How to Play Golf Solitaire

Golf Solitaire is a fast, open-information card game built around one simple idea: play a card that is exactly one rank higher or lower than the card on the waste pile.

That sounds straightforward. The challenge comes from deciding which exposed card to take, when to keep a run going, and when drawing from the stock is worth the cost.

On Solitaire Arcade, Golf Solitaire can be played in Easy, Medium or Hard mode, with either a single hole or a full nine-hole round. The layout and scoring stay the same across difficulties, but the way Aces and Kings connect changes.

If you want to start immediately, you can play Golf Solitaire.

What Is Golf Solitaire?

Golf Solitaire uses one standard 52-card deck.

Thirty-five cards are dealt face-up into seven columns of five cards each. The remaining 17 cards form the stock. The waste pile starts empty.

Your goal is to remove all 35 tableau cards by playing exposed cards onto the waste pile in rank order. Each move must be exactly one rank higher or lower than the current waste card, subject to the Ace and King rules of the mode you selected.

Each deal is treated like a hole of golf. The fewer strokes you finish with, the better your score.

Golf shares some of its rank-chaining feel with Tri Peaks Solitaire, but the board is arranged differently and all 35 Golf tableau cards are visible from the start.

Setup and Which Cards Are Available

The tableau consists of seven vertical columns with five cards in each column.

All 35 tableau cards are face-up, but that does not mean every card can be played immediately.

Only the exposed card at the end of each non-empty column is available. When you remove that card, the next card in the same column becomes exposed.

The remaining 17 cards form the face-down stock.

The waste pile begins empty. Your first action is to draw one card from the stock to start the waste pile. That leaves 16 cards in the stock.

Empty columns stay empty. Unlike some other Solitaire games, you cannot move another card into an empty column or use it as temporary storage.

Legal Moves and Rank Runs

Once the waste pile has a card, you can remove any exposed tableau card that is exactly one rank higher or lower than the waste card.

For example, if the waste shows a 7, you can play an exposed 6 or 8.

Suits and colours do not matter.

After you play a card, that card becomes the new waste card. You can then continue the run from its rank.

You are also free to reverse direction.

For example:

7 → 8 → 7 → 6

is completely legal, provided each card is exposed when it is played.

You cannot move cards between tableau columns, build stacks in the tableau or use empty columns as holding spaces.

The main question is not simply whether a card is legal. It is often which legal card gives you the better next position.

Stock and Waste

The waste pile starts empty, so you must draw from the stock before making your first tableau move.

After that, drawing is optional.

You may draw a stock card even when a legal tableau move is available. The drawn card becomes the new waste card and starts a new opportunity to build a run.

There are no redeals in Golf Solitaire.

Once a stock card has been used, the stock continues forward until it is empty. The waste is not recycled back into the stock.

A buried waste card is not available for normal play. Only the current top waste card determines which tableau cards can be removed.

Running out of stock does not automatically end the hole. If a legal tableau move is still available from the final waste card, you can keep playing.

That can matter at the end of a close hole.

Easy, Medium and Hard Rules

The three difficulty modes use the same layout, stock, scoring and general move rules.

The difference is how Aces and Kings connect.

Easy

Easy allows full Ace–King wrapping.

Aces connect to 2s and Kings.

Kings connect to Queens and Aces.

This means a run can continue through the top and bottom of the rank order.

For example:

Q → K → A → 2

is legal in Easy.

Medium

Medium removes the Ace–King wrap.

Aces connect only to 2s.

Kings connect only to Queens.

You can still play either direction through Queen and King.

For example:

J → Q → K → Q

is legal in Medium.

But:

K → A

is not.

Hard

Hard keeps the no-wrap rule and adds one extra restriction: a King ends the run.

You can play a King onto a Queen, but once the King becomes the waste card, no tableau card can be played onto it.

That means:

Q → K

is legal.

But:

Q → K → Q

is not.

Aces do not automatically end runs in Hard. An Ace can still connect with a 2.

For example:

3 → 2 → A → 2

is legal in all three modes.

If you want a deeper breakdown of every Ace and King transition, see Golf Solitaire Ace and King Rules: Easy, Medium and Hard Explained.

