How to Play Golf Solitaire

Your First Game of Golf Solitaire

Golf Solitaire is one of the quickest card games to learn. If you can count up and down by one, you already know the core mechanic. This guide walks you through your first game step by step.

Play Golf Solitaire online for free.

Step 1: Understand the Layout

When the game starts, you'll see:

• 7 columns of 5 face-up cards (35 cards total) — this is the tableau
• 1 face-up card below the tableau — this is the waste pile
• A face-down pile — this is the stock (16 cards)

Your goal is to move every tableau card onto the waste pile.

Step 2: Learn the One Rule

A tableau card can be played onto the waste pile if it is exactly one rank higher or lower than the current waste top card. Suit doesn't matter.

| Waste Top | Can Play | |---|---| | 5 | 4 or 6 | | Jack | 10 or Queen | | Ace | 2 only | | King | Queen only |

Important: Aces and Kings don't wrap. You can't play a King on an Ace.

Step 3: Make Your First Moves

1. Look at the waste pile card
2. Scan all 7 columns for a card that is ±1 rank
3. Click that card to play it
4. The card moves to the waste pile and becomes the new waste top
5. Now scan again — can you play another card on this new waste top?

Step 4: Build Chains

The magic of Golf Solitaire is chaining. After playing one card, the new waste top might allow another play, then another.

Example chain: Waste shows 4 → play 5 → play 6 → play 7 → play 8. That's four cards cleared in one chain!

Long chains are the key to winning. Always look for the longest possible sequence before committing.

Step 5: Draw from Stock

When no tableau card can be played on the current waste top:

1. Click the stock pile
2. A new card flips face-up onto the waste
3. Check all columns again for plays

You only have 16 stock cards, so use them wisely.

Step 6: Watch for Dead Ends

Kings and Aces are trouble spots:

• A King on the waste can only accept a Queen
• An Ace on the waste can only accept a 2

If no Queen or 2 is available, you're forced to draw. Try to avoid playing cards that leave a King or Ace as the waste top unless you can see the next play.

Step 7: Win or Lose

• Win: All 35 tableau cards are cleared
• Lose: No plays available and the stock is empty

Don't worry about losing — Golf is a challenging game with a low win rate. Focus on clearing as many cards as possible and finding long chains.

Tips for Beginners

1. Always scan all 7 columns before drawing from stock
2. Look for chains — don't just play the first card you see
3. Count ahead — before playing, ask "what comes after this?"
4. Use undo freely to experiment with different play orders
5. Short columns are fine — unlike other solitaire games, empty columns don't help you in Golf

Common Mistakes

• Drawing too early: There might be a play you missed. Check every column.
• Breaking chains: Playing a card that stops a longer chain elsewhere
• Ignoring the whole board: Focus on all 7 columns, not just the nearest one

Keyboard Shortcuts

• N — New game
• U — Undo
• H — Hint
• D — Daily challenge

Ready to Play?

Play Golf Solitaire right now, free in your browser. Once you're comfortable, read our Golf Solitaire Strategy guide to improve your win rate.

Further Reading

• Golf Solitaire Rules — complete rules reference
• Golf Solitaire Strategy — advanced tips
• TriPeaks Rules — a related peak-clearing game
• Which Solitaire Game Should You Play? — compare all variants