Golf is a short patience game for one player with a standard 52-card pack. The deal lays out seven columns of five open cards — thirty-five in all — turns one card up to start the pile and keeps the other sixteen face down as the stock. The aim is to move every card from the columns to the pile. A deal takes a few minutes, which makes Golf the quick card puzzle of each Toque set — and in every set, the deal is one that a computer solver has cleared before it reached you.
How to play
- Only the bottom card of each column, the one fully in view, can be played.
- A card can go on the pile if its rank is exactly one higher or one lower than the card on top, whatever the suits. A 7 goes on a 6 or an 8.
- There is no wrap: a king takes only a queen, an ace only a two.
- When no card fits, turn the top card of the stock onto the pile. The stock is used once; there is no second pass.
- Clear all seven columns to win. If the stock is empty and no card fits, the deal is lost — but you can undo as far back as you like.
Tap a card to play it, or drag it onto the pile. Tap the stock to turn a card. A hint shows a move that keeps the deal winnable when the solver can see one.
Tips
- Look for the longest run before you move. Runs can go up and down: 5-6-7-6-5-4 is fine. Choosing the branch that keeps going is most of the game.
- Count the cards under each column. A column that hides the card you need later deserves attention early.
- Treat the stock as a resource. There are sixteen stock cards and no redeal. Turn one only when nothing on the table continues the run you want.
- Mind kings and aces. Without wrapping they are dead ends: after a king only a queen can follow. Play them when the next card you need is already in view.
- Use undo to explore. Undo is unlimited, so trying a line and taking it back is part of the game, not cheating.
Questions
Is every deal winnable?
Every Golf deal in a Toque set — today's and each numbered one — was checked by a solver that knew the order of the stock and found a winning line. On this free-play page new deals are taken from solver-checked ones too, unless you switch that setting off in the menu.
Do suits or colours matter?
No. Only the rank counts: one higher or one lower.
Does a queen fit on a king?
It does, and a king fits on a queen as well. Only the step between king and ace is missing.
How long does a deal take?
Usually two to five minutes. A deal has 35 cards on the table and 16 in the stock, and a winning line is typically around fifty moves, many of them quick taps.