How to play
Golf is a solitaire you can read at a glance. All 35 cards on the table are face up from the first second: seven columns, five cards each, slightly overlapped so you can see every rank. Below them sit the stock (16 cards) and the waste pile, which starts with one card already turned over.
Your job is to move the column cards onto the waste pile, one at a time. Only the bottom card of each column (the one fully visible) is available.
What can be played
A column card can go on the waste if its rank is exactly one higher or one lower than the card currently showing there. Suits and colors don’t matter. On a 7 you can play any 6 or any 8; then on that 8 you can play a 7 or a 9, and so on, so a single waste card can start a long chain across several columns.
Two rules keep the chains in check:
- No wrapping. A king and an ace are not neighbors. An ace only takes a 2, and a 2 takes an ace or a 3.
- Kings stop everything. Once a king lands on the waste, no column card can be played on it. Only turning a new card from the stock moves you on.
When you have nothing to play, tap the stock to turn its next card face up onto the waste. The stock goes through once; there is no redeal.
Scoring
Golf is scored the way its name suggests. The counter at the top shows Cards left: it starts at 35 and drops by one with every card you clear. When the stock is empty and no column card fits, the game is over and that number is your score. Clear all 35 and you win outright.
Controls
Tap a column card to play it to the waste, or drag it there. Tap the stock to turn a card. Hint points out a good play, Undo steps back through your moves and stock turns, and New game deals again. The moves count and timer run in the top bar.
Strategy
With every card face up, Golf is mostly a planning puzzle. The deal can still be hopeless, but good sequencing makes a big difference to the final count.
- Map the chain before you start. Look at all seven playable cards and find the longest run you can make, including cards that become free when the one in front of them leaves. A chain of five beats two chains of two.
- Look at the second card, too. Playing a 6 might uncover another 5 or 7 in the same column, which extends the run. Columns that open up useful cards deserve priority.
- Save connecting cards. When there are two ways to continue (a 9 on a 10, or a jack on a 10), pick the branch that keeps the other one for later. A card that can bridge two ranks is your best insurance after the next stock turn.
- Play kings last. A king ends the chain for that turn. Hold it until it’s the only move left, or until clearing it opens a valuable column.
- Count the stock. Sixteen turns have to cover 35 cards. You need runs that average more than two cards per turn to clear the board, so don’t turn the stock while a play is open.
- Watch the aces. An ace can only follow a 2, and only a 2 can follow an ace. If both 2s of a suit pair are still buried, the aces in your columns may get stranded.
How it compares
TriPeaks uses the same “one up or one down” rule, but lets king and ace connect, hides cards face down in three peaks and scores streaks. Golf hides nothing and keeps a single number, which makes it a good test of planning. For something slower, try Scorpion.
If you enjoy Golf Solitaire, try King or Klondike Solitaire next.
