawing is allowed at any time, but every stock card spent reduces your options for rescuing a blocked position later. If a legal tableau move exists, check its follow-up cards before reaching for the stock. A one-card move may still be worth making because it reveals another rank.
Sometimes drawing early is sensible. Suppose the exposed cards offer a 6 on a 7, but playing it would leave no visible 5 or 7 and reveal a rank you cannot use. A new stock card might start a longer chain elsewhere. You cannot see the next stock card, so this is a trade-off rather than a guaranteed trick. Use the draw deliberately instead of treating it as an automatic response to a short run.
Beginner Tips for Golf Solitaire
- Scan every column before the first move. An opening rank with two visible neighbors can start a useful run.
- Check what a move uncovers. The card above the one you play may be your next move.
- Remember both directions: a 10 can be followed by 9 or Jack.
- Use the Ace–King connection when wrapping is on; it can keep a run going across the end of the rank order.
- Save stock cards when the tableau already offers a promising sequence.
- Use Undo and Redo to compare two possible move orders and learn which one reveals more options.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The easiest mistake is playing the first legal card you notice. Two cards of the same rank may lead to very different positions because they uncover different cards. Another is drawing too quickly: even a short tableau run clears cards at no stock cost. It is also easy to overlook a move through Ace and King when wrapping is enabled. Take a moment to look at all seven exposed cards, especially when a run seems to have ended.
Do not assume that every random deal can be cleared. The cards may be arranged so that no sequence reaches the entire tableau. A blocked ending does not always mean you made a mistake, though reviewing an earlier fork can show whether another route was available. Hints can show a legal move, but a legal move is not necessarily the strongest one. Use them to find options, then compare what each option exposes.
Why Is It Called Golf Solitaire?
The golf comparison is the goal of finishing with as few cards left as possible. A clear tableau is the best result, and a nearly clear tableau is better than one with many cards remaining. That simple measure makes each deal easy to understand even if you cannot win every time. The game belongs to the same broad family of solitaire games as Tripeaks: both ask you to clear a layout by building runs one rank up or down. Golf's seven open columns make the next cards visible from the start, so the emphasis is on planning sequences rather than discovering hidden cards.
How Difficult Is Golf Solitaire?
The rules are easy to learn because suits do not matter and every move uses the same one-rank test. Winning consistently is harder. You have 17 stock cards, 35 tableau cards to clear, and several possible routes through most deals. A move that looks good now can strand a useful card later. The game rewards players who notice rank chains and compare the cards exposed by each choice. You can play quickly for a relaxed break or slow down and treat each deal as a planning puzzle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the goal of Golf Solitaire?
Clear all 35 tableau cards. If cards remain when the stock is gone and no move is legal, the round ends.
Which cards can I move?
Only the exposed card at the bottom of a tableau column. After the first move, it must be one rank above or below the waste card.
Do suits matter in Golf Solitaire?
No. Only rank matters, so a red 6 can follow a black 7 just as easily as a black 6.
Can an Ace follow a King?
Yes under the default rules. The Rules button lets you change the Ace and King connections for a new game.
Can I draw when a tableau move is available?
Yes. You may draw from the stock whenever it has cards, but think about the available runs first.
Is every Golf Solitaire deal winnable?
No. Random deals can leave cards unreachable, even when you make careful choices.
Play Golf Solitaire Online
Golf Solitaire works well as a short card puzzle: choose an opening, build the longest useful runs you can, and draw with a purpose. Start a game, watch what each move uncovers, and use Undo to study the choices that changed the outcome. Whether you clear all 35 cards or leave a few behind, the next deal gives you another chance to read the board more carefully.
Sound Effects Credits
The sound effects used on the game come from multiple parties. The credits and respective licenses are listed below:
Disclaimer
This game is a property of Lofi and Games. All code and assets are protected and must not be redistributed or used without prior permission.