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Table of Contents
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[INTRO] Introduction
[MODES] Modes of Play
[CONTR] Controls/General Tips and Strategies
[CHARC] Character Guide
[COURS] Course Guides
[RINGS] Ring Shot Strategies
[CAMEO] Tournament Cameos
[RECRD] Vinny's Records
[VERSN] Version History
[COPYR] Copyright
[CONTC] Contact Information
Navigation tip: Press Ctrl and F to bring down a search bar. Then type in the
name of the section you're looking for - like [RINGS] for the Ring Shot mode
strategies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Introduction [INTRO]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vinny's back! It's been a little while since I finished my last guide; days of
tropical storms with 12+ inches of rain often slow down the walkthrough-writing
process. If you've been following my guide-writing career, you know that most
VinnyVideo guides are for games - often obscure - that don't have any guides
written for them. There are several Mario Golf guides already. However, I'm a
real Mario Golf expert, and it's always been one of my favorite games.
Mario Golf suffers a little bit from the ultra-cutesiness that plagued Nintendo
games around this time (that means you, Tiny Kong!), but it's actually
enjoyable for everyone and is even fairly realistic. The graphics are pretty
good for a 1999 N64 game, although they can be blocky at times, and slowdown is
occasionally a problem (even on a real Nintendo 64). The music is excellent.
It's not CD-quality, of course, but the tunes seem just right for each setting.
The Boo Valley tournament music is especially great. The sound effects, many of
which were used in Super Mario 64, are highly compressed but work pretty well.
Some may find the announcer excessively perky. Mario Golf has good play
control. The ease of play makes up for any lack of realism in the swing
control. It's a little like it was in the old NES Open Tournament Golf, but
much less cumbersome. It doesn't take long to get playing, but the later
tournaments and Ring Shot holes are very challenging - though not outrageously
so. Replay value is pretty good, too, since you can always compete against a
friend or try to beat your previous scores. It would've been nice to be able to
change tee positions and pin placements, like in the Tiger Woods PGA Tour
games. Some familiar (and obscure) names appear on the tournament leaderboards
- something I discuss later in the guide. The only really bad thing is Baby
Mario. This is the first game that has him appearing at the same time as big
Mario. While it was kind of funny (in a paradoxical way) the first time, it got
old quickly. I don't know why they waited until Mario Tennis to bring back
Birdo. For that matter, I would've rather seen Toad, Koopa, Daisy, Bowser Jr.,
the Koopalings, or even Link instead of Baby Mario. Anyway, that's enough
reviewing. On to the walkthrough!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Modes of Play [MODES]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This section includes a listing of every game mode you can play, in addition to
tips that apply exclusively to that game.
---1-Player Games---
These games involve just one human player.
Tournament lets you play a tournament at any course you've unlocked. This is
similar to Stroke play, except you're competing against 29 computer players,
whose scores are recorded on the leaderboard. These characters tend to start
well but falter down the stretch, especially in the earlier tournaments. You
might recognize their names from Mario, Zelda, and Star Fox games (more on that
later). If you finish the tournament in the top three, you'll earn a massive
number of Course Points and a trophy. Also, you'll win a Birdie Badge the first
time you score a birdie or higher at a hole in a tournament. Something good
will happen if you collect a lot of them. Any character can easily win the Toad
Tournament. It helps to use Yoshi (or preferably someone stronger) for
tournaments 2 and 3. By the fourth event, you'll want someone like Sonny who
can hit the ball 250 yards. Maple is a good choice for the Boo Clasic. Use
Metal Mario for the sixth tournament if possible.
Get Character puts you in match play against a computer player. If you beat a
character who's silhouetted on the player selection screen, you'll be able to
use him for one-player play. The computer, especially Wario, will play near
perfection for the first few holes, but later in the round it will begin to
make mistakes. This mode is another good way to earn Course Points.
