How to play Golf Solitaire

Golf is a quick, easygoing solitaire with a scorecard twist. Thirty-five cards are dealt face up in seven columns of five, and one card starts a pile below them. Move the cards from the columns onto the pile, and finish with as few left as you can. Like golf, the lowest score wins.

One higher or one lower

Only the bottom card of each column can be played. It goes on the pile when it is one higher or one lower than the top card, any suit: on a 7 you can play any 6 or any 8. Go up and down as you like, 7, 6, 7, 8 is fine. With the usual rules a King and an Ace are neighbors too, so Queen, King, Ace, 2 works.

The deck

When no bottom card fits, tap the deck: its next card goes on the pile and you carry on from there. You go through the deck only once. The round ends when every column is clear, or when the deck is empty and nothing fits.

The score

• Your score is the number of cards still in the columns. Four left is a 4.
• Clear all seven columns and you go under par: minus one for every card left in the deck. Clear them with three in the deck and you score -3.
• Play a few rounds and add them up, like holes on a course. The lower your total, the better your game.

Around the corner, or Kings stop

Many players let the cards go around the corner: an Ace on a King and a King on an Ace. That is how the game starts here. The strict old rules, Kings stop, keep them apart and allow nothing on a King: a real test, where clearing every column is rare. Switch in Settings.

Tips for a lower score

1. Look for the longest run before you play the first card. Two cards may fit; one of them may lead much further.
2. Take from the taller column when you have a choice. Short columns are easy to finish later, tall ones are not.
3. Draw last. The deck is your only way out of a dead end, so do not use it while a card still fits.
4. Count both directions. After a 9 comes an 8 or a 10, so keep an eye on both.
5. Use Undo. There is no penalty. Try a line, and if it goes nowhere, take it back.

Today's deal

Every day there is one Daily Deal, the same for every player. Score as low as you can and see how you compare with everyone else who played today. Your first round of the day is the one that counts.

Questions

Is this the card game Golf for several players? No, this is the one-player solitaire. The family card game with the same name is on its way.

Can every deal be cleared? No. Most rounds end with a few cards left, and that is a fine score. A clear round is a real birdie.

What does Hint do? It lights up the first card of the longest run it can find, or the deck when nothing fits.

Do I need an account? No. Your games, streak and settings stay in this browser. A free account keeps them on every device.