Deal – —
Golf Solitaire
Golf Solitaire Online – Clear the Board One Card at a Time
Golf Solitaire is a fast-paced, easy-to-learn solitaire card game that combines simple rules with rewarding strategy. Every round can be completed in just a few minutes, making it a great choice for quick breaks or longer play sessions. Your objective is to remove every card from the tableau by building onto a single waste pile, playing cards that are exactly one rank higher or lower than the current top card.
Inspired by golf scoring, the fewer cards you leave behind, the better your result. Clearing the entire tableau is the perfect score.
How the Game Is Set Up
A standard 52-card deck is divided into three sections:
Tableau
- 35 face-up cards arranged in 7 columns of 5 cards.
- Only the bottom visible card of each column is playable.
- Removing a card reveals the one directly above it.
Waste Pile
- Starts with one face-up card.
- Every legal move is played onto this pile.
- Only the top card determines your next move.
Stock Pile
- The remaining 16 cards stay face down.
- Draw a new card whenever no legal move is available or you decide to continue with a different rank.
Rules of Golf Solitaire
The gameplay revolves around one straightforward rule:
- Play a tableau card that is one rank higher or one rank lower than the waste pile's top card.
- Card suits and colors never matter.
- Every played card becomes the new waste pile card.
Example
- Waste card: Jack
- Play a 10 or Queen
- Waste card: 5
- Play a 4 or 6
Successful moves often create long combinations. For example:
8 → 9 → 10 → Jack → 10 → 9 → 8
Planning these sequences before making a move is the core strategic element of the game.
Important Rank Limitation
Ranks do not wrap around.
- Ace can only connect with 2
- King can only connect with Queen
- Ace cannot be played on King, and King cannot be played on Ace
Because they have only one neighboring rank, Aces and Kings require careful planning.
Using the Stock
If no legal move is available:
- Draw the next card from the stock pile.
- The drawn card becomes the new waste pile card.
- Continue building from this new rank.
The stock can only be used once.
There are:
- 16 stock cards
- No redeals
- No reshuffling
Once the stock is empty and no moves remain, the round ends.
Winning the Game
Your goal is simple:
Remove all 35 tableau cards.
If the board cannot be completely cleared, your score equals the number of cards left behind.
Just like golf:
- Lower scores are better.
- Zero remaining cards is the perfect game.
Many deals cannot be solved perfectly, so reducing your remaining cards is still meaningful progress.
Game Controls
Playing is quick on desktop and mobile.
You can:
- Click or tap an available card to play it.
- Drag cards onto the waste pile if preferred.
- Click the stock pile to reveal the next card.
Helpful tools commonly available include:
- New Game
- Undo
- Redo
- Hint
Unlimited Undo lets you experiment with different move sequences without penalty, while deal seeds allow you to replay identical layouts and compare scores with friends.
Golf Solitaire Strategy Guide
Plan Long Card Chains
Before making your first move, scan the board for the longest possible sequence.
A chain can move upward and downward repeatedly, allowing you to remove several cards from a single starting move. Longer combinations usually expose more hidden cards and create better opportunities later.
Track Every Rank
There are four copies of every rank in the deck. Since all tableau cards are visible, you can monitor which ranks remain available. Keeping track helps you avoid using an important connecting card too early and makes future moves easier to predict.
Value the Middle Cards
Cards around the middle of the deck—such as 7s, 8s, and 9s—offer the greatest flexibility because they connect in both directions.
By contrast:
- Kings only connect with Queens.
- Aces only connect with 2s.
Whenever possible, remove these edge cards before their matching partners disappear.
Spend Stock Cards Carefully
The stock is a limited resource. Whenever legal tableau moves exist, it is usually better to play those first before drawing another stock card. Saving stock draws for truly blocked situations often leads to lower final scores.
Keep Columns Balanced
Avoid leaving one tall column untouched while clearing others. Removing cards evenly across the tableau reveals new playable cards sooner and reduces the chance of important cards remaining trapped near the end of the game.
Experiment with Undo
Unlimited Undo allows you to test different move orders. If one sequence leaves the board blocked, rewind and try another route. Small changes early in the game can produce significantly better outcomes later.
Why Play Golf Solitaire?
Golf Solitaire offers an excellent balance of accessibility and strategic depth. Every card is visible from the beginning, eliminating hidden information while rewarding thoughtful planning. Short game sessions, straightforward rules, and meaningful decision-making make it an enjoyable choice for both beginners and experienced solitaire fans.
Start playing Golf Solitaire today, challenge yourself to clear every tableau, improve your strategy with each deal, and aim for the perfect zero-card finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do suits matter in Golf Solitaire?
No. Suits and colors are ignored completely. The only thing that matters is rank: a card can be played onto the waste pile when it is exactly one rank higher or one rank lower than the waste's top card.
Can I play an Ace on a King?
No. In this version of Golf the ranks do not wrap around. Kings and Aces are the ends of the sequence, so on a King you may play only a Queen, and on an Ace you may play only a 2.
How many passes through the stock do I get?
One. The 16 stock cards are turned onto the waste one at a time, and there are no redeals. Once the last stock card has been flipped, you must finish the game with whatever plays remain on the table.
What happens when the stock runs out?
You keep playing tableau cards onto the waste for as long as legal moves remain. When the stock is empty and no available card is one rank away from the waste top, the game ends, and the cards left on the table are your score.
Is every deal of Golf Solitaire winnable?
No, not every deal can be cleared completely, even with perfect play. That is part of the game's golf-style spirit: when you cannot reach zero, aim to leave as few cards as possible and try to beat your own best score.
Is Golf Solitaire free to play?
Yes, Golf Solitaire on this site is completely free. There is nothing to download and no account is needed. Just open the page and start playing.
Can I play Golf Solitaire on my phone?
Yes. The game works in the browser on phones and tablets as well as on desktop computers. On a touch screen, simply tap a card to send it to the waste pile, or tap the stock to turn a new card.
What is a seed?
A seed is the number that identifies a particular shuffle of the cards. Every deal on this site has its own seed, so you can replay the exact same deal to improve your score, or share the seed with a friend and compete on an identical game.