If you like to a challenge, Ring Shot mode is for you. Each course has six
Ring Shot holes you can attempt, all based on regular holes but with the
addition of rings. In order to complete the challenge and earn a Star, you must
hit through every ring AND shoot par or better. Not surprisingly, this mode is
tough. Detailed strategies for each hole are discussed in the Ring Shot
Strategies section of this guide. After a completed Ring Shot challenge, you'll
have the option of saving a replay of the hole in one of five slots. You don't
earn Course Points for completing Ring Shot holes, but you can unlock a new
character if you complete enough of them - besides the bragging rights.
In Speed Golf, the goal is to complete a round of golf as quickly as possible.
This is fun and innovative, although playing this mode too much can cause
inexperienced players to develop bad habits. Don't play too quickly; getting
the ball out of bunkers takes a lot longer than spending five seconds to make
sure your shot is lined up properly. Notice how the music is a remix of the
Luigi Raceway theme from Mario Kart 64. If only they could make the guys on the
PGA Tour play this way sometimes...
Stroke is a standard 18-hole round of golf. You can play at any course you've
unlocked, but you won't earn a lot of Course Points when you finish, regardless
of your score.
Mini-Golf lets you play a Stroke game at one of the game's two miniature golf
courses. This is radically different from standard golf. You'll be rebounding
the ball off walls in creative ways to reach the hole. Taking Geometry (and
staying awake during class) might help. Using the "Course View" feature on the
pause menu helps tremendously. I don't include a walkthrough for the Mini-Golf
courses because doing so would require the use of a protractor and stuff like
that. Do you really want me to tell you to aim your putt at a 76.2 degree angle
at medium speed and 62% power? Also, after selecting Mini-Golf on the mode
selection screen, you can press Up or Down to choose between Fast, Slow, or
Medium greens.
Training is a practice mode where you can practice at any hole at any available
course in the game, including the mini-golf courses and the driving range.
Press START to adjust various factors, including lie, weather, and wind speed
and direction.
---2-Player Games---
Note that all players unlocked in Get Character mode (except Bowser) are always
available for two-player game. Also keep in mind that since golf alternates,
you can play multi-player games even with just one controller. There are a few
features available exclusively in multi-player games. After you select your
mode, the Course Select screen appears. Press C-Up to set bets (or C-Left,
Right, or Down to choose the number of holes you want to play), which help make
the game fun and competitive for players of differing skill levels. Too bad you
don't earn any real money for the bets!
Stroke is the same as single-player modes, except there are multiple players
participating.
Match is standard match play. It's the multi-player form of Get Character mode.
Skins Match is like the Skins Game that's played on Thanksgiving Day. The
player with the best score on each hole wins a "skin." If the hole ends in a
tie, the skin carries over to the next hole, where two skins will be at stake.
This continues and accrues until a hole is won. At the end, the winner is the
player who has the most skins.
Club shots is probably my favorite multi-player game. This is just like a
standard stroke game, except a slot machine appears at the beginning of each
hole. For the next hole, you can only use the clubs that appear on the slots!
You definitely don't want a star to appear, since that means you won't have
anything for that selection, although three stars will allow you to use ALL
clubs (two stars will never appear). The first column has woods, the second
is for long irons, and the third determines short irons and wedges. You'll
always have a putter.
Mini-Golf is just like it is in one-player games.
---3- and 4-Player Games---
The same as two-player games, except there's no match play option.
---Continue---
A lot of games can take a while to play, so you have the option of saving it
and resuming play at a later time. You can also use this as a way to restart
holes that aren't going well (the Mulligan Glitch is discussed later in the
guide). I feel obliged to remind you that when you resume a saved game, the
game save is deleted until you save and quit again; if you lose electricity,
turn off the game, etc., you'll have to start that game over. Also, you can't
save a game when the Transfer Pak is connected, although existing saved games
aren't deleted when the Transfer Pak is in use.
---Transmit---
This appears in place of "Continue" if a Transfer Pak is attached. You can copy
a player from a GBC Mario Golf game to use in the N64 game or send your N64
stats to the GBC game. Additionally, if any of your GBC players earn experience
points, you can upload those to your GBC player.