How to Play a Hole Step by Step

1. Choose Easy, Medium or Hard.

2. Choose whether you want to play 1 Hole or 9 Holes.

3. Draw one card from the stock to start the waste pile.

4. Look across the seven exposed tableau cards.

5. Play any exposed card that is one rank higher or lower than the waste, using the Ace and King rules for your selected mode.

6. Continue playing exposed cards for as long as useful moves remain.

7. You can reverse direction at any time when the ranks allow it.

8. If you cannot continue—or decide a stock draw gives you a better chance—draw the next stock card.

9. Keep playing until you clear all 35 tableau cards or reach a position where no moves remain and the stock is empty.

In a nine-hole round, the next hole uses a fresh deal.

Winning, Stalemates and Round Results

You clear a hole by removing all 35 tableau cards.

The stock does not need to be empty.

If tableau cards remain, the stock is empty and there is no legal tableau move available, the hole is stuck.

Drawing the final stock card does not automatically create a loss. You can still continue from that final waste card if an exposed tableau card is legal.

In a one-hole game, clearing the tableau records a win. Failing to clear it records a loss.

A nine-hole round works differently.

The goal of the round is to complete all nine holes and finish with the lowest total score you can. Completing all nine holes records the round as a completed win, even if you did not clear every individual hole.

That distinction matters: clearing a hole and completing a nine-hole round are not the same thing.

Scoring, 1 Hole and 9 Holes

Golf Solitaire uses stroke-style scoring, and lower is better.

If you fail to clear the tableau, each remaining tableau card adds one stroke.

For example, if two tableau cards remain when the hole ends, your score for that hole is +2.

If you clear the tableau, unused stock cards improve your score.

For example, if you clear the tableau with six stock cards still unused, your score is -6.

If you clear the final tableau card after using the entire stock, your score is 0.

That means negative scores are possible and desirable.

In a 1 Hole game, your final score is simply the result of that hole.

In a 9 Holes game, the scores from all nine holes are added together.

A round might include some positive holes and some negative holes. What matters is the final total.

The site tracks 1 Hole and 9 Holes separately, so a strong single-hole score is not compared directly with a full nine-hole round.

Controls on Solitaire Arcade

Golf Solitaire is designed to be played directly from the tableau.

Tap or click an exposed legal card to move it onto the waste pile.

Tap or click the stock when you want to draw a new waste card.

Undo can take back recent tableau moves and stock draws while play is still active.

During a nine-hole round, you can also return from an intermediate result before committing to the next hole. Once you choose Next Hole, that completed hole is committed and the Undo history for it is cleared.

Hint highlights a suggested action and explains why it may be useful. It does not make the move for you and should not be treated as a guarantee of the best possible line.

Pause temporarily stops play.

New starts a new game.

End finishes the current session.

In nine-hole play, the Score Card lets you review the round as you progress.

Basic Golf Solitaire Strategy

The first legal card is not always the best card.

Before you play, look at what each available move will expose next. One legal card may open a continuation. Another may leave you with nowhere to go.

Try to avoid drawing from the stock automatically. A stock card is a limited resource, and once it is used there is no redeal.

Mode also matters. Easy, Medium and Hard do not treat Aces and Kings the same way, so a useful sequence in one mode may stop in another.

For deeper decision-making, see Golf Solitaire Strategy: How to Win More Games.

Common Golf Solitaire Mistakes

Playing a card just because it is legal

A legal move can still close off a better sequence.

Check what each candidate move will expose before choosing.

Treating every face-up card as playable

All tableau cards are visible, but only the exposed end card of each non-empty column can be moved.

Forgetting which mode you selected

Easy, Medium and Hard do not use the same Ace and King rules.

A sequence that works in Easy may fail in Medium or Hard.

Assuming a Hard-mode King behaves like Medium

In Medium, a Queen can follow a King.

In Hard, once a King becomes the waste card, the run stops.

Expecting to reuse an empty column

Clearing a column is useful because it removes cards from the tableau, but the empty space cannot hold another card.

Drawing too quickly

You are allowed to draw while tableau moves exist, but that does not mean drawing is always the best choice.

Check exposed cards first.

Assuming an empty stock means the hole is over

If the stock is empty but a legal tableau move remains, you can keep playing.

