Clear seven columns of cards by playing any card one higher or lower than the card on the waste. Every card starts face up, so plan your runs.
Want to win more often? Read the Golf Solitaire strategy guide →
How to play Golf Solitaire
The goal is to clear all 35 cards from the seven columns onto the waste. Suits and colours don't matter, only ranks.
The layout
- 35 cards are dealt face up in seven columns of five.
- The other 17 cards make the stock. One is turned over to start the waste next to it.
Rules
- Only the bottom card of each column can be played. Play it onto the waste if it is one rank higher or lower than the waste card. On a 7 you can play a 6 or an 8.
- Runs can go up and down as you like: 7, 8, 7, 6 is fine.
- When you're stuck, tap the stock to turn a new card onto the waste. The stock goes round once.
- In the classic game King and Ace don't touch, so nothing follows a King except a Queen. Switch “King to Ace” on for an easier game where they connect.
- Tap a card to play it, or drag it onto the waste.
Scoring
When the stock runs out and no card fits, the game ends. Your score is the number of cards still on the table, like strokes in golf: lower is better, and zero means you cleared it. Traditionally players add up their scores over nine deals, a “round” of nine holes.
Tips
- Everything is face up, so look at all seven columns and plan the longest run you can before you play.
- Work on the columns that hide the cards you need most, rather than the ones that happen to be playable.
- Kings are the hardest cards to clear. Free them while a Queen is on the waste.
- Don't rush to the stock. It goes round only once, and every card you turn early is gone.
A little history
Golf is an old patience game, and nobody knows exactly who first played it. It appears in the classic twentieth-century solitaire books, including Albert Morehead and Geoffrey Mott-Smith's collection of patience games, and its name comes from the way it's scored: a deal is a hole, and the cards left over are your strokes.
Older rule books differ on Kings. Some let a Queen follow a King, some say nothing at all can go on a King, and a few let King and Ace wrap round. Ours follows the common modern rule, with wrapping as an option.
Golf is also the ancestor of a family of “one higher or lower” games. The best known is TriPeaks, invented in 1989, which keeps Golf's waste pile but hides most of the cards in three peaks.
Golf Solitaire FAQ
Why is it called Golf?
Because it's scored like golf. Each card left on the table at the end counts as a stroke, so the lower your score the better. Clearing the table is like a hole in one.
Do suits matter in Golf Solitaire?
No. Only ranks count. A 7 can go on any 6 or 8, whatever the suit or colour.
Can I play a King on an Ace?
Not in the classic rules, where King and Ace don't touch and a King ends your run. Turn on "King to Ace" to let them connect, which makes the game easier.
How often can Golf Solitaire be won?
Not often. Golf is one of the harder solitaire games to clear completely, because every column is fixed and the stock only goes round once. Most games end with a few cards left, and getting that number down is the real game.
What's the difference between Golf and TriPeaks?
Both play cards one higher or lower onto a waste pile. In Golf all 35 table cards start face up in seven columns, so you can plan ahead. In TriPeaks most cards start face down in three peaks and turn over as you clear them.
Can I replay the same deal?
Yes. Every deal has a number. Use Restart to replay it, or tap the deal number to type one in and play the same deal as a friend.
Is there a time limit?
No. The clock only shows how long a game took. Take as long as you like over each move, and undo as often as you want.
Ready for more? The Golf Solitaire strategy guide → covers what to do in every phase of a game.