---Clubhouse---
Options and miscellaneous stuff.
Status shows statistics for each mode.
How to Play provides tips on the basics of the game, most of which are
discussed in this guide.
Code Entry lets you access three special tournaments if you enter a special
code. To make "Code Entry" appear under the Clubhouse menu, hold L and R (or Z
and R) and select "Clubhouse." Then enter one of the following codes:
CODE TOURNAMENT CHARACTER COURSE
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0EQ561G2 Camp Hyrule Cup DK Koopa Park
5VW689O6 Camp Hyrule Cup 2 Plum Toad Highlands
KPXWN9N3 NP Mario Cup Your choice Koopa Park
The first code has a zero; the second doesn't. Camp Hyrule is the international
name for Hyrule Castle Town from Zelda 64, and NP stands for Nintendo Power. It
should be noted that the courses indicated right after you enter the passwords
are wrong. All of these tournaments are standard stroke games (no leaderboard,
etc.), but at the end you'll receive a password depending on how you performed.
This password was used for old Nintendo contests. You can't save your game
during any of these (I suppose to prevent the use of the Mulligan Glitch).
Options lets you turn the sound off, erase game data, and do boring stuff like
that. Rarely used.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Controls/General Tips and Strategies [CONTR]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First of all, I'm assuming you know a little about the rules and basics of
golf. When you're just learning to play, select a straight hitter like Peach.
Try using Training mode at the Driving Range or the first hole at Toad
Highlands.
---What's on the Screen---
On the upper-left corner:
* The current hole, indicated by the flag
* The par for the hole, and the estimated yardage for it
* The number of yards left to the pin
* The difference between the elevation of the ball's spot and the pin
On the upper-right corner:
* The Boo, who indicates wind direction and wind speed
* Your character and the current number of strokes taken on that hole
On the bottom-left corner:
* The shot type (Normal, Power, or Approach, or for putts, Short, Middle, or
Long)
* The current club selection
* The estimated number of yards your club will hit the ball under optimal
conditions
On the bottom-right corner:
* The ball's impact point (change by holding L/Z and the Control Pad)
* The current lie
* A number; the estimated percentage of the club's distance you'll achieve
---Controls---
Control Pad/Stick Up/Down: Select club
Control Pad/Stick Left/Right: Aim shot
A: Start swing
B: Choose between normal, power, and approach shots (not all are always
available) or between short, middle, and long putt speeds; view a replay of
your last shot
C buttons: Change camera angle
R: Zoom out to the wireframe (projected landing spot)/end zoom
Z+R: View overhead view of the course (same as Course View option)
Control Stick (while swing is in progress): Hold to change ball spin
L/Z + Control Pad: Hold to change ball spin
START: View pause menu, or if shot is in progress, hold to hide indicators
and meters
---Pause Menu---
From the pause screen, you can check the Course View (an overhead view of the
hole; use the C buttons to navigate), Scorecard (use the Control Stick to
scroll through different tabs), Grid Color (not very useful), Controls (a
reminder), Give Up (which ends your hole with a score of three times par - not
recommended outside of match play), or Save and Quit. A few more options are
available in training mode that let you modify various conditions.
---Taking a Shot---
When you're ready to take a shot, first select your club. Scroll through using
Up and Down on the Control Pad or Control Stick, and take note of the distance
marked by each club, which indicates approximately how far each club will hit
the ball if you make a Nice Shot. Remember that many factors affect the
distance your ball travels, particularly wind, lie, and changes in elevation.
On most Par 4's and 5's, you'll select the 1-Wood (the driver) for your tee
shot. Press B if you want to make a Power Shot. These will go farther than
regular shots, but they can be harder to control, and you're only allotted six
per round in most modes. Your power shot limit will not drop if you make a
"Nice Shot," however. Press B again to change back to a normal shot. In a few
places, you can press B to switch between a normal shot and an approach shot,
but that'll be discussed later on.
