Play Golf solitaire

How to play on this page

• One tap plays: tap the last card of any column. If it fits, it goes straight to the waste; if not, the message under the table says why.
• Stock: tap it to turn the next card onto the waste. The number on it shows how many are left out of 16.
• Undo takes back plays and stock turns alike. Use it to try both branches when two cards could start a chain.
• Keyboard: arrow keys move between cards, Enter plays, Ctrl+Z and Ctrl+Y undo and redo.

The rules this game follows

• 35 cards in seven face-up columns of five; one card starts the waste; 16 stay in the stock.
• Play the end card of a column onto the waste if it is one rank higher or lower, any suit. Aces are low: an Ace takes only a 2.
• Nothing goes on a King, and King and Ace do not connect, unless you turn on the house rule.
• The hand ends when the table is clear or the stock is gone and nothing plays.

Our Golf solitaire rules have the nine-hole scoring, the odds and five tips.

Playing a round of nine holes

The message at the end of each hand gives your score for that hole: cards left on the table, or a negative score when you clear it with stock cards to spare. Write the nine scores down, or use the deal numbers to play a fixed course: pick nine numbers, share them with a friend, and you both play exactly the same holes. The Wikipedia article on Golf calls 45 or less over nine holes, an average of 5 a hole, a par round.

A useful habit before every play: count how long a chain each candidate card starts. 6, 7, 6, 5 uses four cards where 6, 7, 8 may stop at three, and with every table card visible you can trace both before you tap.

Nothing leaves your browser. Your record is saved on this device only.

Golf solitaire questions

Why will nothing go on a King?

That is the standard rule: a King on the waste is a dead end until you turn the next stock card. A common house rule lets King and Ace connect; switch it on under Game options if that is how you play.

How is a hole scored?

One point for every card left on the table when the hand ends. If you clear all 35, you score minus one for each card still in the stock. Lowest wins, as in real golf, and nine holes make a round.

Can I see the stock cards?

No. They are face down, as in the real game. Every table card is visible from the start, which is where the planning comes in.

Is this the same as the Golf card game for groups?

No. Six-card Golf is a different game for two or more players with its own scoring. Its rules and a score card are on our Golf card game page.