Golf Solitaire is a fast-paced card game where you try to clear as many cards as possible by building a sequential "run" from the tableau to a waste pile. It plays in minutes and uses a clever scoring system borrowed from golf — the lower your score, the better.
🕹️ Ready to play?
Play Free Golf Solitaire →Golf Solitaire Setup
Golf Solitaire uses a single standard 52-card deck. At the start, deal 35 cards face-up into 7 columns of 5 cards each. The remaining 17 cards form the stock pile, face down. Turn the top card of the stock face up to start the waste pile.
How to Play
On your turn, you can move the top card of any tableau column to the waste pile if it is one rank higher or lower than the current top waste card. Suit does not matter — only rank.
- A 6 can go on a 5 or a 7.
- A King is a dead end — nothing can be placed on a King (in standard rules).
- An Ace is also a dead end — nothing goes below an Ace.
When you cannot play any tableau card, flip the next stock card to the waste pile and continue. The game ends when the stock is exhausted and no more moves are available.
Scoring Like Golf
The name "Golf" comes from the scoring system. Each card left in the tableau at the end counts as +1 stroke. Each unused stock card counts as -1 stroke. Your goal is the lowest score possible — just like real golf.
A perfect game (clearing all 35 tableau cards) gives you a score of -17 (using all stock cards as negative). In practice, scores below 0 are excellent. Most players average around +10-15 when learning.
Winning Strategy
Golf rewards forward planning. The key insight: long runs clear more cards. Instead of taking the first available play, look for sequences that will chain together — 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 — before making your move.
Prioritize Columns with Buried Cards
Focus on clearing columns where the bottom cards are low (near Ace) or high (near King) — these are hardest to chain off. Get them out of the tableau early.
Watch for Dead Ends
Kings and Aces are dead ends because you can only play off one side. If you have several Kings or Aces exposed at once, look for a way to bury them or skip past them with a stock draw.
Multiplayer Golf Solitaire
Golf Solitaire is one of the best solitaire games to play head-to-head. On Solitaire Scramble, you can challenge another player in real time — both play the same deal, and whoever finishes with the lower score wins. It adds a competitive layer that makes every card choice feel urgent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you wrap around Kings and Aces in Golf Solitaire?
In standard Golf Solitaire rules, Kings and Aces are dead ends — you cannot wrap from King to Ace or vice versa. Some variants allow wrapping, but the classic game does not.
What is a good score in Golf Solitaire?
Anything at or below 0 is excellent. A score of -5 to -17 means you cleared nearly all the tableau cards. Most beginners score between +5 and +20. The theoretical minimum is -17.
How many cards are in the stock in Golf Solitaire?
After dealing 35 cards to the tableau (7 columns × 5), the remaining 17 cards form the stock.
Is Golf Solitaire always winnable?
No — Golf Solitaire has a high luck component. The win rate for clearing all cards is estimated around 2-5%, though getting a low score (under 5) is achievable in most deals with good play.
What is the difference between Golf Solitaire and regular Solitaire?
Golf Solitaire has no foundation building and no suit matching — you simply extend a chain of sequential cards to the waste pile. It is much faster to play than Klondike and uses a stroke-count scoring system.