Next use left or right on the to move the aiming sight and line up your shot.
Try to hit the ball into the bright green striped grass (the fairway), where
the ball will be easier to hit from than the rough (the darker grass). Also
keep the ball away from bunkers, water hazards, trees, and any out-of-bounds
areas (indicated when "OB" appears over the target area).
Now you're ready to take a shot. Press A to begin your swing. When the marker
reaches the left edge, press A. Then press A again when the mark reaches the
white bar. You'll now make your swing, and if you did it just right, "Nice
Shot" will appear on the screen. I talk about some special shots in the
Sections to come. Also, if you begin a swing when you're not ready, just don't
press any buttons. You'll hear a funny sound and your swing will end without
penalty. However, if you press A a second time, you can't cancel your swing,
and if you don't press A for a third time when the marker approaches the
bracketed area, you'll whiff or duff the ball. Harder-hitting players have
smaller contact areas on the right hitting marker, giving them less margin for
error.
---Approach Shots---
When you're too far from the green to putt but too close for a regular shot,
make an approach shot! Suppose you're 30 yards from the pin. Press B to change
from Normal hitting mode to Approach mode and choose a club - say, a 9-iron.
This would normally hit the ball 60 yards - which is twice as far as we want.
After you press A to start the power meter, press A again about halfway up the
bar, and then press A again when it reaches the white mark. Your shot will go
about half as far as normal and should land near the hole.
Fig. 1
[] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | [] | | | | | |
^ ^
In practice, it's usually best to hit your approaches about 10% harder than the
meter indicates. In approach mode, every club will theoretically hit the ball a
maximum of 60 yards. Use a sand wedge for your approach shot if there's a lot
of rough between you and the green or if you're hitting uphill. You may prefer
to use an iron (or even a wood) on longer shots if you're hitting over fairway,
especially if the wind is strong and the terrain isn't strongly undulated.
This strategy of under-hitting can occasionally be used even when you're not
shooting for the green. Also, you don't have to stop at the 50% mark; for
example, stop at 20% and the ball will travel about 20% of its expected
distance.
---Bunkers---
First of all: Don't use a driver in a bunker. If your ball lands in a fairway
bunker, your next course of action depends on how deep it's submerged. If it's
in real deep (40-60), it's often best to use a sand wedge to extricate the
ball, sacrificing a shot to return to the fairway. If the ball isn't buried in
the sand, you can usually use an iron shot to hit it out. Don't club up so much
you have no margin of error on your shot, though. Most bunkers, however, are in
the vicinity of greens. If you hit into a greenside bunker, select a wedge and
use the approach strategy, but aim about 25% farther than normal, and more than
that if the ball is buried in the sand.
---Course Points and Experience Points---
When you first turn your game on, only one regular course - Toad Highlands -
will be available for play (besides the Mini-Golf courses and Driving Range).
However, Mario Golf has a total of six courses (again not counting the mini-
golf holes and driving range). To unlock more courses, you have to accumulate
Course Points. Course Points are Experience Points multiplied by the course
bonus (higher for harder courses), although you can also earn Course Points
for winning trophies in tournaments. You earn Experience Points for making good
shots and scoring under par on holes (especially in Tournament and Get
Character modes). Experience Points can only be transferred to the GBC game
when they're collected by GBC players and you've unlocked all the courses in
the game. If you want to unlock all the courses quickly, just keep winning in
Tournament mode. To accumulate Experience Points for players imported from the
GBC Mario Golf, it's best to score well at the harder tournaments.
