Golf Solitaire (Patience) is a fun and fast-paced game. Check it out today and play online!
Briefly, Here Are The Golf Solitaire Rules
Golf Solitaire (Patience) is a card game you can play online for free. However, before you do that, let's go over the rules:
The Deck
As in most other Solitaire games, you'll be using a standard deck with the jokers removed. This brings the number of cards to 52.
Layout
To create the tableau, or the layout of cards on the playing surface (not including foundations), deal out five columns of seven cards each. Each card should slightly overlap the preceding one. The tableau is your "golf course". Place the leftover cards on a stock pile underneath the tableau.
Gameplay
You're able to play the bottom card of each column. You can remove a card to the discard pile if its rank is one higher or one lower than the current top card. For example, if a five is the top card on the discard pile, you can place either a four or a six on it.
In some variations, you can't "turn the corner" by building a king onto an ace. This means you can only place a king onto a queen and an ace onto a two. However, in most versions, you can count the ace card as having either the lowest numerical value or the highest. This means you can build either a king or a two onto an ace.
Eventually, you might find out that there are no more playable cards in the tableau. The fewer cards left, the greater the likelihood of this happening. If this occurs, take a card from the stock pile, which becomes the new base card for the foundation.
How To Win
The game's object is to move all the cards from the tableau to the discard pile (to the right of the stock pile). If you can't remove any more cards, count this as a loss.
Odds of Winning
Winning at Golf Solitaire requires some luck in addition to some strategic playing. Suppose you stick to the old rule of not allowing wraparound play. In that case, most experts say the odds of winning are approximately 2% of all games played. A good per-hole par score is four. Even good players win less than 10% of the time.
If you allow wraparound play, the odds increase to 25%. However, if you develop your strategic expertise, you might boost these odds. For more on how to play Golf Solitaire (Patience) including the complete rules, read our comprehensive guide.
If you're in the mood for another type of game, you might want to check out the online version of the Clock Solitaire card game or play Tri Peaks Solitaire card game online.
Other Stuff About Golf Solitaire
Solitaire card games are incredibly popular and are played in every corner of the planet. Hundreds of variants of the basic game exist. Solitaire has even managed to change the educational landscape. That's because the arrangement of the periodic table was inspired by the layout of this game. There are even people who play the game at a professional level, training all year long to participate in massive international tournaments!
One of the simplest and most exciting variants is Golf Solitaire. Because of its simplicity, you'll be able to quickly pick up the game rules. That way, you won't have to waste any time before experiencing the blissful enjoyment the game is known to induce in players.
Golf Solitaire is a fast-paced game that requires the ability to think strategically. It's immensely satisfying when you win a game, which is what makes it so fun. If you can get in the zone, you might amaze yourself with some impressive wins.
Golf Solitaire is one of the oldest forms of Solitaire. In fact, it appears in a 1905 book, "Games of Patience" by Tarbart. Originally, Golf Solitaire was called "One Foundation". That's because the game's object is to play all the cards to a single pile.
However, since most deals end up with leftover cards in the tableau, someone decided to keep score by how many cards are left in the columns on each deal. This was when it got its present-day name of "Golf Solitaire".
While Golf Solitaire takes its inspiration from golf, invented in Scotland in the 15th century, the analogy only holds true when you're competing with others in a game of "Simultaneous Solitaire". If you do this, you'll play a certain number of rounds, trying to get the lowest possible score.
Golf Solitaire Variations
There are tons of variants that use the same gameplay style as Golf Solitaire but have a different starting layout. The more well-known variations include TriPeaks, Black Hole, and Pyramid Golf. However, you can always invent your own arrangements. If you want to make larger tableaus, use more than one deck.
Donald Sapsford included a Golf Solitaire variant in his 1970 book, "Card Tricks and Patience", called Six-Six Patience. This version has six columns of six cards with wraparound discards.
There are variants where all the cards are dealt face down. However, this detracts from the ability to play strategically. Another variant you might want to consider is to fill empty columns with the top card from another column. This is one of the rules of "Aces Up", another Solitaire game.
Benefits of Playing Golf Solitaire
These days, anxiety is an unfortunate byproduct of our fast-paced society. A fantastic way to reduce some of that stress is by playing Golf Solitaire. By enjoying a game or two in your downtime, you'll be able to unwind from the myriad pressures of the day.
The game creates a calm meditative state that can go a long way towards dissolving residual tension. When this happens, you have more mental clarity, which can help boost your decision-making ability.
Golf Solitaire is a terrific way to get some alone time. Its utter simplicity combined with the enjoyable mental stimulation it offers allows players to disconnect from the world and its attendant problems - even if only momentarily.