The hole only becomes stuck when tableau cards remain, the stock is empty and no legal move is available.

Expecting a redeal

Golf Solitaire uses one stock pass per hole.

There is no waste recycling.

Golf Solitaire FAQ

Do suits matter in Golf Solitaire?

No.

Only rank matters when deciding whether a tableau card can be played onto the waste.

Can you change direction during a run?

Yes.

You can move up or down by one rank on every play.

For example:

5 → 6 → 5 → 4

is legal if each card is exposed.

Can you draw from the stock when a legal move is available?

Yes.

Drawing is always allowed while stock cards remain.

Whether it is a good idea is a strategy decision.

Can an Ace be played on a King?

Only in Easy.

Easy allows Ace–King wrapping.

Medium and Hard do not.

Can a Queen be played on a King?

Yes in Easy and Medium.

No in Hard.

In Hard, a King ends the run.

Can a King be played on a Queen?

Yes in all three modes.

In Hard, that King becomes terminal, so nothing can be played after it.

Does an Ace end the run in Hard?

No.

An Ace can still be followed by a 2.

Is there a redeal?

No.

There is one stock pass per hole.

What happens when the stock is empty?

You can continue playing any legal exposed tableau cards from the final waste card.

The hole is only stuck when tableau cards remain and no legal move is available.

Can you get a negative score?

Yes.

If you clear the tableau with stock cards unused, those unused cards reduce your score below zero.

Lower scores are better.

What is the difference between 1 Hole and 9 Holes?

A 1 Hole game ends after one deal.

A 9 Holes game plays nine separate deals and adds the nine hole scores together.

Completing all nine holes records the round result even if some individual holes were not cleared.

Play Golf Solitaire

Golf Solitaire rewards short-term pattern recognition, stock discipline and knowing when a legal move is actually useful.

Choose Easy if you want full Ace–King wrapping, Medium if you want no wrap but still want a Queen to follow a King, or Hard if you want Kings to bring runs to an immediate stop.

Then choose between a quick single hole or a full nine-hole round.

Play Golf Solitaire.

How to Play Golf Solitaire

Golf Solitaire is a fast, open-information card game built around one simple idea: play a card that is exactly one rank higher or lower than the card on the waste pile.

That sounds straightforward. The challenge comes from deciding which exposed card to take, when to keep a run going, and when drawing from the stock is worth the cost.

On Solitaire Arcade, Golf Solitaire can be played in Easy, Medium or Hard mode, with either a single hole or a full nine-hole round. The layout and scoring stay the same across difficulties, but the way Aces and Kings connect changes.

If you want to start immediately, you can play Golf Solitaire.

What Is Golf Solitaire?

Golf Solitaire uses one standard 52-card deck.

Thirty-five cards are dealt face-up into seven columns of five cards each. The remaining 17 cards form the stock. The waste pile starts empty.

Your goal is to remove all 35 tableau cards by playing exposed cards onto the waste pile in rank order. Each move must be exactly one rank higher or lower than the current waste card, subject to the Ace and King rules of the mode you selected.

Each deal is treated like a hole of golf. The fewer strokes you finish with, the better your score.

Golf shares some of its rank-chaining feel with Tri Peaks Solitaire, but the board is arranged differently and all 35 Golf tableau cards are visible from the start.

Setup and Which Cards Are Available

The tableau consists of seven vertical columns with five cards in each column.

All 35 tableau cards are face-up, but that does not mean every card can be played immediately.

Only the exposed card at the end of each non-empty column is available. When you remove that card, the next card in the same column becomes exposed.

The remaining 17 cards form the face-down stock.

The waste pile begins empty. Your first action is to draw one card from the stock to start the waste pile. That leaves 16 cards in the stock.

Empty columns stay empty. Unlike some other Solitaire games, you cannot move another card into an empty column or use it as temporary storage.

Legal Moves and Rank Runs

Once the waste pile has a card, you can remove any exposed tableau card that is exactly one rank higher or lower than the waste card.

For example, if the waste shows a 7, you can play an exposed 6 or 8.

Suits and colours do not matter.

After you play a card, that card becomes the new waste card. You can then continue the run from its rank.