Here's the number of Course Points you need to unlock each course:
Toad Highlands - 0
Koopa Park - 50
Shy Guy Desert - 300
Yoshi's Island - 1000
Boo Valley - 1500
Mario's Star - 2200
---Fades and Draws---
Most characters in this game (as well as the average Joe Duffer) tend to hit a
draw or fade. Assuming a right-handed golfer, a draw (more common among real-
life golfers) is a tendency to slice the ball, making it curve from right to
left. A fade is the opposite: a left-to-right curve (that is, a hook). If you
hit a "Nice Shot," your ball will typically land smack dab in the middle of the
target area, assuming there's no elevation change or wind. However, if your
shot isn't executed perfectly, it may fly off wildly. Also keep this in mind:
Assuming a right-handed draw player, an incline will often cause your shot to
stay to the right (it won't have as much time to curl back left). On a downhill
shot, however, your ball will stay in the air for a longer period of time and
will curl back to the left. Also remember that natural fades and draws mostly
affect drives, especially 1-wood power shots, and have no real impact on short
irons. For this reason, you might want to use a 3-wood off the tee on some
holes when using a draw or fade hitter. Lastly, I recommend that beginning
players stick with a character who doesn't have a draw or fade tendency (such
as Yoshi or Peach) until they're more experienced.
---Leaning Shots---
Sometimes, you'll hit the ball onto an uneven surface. When this happens, your
character will have to take the next shot from a leaning position. Watch the
white trajectory line and adjust your aim accordingly.
---Lies: Good and Bad---
The condition of the surface you're hitting from will have a significant impact
on the way you can play your next shot. When you hit the ball into light rough,
you should club up once, and twice or more in deep rough. It's usually hard to
hit a wood from the rough, although you can get away with doing so in semi-
rough. Always heed the number shown on the bottom-right corner of the screen
(below the lie and impact zone indicators). This shows the percentage of your
club's optimal distance you can expect to get based on that lie (ignoring other
factors like wind, elevation, and weather). For example, if the lie is Semi-
Rough (90-98%), and your club will hit the ball 160 yards under ideal
conditions, you can expect your shot to travel somewhere between 144 and 157
yards. That's why it's wise to club up one notch in a lie of semi-rough.
Not only do bad lies reduce the distance you can hit the ball, they also reduce
your margin of error and increase your chance of duffing or whiffing. Unless
you're using save states, I strongly recommend against attempting any shot
where perfection is necessary to get off an accurate shot (for example, if
Yoshi tries a 5-iron from a deep bunker lie).
Here's a list of all the lies in the game:
On Tee 98-100
On Green 100-100
Green Edge 98-100
Fairway/Best 98-100
Fairway/Normal 94-98
Fairway/Divot 90-94
Semi Rough 90-98
Rough 80-90
Rough-2 70-85
Deep Rough 50-80
Bunker/Light 70-85
Bunker 50-70
Bunker/Buried 40-60
Waste Area 50-80
Rock 80-90
Tee Ground 98-100
Bare Ground 80-90
Water Hazard N/A
Out of Bounds N/A
You will never hit onto a cart path or mulched area (in contrast to real
golf).
---Mulligan Glitch---
There's a glitch in Mario Golf that lets you start a hole all over again
without penalty. Let's say you've just hit the ball out of bounds on your tee
shot. Press START, select Save and Quit, and pick an empty save slot (or
overwrite an existing game in progress that you don't care about). Then from
the opening screen, select "Continue" and then that save slot. Your game will
be restored, but you'll now be at the beginning of that hole with no strokes
taken! It's almost impossible to get all the Birdie Badges without taking
advantage of the Mulligan Glitch. By the way, while I call this a glitch, the
mulligan trick was first posted on Nintendo's official Mario Golf site
(although many players, including myself, found it independently) and may have
been designed into the game.
---Power Shots---
If you press B, you can toggle between a "Normal" and a "Power" shot. A power
shot goes farther than a normal shot, but unless you make a "Nice Shot," you'll
lose one of your allotted power shots. Be generous with power shots; while
you're allowed six per round (or one per hole in Ring Shot mode), you're
unlikely to use them all up. Good use of power shots is especially important
for weak hitters like Plum, Peach, or Yoshi. Keep in mind that power shots
augment a character's draw or fade, if there is one. They will also reduce your
margin for error on the right-hand swing marker. While power shots are normally
used for drives on Par-5's (and some Par-4's), you can use them in a few other
situations; for example, when you need extra loft and power to clear a tree. It
should also be noted that special effects will appear if some characters, like
Yoshi and Wario, make "Nice Shots" when using a power shot.
