Golf Solitaire

Golf solitaire is a free single-player card game you can play online in your browser, with no download and no sign-up. You play one standard 52-card deck, trying to clear all 35 cards on the table by moving each column’s exposed top card onto the foundation when its rank is one higher or one lower. Suit does not matter. Each deal has a number, so the same layout can come back and be shared. Scoring follows golf, so lower is better: a finished deal scores the number of table cards left, from 0 to 35.

The game has no accounts. The game in progress is saved in your browser, and the toolbar lets you switch the King-to-Ace wrap, turn highlights on or off, start a new game, undo, or ask for a hint. You can play by clicking, tapping, or using the keyboard.

How to play golf solitaire online

1. Look at the seven columns of five face-up cards. Only the top card of each column, the lowest exposed card, can be played.
2. Check the foundation card. A column top can be played if its rank is exactly one higher or one lower. Ignore suit.
3. Click or tap a playable column top. You can also press the number key 1 to 7 for that column, counting from the left. Highlights, if on, outline playable tops in blue.
4. If no column top fits, click or tap the stock, or press Space or Enter, to turn the next card onto the foundation.
5. If you are stuck, press H or click Hint. The card to play is highlighted for 5 seconds with a short message.
6. Press U or Ctrl/Cmd+Z to undo any play or stock turn, as many times as you need.
7. You win when all 35 table cards are cleared. If the stock is empty and nothing fits, a “No more moves” message appears.

Use the K–A wrap select to switch between the classic rules and the wrap setting. Restart this deal starts the same number again. N starts a new game, F toggles fullscreen, and Esc closes a message. The address changes to include ?seed= with the deal number, so you can share a deal by copying the link.

How do you play golf solitaire?

Golf solitaire uses 35 cards laid out in seven columns of five face-up cards. One card starts on the foundation, and the remaining 16 cards form a face-down stock. You clear the table by playing column tops onto the foundation one rank up or down at a time.

What are the golf solitaire rules for Aces and Kings?

In the classic setting, an Ace is low only and a King is high only. An Ace can take only a 2, a 2 can take an Ace, and a King can take a Queen. Nothing can be played on a King, not even a Queen, so a King on the foundation is a dead end and you must turn the stock.

What does K–A wrap change in golf solitaire?

Turning on K–A wrap joins the King and Ace in a circle. A King then accepts a Queen or an Ace, and an Ace accepts a 2 or a King. This is the only difference between the two settings, so the rule for every other rank stays the same.

When can you turn the stock in golf solitaire?

You can turn the stock at any time, even when a column top could be played. Each turn puts the next stock card on the foundation. There is no redeal, so the stock gives at most 16 turns for the whole deal.

How is golf solitaire scored?

Your score is the number of table cards left, from 0 to 35, shown as Left. A win scores 0, and the unused stock cards do not count. The lowest score for each wrap setting is kept as Best in your browser.

What are golf solitaire strategy and tips?

Before every stock turn, check all seven column tops, because a turn is only needed when nothing fits. Each stock turn uses one of the 16 available, so count them. In the classic setting, avoid putting a King on the foundation unless you are ready to turn the stock straight away.

Clearing a top card can expose a card underneath, so choose plays that open columns with useful ranks. Undo lets you test an idea and step back if it leads nowhere.

The hint looks only one move ahead and is not a solver. On the example deal #5, the foundation starts at 3♦ with column tops 3♥, 7♦, A♥, 6♣, Q♥, K♦, and J♦. No top is a 2 or a 4, so the first move is to turn the stock. That turns up 10♣, and the J♦ in column 7 can then be played. Following the hint alone on this deal ends with 4 cards left, so look ahead before accepting each hint. No deal is guaranteed to be winnable.

Frequently asked questions

Is golf solitaire free, and do I need to sign up?

Yes, it is free, and there is no sign-up step. The game has no accounts or online leaderboards, and your progress is kept in your browser only.

Can I play golf solitaire on a phone?

Yes. The seven columns fit a 375 px phone screen with no sideways scrolling, and the cards are about 45 px wide. Tap a column top to play it, or tap the stock to turn a card.

Is my golf solitaire game saved?

Yes. The game in progress is saved in your browser after every move, including the full undo history, so a page reload continues the same deal. Nothing is sent to a server. Your best score for each wrap setting is also saved in this browser.

What does the Left score mean in golf solitaire?

Left is the number of table cards you have not cleared when the deal ends. Lower is better, so 0 means you cleared every card. The stock cards that remain are not counted.

What happens when golf solitaire is over?

The game is over when the stock is empty and no column top fits the foundation. A “No more moves” message appears with options to start a new game, restart the deal, undo, or close the message. Undo still works after this message.

Does the same deal number always give the same layout?

Yes. Each deal number gives the same starting layout every time. Changing the K–A wrap setting starts a new deal; to try the other setting on the same layout, open that deal’s ?seed= link again.

Can every golf solitaire deal be won?

No. The game does not guarantee that a deal is winnable. Some deals will end with cards left, and the score records how many.

More games

• Pyramid Solitaire: a solitaire game with cards laid out in a pyramid shape, for a different card challenge.
• Spider Solitaire: a larger solitaire game with more cards, in the same card style as this page.
• Dice Game: a quick game of rolling dice, for a short break from cards.
• Memory Game: a matching game where you find pairs, for practicing recall.
• Minesweeper: a logic puzzle where you clear a grid without hitting hidden mines.
• 2048: a sliding number puzzle where you combine tiles to reach higher numbers.
• TriPeaks Solitaire: clear three peaks of cards one rank higher or lower than the open card.
• Klondike Solitaire: the classic solitaire with seven columns and four Ace-to-King foundations.