You are also free to reverse direction.

For example:

7 → 8 → 7 → 6

is completely legal, provided each card is exposed when it is played.

You cannot move cards between tableau columns, build stacks in the tableau or use empty columns as holding spaces.

The main question is not simply whether a card is legal. It is often which legal card gives you the better next position.

Stock and Waste

The waste pile starts empty, so you must draw from the stock before making your first tableau move.

After that, drawing is optional.

You may draw a stock card even when a legal tableau move is available. The drawn card becomes the new waste card and starts a new opportunity to build a run.

There are no redeals in Golf Solitaire.

Once a stock card has been used, the stock continues forward until it is empty. The waste is not recycled back into the stock.

A buried waste card is not available for normal play. Only the current top waste card determines which tableau cards can be removed.

Running out of stock does not automatically end the hole. If a legal tableau move is still available from the final waste card, you can keep playing.

That can matter at the end of a close hole.

Easy, Medium and Hard Rules

The three difficulty modes use the same layout, stock, scoring and general move rules.

The difference is how Aces and Kings connect.

Easy

Easy allows full Ace–King wrapping.

Aces connect to 2s and Kings.

Kings connect to Queens and Aces.

This means a run can continue through the top and bottom of the rank order.

For example:

Q → K → A → 2

is legal in Easy.

Medium

Medium removes the Ace–King wrap.

Aces connect only to 2s.

Kings connect only to Queens.

You can still play either direction through Queen and King.

For example:

J → Q → K → Q

is legal in Medium.

But:

K → A

is not.

Hard

Hard keeps the no-wrap rule and adds one extra restriction: a King ends the run.

You can play a King onto a Queen, but once the King becomes the waste card, no tableau card can be played onto it.

That means:

Q → K

is legal.

But:

Q → K → Q

is not.

Aces do not automatically end runs in Hard. An Ace can still connect with a 2.

For example:

3 → 2 → A → 2

is legal in all three modes.

If you want a deeper breakdown of every Ace and King transition, see Golf Solitaire Ace and King Rules: Easy, Medium and Hard Explained.

How to Play a Hole Step by Step

1. Choose Easy, Medium or Hard.

2. Choose whether you want to play 1 Hole or 9 Holes.

3. Draw one card from the stock to start the waste pile.

4. Look across the seven exposed tableau cards.

5. Play any exposed card that is one rank higher or lower than the waste, using the Ace and King rules for your selected mode.

6. Continue playing exposed cards for as long as useful moves remain.

7. You can reverse direction at any time when the ranks allow it.

8. If you cannot continue—or decide a stock draw gives you a better chance—draw the next stock card.

9. Keep playing until you clear all 35 tableau cards or reach a position where no moves remain and the stock is empty.

In a nine-hole round, the next hole uses a fresh deal.

Winning, Stalemates and Round Results

You clear a hole by removing all 35 tableau cards.

The stock does not need to be empty.

If tableau cards remain, the stock is empty and there is no legal tableau move available, the hole is stuck.

Drawing the final stock card does not automatically create a loss. You can still continue from that final waste card if an exposed tableau card is legal.

In a one-hole game, clearing the tableau records a win. Failing to clear it records a loss.

A nine-hole round works differently.

The goal of the round is to complete all nine holes and finish with the lowest total score you can. Completing all nine holes records the round as a completed win, even if you did not clear every individual hole.

That distinction matters: clearing a hole and completing a nine-hole round are not the same thing.

Scoring, 1 Hole and 9 Holes

Golf Solitaire uses stroke-style scoring, and lower is better.

If you fail to clear the tableau, each remaining tableau card adds one stroke.

For example, if two tableau cards remain when the hole ends, your score for that hole is +2.

If you clear the tableau, unused stock cards improve your score.

For example, if you clear the tableau with six stock cards still unused, your score is -6.

If you clear the final tableau card after using the entire stock, your score is 0.

That means negative scores are possible and desirable.

In a 1 Hole game, your final score is simply the result of that hole.

In a 9 Holes game, the scores from all nine holes are added together.

A round might include some positive holes and some negative holes. What matters is the final total.

The site tracks 1 Hole and 9 Holes separately, so a strong single-hole score is not compared directly with a full nine-hole round.