---Putting---
To putt, press A to start the marker, and press A again when you've reached the
desired power level. There's not much I can say here - practice is the main
thing that will make you putt better. Remember that if it's raining, you'll
need to put about 20% more power on your putt. Also check to see the elevation
of the hole compared to the ball. If you're hitting uphill, you'll need to give
the ball some added oomph. Always take a close look at the putting grid; red
areas are uphill, and blue lines are declines. It's usually best to putt the
ball a little harder than the meter indicates; for example, on a 15-foot putt,
hit to the 65% marker instead of the 50% mark (assuming you're in short putt
mode). Never putt too hard, or the ball will skip over the hole. 28-foot putts
are the hardest, since they're usually too long for short mode and too short to
reach accurately in middle mode. For those, stop the bar about two notches past
the 25% power mark. It's possible (and sometimes useful) to putt from the
fairway or even light rough onto the green, since short approaches can be
pretty tough. Doing so often requires you to put a little more power on your
ball, but you can get away with a slightly harder putt since the flag will
still be in place when you're putting from off the green. You almost always
want to putt when you're on the Green Edge. Finally, even if you'd like to, you
can't use anything other than a putter when you're on the green.
---Spin---
While you're making your shot, hold Down on the Control Stick if you want a
ball with low trajectory (topspin), or hold Down if you want high trajectory,
which results in a high shot that doesn't roll a lot. Alternatively, you can
use the Control Pad instead of the Control Stick if you hold down L or Z, and
if you use this method, you don't have to begin the swing first. Topspin can
increase distance on drives, while backspin often assists in clearing trees,
hills, and other obstacles. Sometimes, it's advantageous to hit a shot that
curves to the left or right. You can achieve sidespin by holding Left or Right.
Also remember you can even use a combination of sidespin and backspin or
topspin (for example, by holding Up and Left for a low shot that curves to the
right).
---Taunting and Cheering---
In multi-player games that use multiple controllers, you can press various
buttons to cheer or jeer your opponents. These apply for all characters,
although some characters might say these in a slightly different way, and
they'll certainly sound a little different for Yoshi, Donkey Kong, and Bowser.
Luigi's fore is especially great.
Control Pad C-Buttons
Up "Nice shot!" "Hurry up!"
Right "Wonderful!" (Groan)
Down "FOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE!" "All right!"
Left Doesn't do anything "Oh no!"
---Tournament Benchmarks---
In tournaments, the best computer player will also shoot about the same score
(with a variation of about one stroke) every time. Here's a list of scores
you'll need to make in order to win each tournament:
Toad Tournament: Even, +1
Koopa Cup: -1, Even
Shy-Guy International: -3, -2
Yoshi Championship: -5, -4
Boo Clasic: -7, -6
Mario Open: -9, -8, -7
---The Transfer Pak---
You might be wondering: How do I access the bottom four slots on the player
select screen? To do so, you need a device called the Transfer Pak and a copy
of the Game Boy Color version of Mario Golf. I'm sure you could buy a Transfer
Pak on eBay (often packaged with the Pokemon Stadium title), but you can also
use certain input plugins for emulators to do this without a real Transfer Pak.
