Golf Solitaire

Chain cards up or down to clear the fairway — keep the run going and finish under par.

How to play

Golf Solitaire is a fast-paced, chain-building card game where the goal is to clear all seven columns of five cards each. Every card you play must be exactly one rank higher or lower than the current waste-pile top — and those chains can run for a long time if the cards fall right. The stock gives you a safety valve when you get stuck, but use it wisely: once the stock is gone, there's no second chance.

The setup

Seven tableau columns of five face-up cards (35 cards total) are dealt. One card is turned face-up to start the waste pile. The remaining 16 cards form the stock (face-down).

Playing cards onto the waste

Click the top card of any tableau column to play it onto the waste pile. The card must be exactly 1 rank higher or lower than the current waste-top. For example, a 7 can be played on a 6 or an 8. No wrapping: Ace (1) cannot be played on a King, and King cannot be played on an Ace.

Chain runs

Once you start a run — say 5, 6, 7, 8 — you can keep going as long as each next card is ±1. Long chains clear columns quickly and are the key to scoring well.

Drawing from stock

When no tableau top card is ±1 from the waste top, click the stock to flip its top card onto the waste. This new card becomes the new waste top. The stock can only be used once — there is no recycling.

Winning

Empty all seven tableau columns to win. The stock may still have cards remaining — it doesn't matter. Only the tableau needs to be cleared.

Scoring

Your penalty score is the number of cards remaining in the tableau when the game ends. Aim for zero (a win). Lower is better — like golf!