Controls on Solitaire Arcade

Golf Solitaire is designed to be played directly from the tableau.

Tap or click an exposed legal card to move it onto the waste pile.

Tap or click the stock when you want to draw a new waste card.

Undo can take back recent tableau moves and stock draws while play is still active.

During a nine-hole round, you can also return from an intermediate result before committing to the next hole. Once you choose Next Hole, that completed hole is committed and the Undo history for it is cleared.

Hint highlights a suggested action and explains why it may be useful. It does not make the move for you and should not be treated as a guarantee of the best possible line.

Pause temporarily stops play.

New starts a new game.

End finishes the current session.

In nine-hole play, the Score Card lets you review the round as you progress.

Basic Golf Solitaire Strategy

The first legal card is not always the best card.

Before you play, look at what each available move will expose next. One legal card may open a continuation. Another may leave you with nowhere to go.

Try to avoid drawing from the stock automatically. A stock card is a limited resource, and once it is used there is no redeal.

Mode also matters. Easy, Medium and Hard do not treat Aces and Kings the same way, so a useful sequence in one mode may stop in another.

For deeper decision-making, see Golf Solitaire Strategy: How to Win More Games.

Common Golf Solitaire Mistakes

Playing a card just because it is legal

A legal move can still close off a better sequence.

Check what each candidate move will expose before choosing.

Treating every face-up card as playable

All tableau cards are visible, but only the exposed end card of each non-empty column can be moved.

Forgetting which mode you selected

Easy, Medium and Hard do not use the same Ace and King rules.

A sequence that works in Easy may fail in Medium or Hard.

Assuming a Hard-mode King behaves like Medium

In Medium, a Queen can follow a King.

In Hard, once a King becomes the waste card, the run stops.

Expecting to reuse an empty column

Clearing a column is useful because it removes cards from the tableau, but the empty space cannot hold another card.

Drawing too quickly

You are allowed to draw while tableau moves exist, but that does not mean drawing is always the best choice.

Check exposed cards first.

Assuming an empty stock means the hole is over

If the stock is empty but a legal tableau move remains, you can keep playing.

The hole only becomes stuck when tableau cards remain, the stock is empty and no legal move is available.

Expecting a redeal

Golf Solitaire uses one stock pass per hole.

There is no waste recycling.

Golf Solitaire FAQ

Do suits matter in Golf Solitaire?

No.

Only rank matters when deciding whether a tableau card can be played onto the waste.

Can you change direction during a run?

Yes.

You can move up or down by one rank on every play.

For example:

5 → 6 → 5 → 4

is legal if each card is exposed.

Can you draw from the stock when a legal move is available?

Yes.

Drawing is always allowed while stock cards remain.

Whether it is a good idea is a strategy decision.

Can an Ace be played on a King?

Only in Easy.

Easy allows Ace–King wrapping.

Medium and Hard do not.

Can a Queen be played on a King?

Yes in Easy and Medium.

No in Hard.

In Hard, a King ends the run.

Can a King be played on a Queen?

Yes in all three modes.

In Hard, that King becomes terminal, so nothing can be played after it.

Does an Ace end the run in Hard?

No.

An Ace can still be followed by a 2.

Is there a redeal?

No.

There is one stock pass per hole.

What happens when the stock is empty?

You can continue playing any legal exposed tableau cards from the final waste card.

The hole is only stuck when tableau cards remain and no legal move is available.

Can you get a negative score?

Yes.

If you clear the tableau with stock cards unused, those unused cards reduce your score below zero.

Lower scores are better.

What is the difference between 1 Hole and 9 Holes?

A 1 Hole game ends after one deal.

A 9 Holes game plays nine separate deals and adds the nine hole scores together.

Completing all nine holes records the round result even if some individual holes were not cleared.

Play Golf Solitaire

Golf Solitaire rewards short-term pattern recognition, stock discipline and knowing when a legal move is actually useful.

Choose Easy if you want full Ace–King wrapping, Medium if you want no wrap but still want a Queen to follow a King, or Hard if you want Kings to bring runs to an immediate stop.

Then choose between a quick single hole or a full nine-hole round.

Play Golf Solitaire.