Golf

Game Objective:

The primary goal in Golf Solitaire is to move all cards from the tableau (the seven columns) to the waste pile by building sequences of cards that are one rank higher or lower than the current top card of the waste pile. The game is won if all tableau cards are cleared before the stock is exhausted.

Setup & Layout:

• Deck: Use a standard 52-card deck (no jokers).
• Tableau: Deal 7 columns of 5 cards each, all face up and overlapping so that only the top card of each column is fully visible and available for play.
• Stock: Place the remaining 17 cards face down in a single pile; this is the stock.
• Waste Pile (Foundation): Draw the top card from the stock and place it face up to start the waste pile (sometimes called the foundation or talon).
• Key Play Areas Defined:
• Tableau: The 7 columns of face-up cards.
• Stock: The face-down pile of undealt cards.
• Waste Pile: The single face-up pile where cards are played from the tableau or stock.

Golf Solitaire Rules:

• Card Movement: Only the topmost card of each tableau column may be moved to the waste pile.
• Sequence Building: A tableau card can be moved to the waste pile if it is exactly one rank higher or lower than the current top card of the waste pile, regardless of suit or color.
• Example: If the waste pile shows a 7, you may play either a 6 or an 8 from the tableau.
• No Building Within Tableau: Cards cannot be moved between tableau columns; only to the waste pile.
• Stock Usage: If no moves are possible from the tableau, flip the top card from the stock onto the waste pile and continue play.
• No Redeals: Once the stock is exhausted, no redeal is permitted.
• Ace and King Wrapping: In the standard version, Ace and King are not considered consecutive (no "wrapping" between King and Ace). Some variants allow wrapping for increased flexibility.

Gameplay:

• Begin by moving any eligible tableau card (one rank higher or lower than the waste pile) onto the waste pile.
• Continue moving eligible tableau cards to the waste pile, always using only the topmost card of each column.
• If no tableau cards can be played, flip the next card from the stock onto the waste pile to create a new opportunity.
• Repeat this process until either all tableau cards are cleared (win) or no further moves are possible and the stock is exhausted (loss).
• Only one card at a time may be moved from the tableau to the waste pile.

Winning & Losing Conditions:

• Win Condition: All tableau cards are successfully moved to the waste pile before the stock is depleted.
• Loss Condition: The game ends in a loss if no legal moves remain and the stock is exhausted while cards remain in the tableau.
• Scoring (Optional): In multi-round play, score one point for each card left in the tableau at the end of a round. The goal is to achieve the lowest possible score over nine rounds ("holes").

Special Rules & Edge Cases:

• Empty Columns: There is no mechanism for filling empty tableau columns; once a column is cleared, it remains empty for the rest of the round.
• No Suit or Color Restriction: Rank is the only consideration for legal moves; suit and color are ignored.
• Ace and King Wrapping (Variant Rule): Some versions allow an Ace to be played on a King and vice versa, permitting "round-the-corner" play for increased flexibility. In stricter versions, this is not allowed.
• Impossible Tableaus: If the initial deal creates an impossible tableau (e.g., all Queens covered by Kings), reshuffle and redeal.
• No Redeals: Once the stock is depleted, no cards are reshuffled or redealt during the same round.

This guide provides a precise and complete reference for playing Golf Solitaire according to standard rules and common variants.