Golf Solitaire
Clear the tableau one rank up or down at a time.
How to play Golf Solitaire
Seven columns of face-up cards sit above a single waste card and a stock. Tap any exposed (bottom) tableau card whose rank is exactly one above or below the waste top (suit does not matter) to move it onto the waste and keep a run going. When you are stuck, tap the stock to flip a fresh waste card. Clear every column to win; your score is the number of cards cleared. Use the Wrap button to allow Ace and King to connect.
Runs go both ways
The single idea that turns Golf Solitaire from luck into skill: a run can change direction whenever you like. You move an exposed card onto the waste if it's one rank above or below the current waste card, suit ignored, so from a 7 you can go up to an 8 or down to a 6, then from that 8 back down to a 7, up to a 9, and on and on. Strong players don't just grab the next legal card; they zig-zag on purpose to keep a chain alive, riding it up and down through the columns to peel off as many cards as possible before the run finally dies.
Direction is a real decision, because you often can't come back. Say the waste shows a 6 and the columns offer a 7, a 5, a 4, and another 5. Go up first and the 7 is all you get: from the 7 the only road back down is another 6, and there isn't one showing. Go down instead and 5, 4, 5 clears three cards, with the 4 linking the two 5s. Same board, triple the haul, purely because you counted both directions before touching anything. Do that on every waste card and your clear rate jumps.
Count what is gone
There are only four cards of each rank in the deck, and Golf rewards players who keep rough track of them. If all four 6s are already spent, every 5 on the board can only continue upward and every 7 can only be reached from an 8. That changes which cards you hold back and which you spend. You don't need a perfect memory. Just notice when a rank is running dry, especially a rank that bridges your remaining columns. Late in a deal, one glance (are there any 6s left anywhere?) often decides whether a stock flip is worth taking or the deal is already decided. And with Wrap off, remember a King on the waste accepts only a Queen. Play a King with no Queen in sight and the chain dies on the spot.
Look before you flip
Your stock is limited, and every flip is a fresh waste card you can't take back. So before you tap it, wring out the board in front of you:
- Scan all seven column bottoms and map the longest sequence you can play, then run it in the order that keeps the most options open.
- When two cards are both playable, take the one that exposes another useful card underneath, not the one that dead-ends.
- Sometimes hold a card back if it connects to a value you'll likely flip next: not playing a card can be the right move.
- Flip the stock only once the tableau is genuinely stuck; a wasted flip is a wasted chance.
Wrapping and winning
By default the ranks don't loop: a King is a dead end and an Ace only connects up to a 2. Turn on the Wrap option and Ace and King join up, so you can run King to Ace to 2 and back, which opens far more chains and makes tricky deals solvable. Your score is simply how many cards you clear, and emptying all seven columns is the win. Not every deal can be cleared, but reading the whole board and building long two-way runs will clear far more of them than snatching at the first legal card you see.
Why it's called Golf
The name comes from scoring, not from any ball. In the classic version of the game, every card left in the tableau at the end counts as a stroke, players deal nine boards as a round, and the lowest total wins, exactly like a golf scorecard. A stubborn deal that leaves eight cards stranded really does feel like a triple bogey. This version flips the arithmetic (your score is the cards you clear, and higher is better), but the spirit is identical: the deal is the course, and clean play beats lucky play over any nine boards. Golf has been sitting in the patience books for over a century, and it stays popular for the same reason it works here. A round takes two minutes, and there is always one more deal.
Golf Solitaire leaderboard
Top scores. Log in to compete.
- Loading leaderboard…
Golf Solitaire: frequently asked questions
Which cards can I play?
Any exposed tableau card that is one rank higher or lower than the current waste card, regardless of suit. For example, on a 7 you can play a 6 or an 8.
Does Ace connect to King?
By default no: sequences do not wrap. Toggle the Wrap button on to let Ace and King count as neighbours.
How do I win?
Clear all seven columns onto the waste. If you run out of moves and stock cards, the game ends and your score is the cards you cleared.
How do I move a card onto the waste?
Tap any exposed card at the bottom of a column whose rank is exactly one above or below the current waste card. Suit doesn't matter, only the rank, so a 6 or an 8 can both go onto a 7.
Can a run go both up and down?
Yes, and that's the key to the game. You can switch direction freely mid-run, going up to a higher rank and back down again, which lets a single chain clear many more cards than a one-way run would.
What does the Wrap button do?
It lets the Ace and King connect, so the ranks loop around instead of dead-ending. With Wrap on you can play King to Ace to 2, which opens up chains that are otherwise impossible.
How is my score calculated?
By the number of cards you clear from the tableau. Emptying all seven columns is a full win, but even a partial clear scores for every card you removed.
Why is the game called Golf?
Because of how the classic version scores. Cards left uncleared counted as strokes, you played nine deals as a round, and the lowest total won, like a golf scorecard. This version counts upward instead, cards cleared with higher being better, but the nine-quick-deals spirit is the same.
Is every deal winnable?
No. Some layouts simply can't be fully cleared. But careful play (reading the board and building long two-way runs before flipping the stock) clears far more deals than grabbing the first available card.
Is Golf Solitaire free to play?
Yes. Golf Solitaire is completely free on Inkplay, with no download, no sign-up, and no in-game purchases. Open the page and play instantly on desktop or mobile.
Can I play Golf Solitaire unblocked?
Yes. Golf Solitaire runs entirely in your browser with no download, install, or plugins, so it loads instantly and keeps working even on school or work networks where bigger game sites get blocked.
More games to play
In the mood for more? Try Chess, Tic Tac Toe, Connect Four, Reversi, or browse all board games and the full games list on Inkplay. Golf Solitaire also appears in Solitaire.