Golf (Patience)
Encyclopedia
Golf is a Patience
game where players try to earn the lowest number of points (as in golf
, the sport) over the course of nine deals (or "holes" to further use golfing teminology). It has a tableau
of 35 face-up cards and a higher ratio of skill
to luck
than most other solitaire card games.
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Player scores one point for each card remaining in the tableau after the stock has run out. If the tableau is cleared, player scores a negative point for every card left in the stock. Game is nine "holes" (deals) and a score of 45 or lower is considered par, with a score of zero or lower being perfect.
Patience (game)
Patience is a genre of tabletop games, consisting of card games that can be played by a single player. Patience games can also be played in a multiplayer fashion....
game where players try to earn the lowest number of points (as in golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, the sport) over the course of nine deals (or "holes" to further use golfing teminology). It has a tableau
Solitaire terminology
There are a number of terms common to many card games. These are not listed here, but are instead detailed at Glossary of card terms. Being familiar with those terms will help in understanding the terminology here....
of 35 face-up cards and a higher ratio of skill
Skill
A skill is the learned capacity to carry out pre-determined results often with the minimum outlay of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills...
to luck
Luck
Luck or fortuity is good fortune which occurs beyond one's control, without regard to one's will, intention, or desired result. There are at least two senses people usually mean when they use the term, the prescriptive sense and the descriptive sense...
than most other solitaire card games.
Setup
From a standard 52-card pack, deal 3 cards to each player. The dealer then flips a card over. The players take turns picking up a card from the discard pile or from the normal pile for 3 rounds. Whoever has the highest total gets a strike.Play
Rules are as follows:- Only the topmost card in each column (closest to the player) may be removed from the tableau. When it is removed, the card beneath becomes available for play.
- Cards may be moved from the tableau to the foundation if they are either one rank higher or one rank lower than the top card of the foundation, regardless of suit, but nothing may be played on top of a King.
- Cards rank A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 J Q K. There is no "wrapping" (Ace on a King, or King on an Ace) in golf.
- Whenever there are no possible plays, turn cards up one at a time from the stock to the foundation and resume playing cards from the tableau when possible.
- There is no redeal. The game is over when the stock is exhausted and no more moves are available.
Scoring
Impossible win
If a tableau is dealt that would make it impossible for the player to clear all of the cards (if all queens are covered by kings for example), then the cards may be reshuffled and redealt.Variations
Common variations on these rules include:- Queens may be played on top of Kings.
- Turning the corner is permitted so that a King can be played on top of an Ace, and vice versa.
- Multiple decks may be used to create larger tableaus.
- One or both of the Jokers may be added to the deck and used as wild cards that represent any value.