How to play Golf Solitaire

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How to play Golf Solitaire

Golf Solitaire is a quick one-player card game played with a single deck. Thirty-five cards sit in seven columns of five, and you clear them onto a single waste pile one rank at a time. A round takes a couple of minutes, which is why it is a favourite for a short break.

The layout

Seven columns of five face-up cards make up the green. The remaining seventeen cards form the stock, with one card already turned onto the waste pile to start you off.

Playing a card

Only the card at the foot of a column can move, and only onto the waste pile when it is exactly one rank above or below the current waste card. Suits never matter in Golf.

Aces and kings

In this version the sequence wraps around, so a King plays on an Ace and an Ace plays on a King. That keeps long chains alive far more often than the strict no-wrap rule.

Turning the stock

When nothing at the foot of a column fits, tap the stock to turn the next card onto the waste pile. Run out of stock with cards still on the green and the round is over.

Winning

Clear all thirty-five tableau cards to win the hole. Undo is unlimited, so you can rewind a chain and try a different order whenever you get stuck.

Tips from the table

  • Before you take an obvious card, check which column it exposes — depth matters more than a quick point.
  • Work the deepest columns down first; a single long column left at the end is what usually loses the round.
  • When two cards fit the waste, take the one that opens a new rank you already see elsewhere.
  • Keep an eye on the stock count: each turn you spend is one fewer chance to restart a chain.