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Golf Solitaire
Golf is a fast one-deck patience game named for its scoring: like a round of golf, the lower your score the better. Thirty-five cards are dealt face up in seven columns, and you race to move them all onto a single waste pile by playing cards one rank higher or lower. It plays in a couple of minutes, which makes it a favourite for quick breaks, and it is the ancestor of the popular TriPeaks.
Golf Solitaire Rules
Seven columns of five face-up cards are dealt, and one card from the stock starts the waste pile. Only the bottom (fully visible) card of each column is available.
Move an available card onto the waste pile if it is exactly one rank above or below the waste card, regardless of suit — a 9 can go on an 8 or a 10. You can chain as long as you like: 5, 6, 7, 6, 5 is fine. By default a King and an Ace do not connect; the Wrap corners option lets them.
When no column card fits, turn the next card from the stock onto the waste. There is no redeal. You win by clearing all 35 cards. Your score is the number of cards left in the columns, or minus the number of unused stock cards if you clear the board.
Golf Solitaire Strategy & Tips
Plan the longest run, not the first move
Before playing, look for the longest chain available from the waste card. Taking a short run that ends on an awkward rank can strand you, while a longer chain clears more cards for the same stock card.
Dig into the tallest columns
Columns don't empty evenly. If two plays are otherwise equal, take the card from the column with the most cards left — buried cards are the ones that end games.
Keep a pivot card in reserve
If a 6 and a 4 are both available on a 5, playing one leaves the other as a bridge back. Leaving a card that matches the stock's likely next cards gives you a way to continue after the next turn.
Mind the Kings
Without wrap-around, a King can only be followed by a Queen. Clear the Queens around your Kings carefully so a King doesn't end your run while useful cards are still buried.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can every game of Golf Solitaire be won?
No. With the standard no-wrap rule a sizable share of deals can't be cleared even with perfect play, because the stock only gives you 16 more cards. Turning on Wrap corners makes more deals winnable.
How is Golf Solitaire scored?
One point for each card still in the columns when the stock runs out. Clearing all 35 cards scores zero, and each card left in the stock then counts as minus one. Over nine deals you can keep a running total, just like nine holes of golf.
Can you play a Queen on a King in Golf?
Yes — a Queen is one rank below a King, so it can follow a King, and a King can follow a Queen. What isn't allowed by default is going from King to Ace or Ace to King; enable Wrap corners if you prefer that easier rule.
What's the difference between Golf and TriPeaks?
Both play cards one rank up or down onto a waste pile. Golf deals seven columns of five, all face up. TriPeaks arranges 28 cards in three overlapping peaks, most of them face down at first, and usually lets King and Ace connect.