When you start the Nintendo 64 game with the Transfer Pak inserted in your
controller, a special screen will appear. You can then copy any of your three
saved GBC players to those bottom slots and use them in any mode, although you
can't play against them in Get Character mode. Their drive distance will be a
little longer in the N64 version than on the GBC, but otherwise their
attributes will be about as they are in the GBC games. You can optimize your
characters' usefulness in the N64 game if you focus on powering up their
Distance and Accuracy ratings. These characters can only be used when the
Transfer Pak is attached; you'll have to copy them back to N64 game if you turn
the game off. Also, since the GBC Mario Golf has only three save slots while
the N64 game has four, you'll either need to have two copies of the GBC Game
Pak or to delete an existing GBC save file and begin a new one with a different
character in order to fill up all four of the bottom spaces of the Player
Select screen in the N64 game (emulation is far easier). I believe that games
of different regions are compatible (for example, a U.S. N64 game with a
European GBC Mario Golf), but to be safe it's best to make sure both games were
made for the same region. It should be noted that the female redheaded player
(the default name is Azalea) looks a lot like Daisy. The default character
names are Kid, Joe, Sherry, and Azalea, but they'll keep the names you gave
them on the GBC when playing on the N64.
---Trees and Tall Vertical Objects---
If your ball lands near a tree or other obstruction, use high trajectory to
flip the ball over it, or sidespin to curl the ball around the obstacle.
Sometimes using a power shot helps so you can achieve more loft by clubbing
down. Another method is using a 3-wood with topspin to hit the ball under the
obstacle, although this may require you to hit the ball at less than 100%
power. In a few situations, you can simply use a long putt to move the ball to
a more favorable location. Remember: If your line of trajectory turns red, your
shot is likely to hit an object, causing all kinds of unpredictable (almost
always bad) things to happen.
---Water/OB---
Whatever you do, don't hit the ball out of bounds or into the water. If you hit
out of bounds on your tee shot, it'll cost you two strokes and you still will
not have gone anywhere. If you hit OB any other time or go in the water, you'll
face a one-stroke penalty and have to take a drop - usually resulting in a lie
of deep rough. Remember that a few unexpected places are OB - most notably, the
areas around the pyramids in Shy-Guy Desert and Bowser's "mouth" at the ninth
hole at Mario's Star.
---Wind---
If there's a headwind, you might want to club up or use topspin. If the wind is
at your back, it's often advantageous to club down once. If there's a
crosswind, either change the aim of your club or apply a sidespin to counteract
the effects of the gusts. The wind is often at an angle, so you may have to
combine the tailwind/headwind and crosswind strategies. Lastly, remember that
woods are affected less by wind than wedges, and putts aren't affected at all.
---Other Tips and Notes---
<>If you don't understand some of the terminology used in the game, get the
Game Boy Color version of Mario Golf, too; it has a good glossary.
<>Always check the elevation of your target area! Remember that hitting
downhill will increase the distance you can hit the ball, especially for woods,
while hitting uphill will decrease distance, especially for woods.
<>Remember that rain slows down fairways as well as greens.
<>The longer a club can hit the ball, the less it will be affected by wind.
Using topspin will also minimize the wind's impact.
<>You can't choose the clubs in your bag. You won't find a 5-wood, 7-wood, 1-
iron, or approach wedge, for example.
<>The hole distance doesn't always match the "Rest" measurement on the screen.
The "rest" number is calculated "as the crow flies," while the distance you see
before each hole is the estimated yards you'll hit to reach the hole. Most
holes are not completely straight.
<>If you beat Bowser in Get Character mode, unlock the Mario's Star course, win
the Mario's Star tournament, or complete all the Ring Shot holes, you'll get to
watch the ending.
<>The ending shows the GBC characters, even if you can't access them.
<>One more tip for importing players from the GBC Mario Golf: If your character
has obtained a special club from the Club Maker's Hut, it's best to focus on
improving Distance if you picked the Control Club. If you got the Power Club
like I did, you should work on keeping your draw or fade in line.
<>Every course (besides the Mini-Golf courses) in this game is a par-72 and has
four Par-3's and four Par-5's.
<>I've gotten only one albatross (or double eagle, or Albatoss to Super Mario
Bros. 2 fans) in my Mario Golf career and only two holes-in-one.
<>The opponents in tournament mode will never shoot worst than somewhere
between +14 and +18. I'm impressed that fairies, eyeballs, fireballs, and
scarecrows could shoot in the 70's and 80's.
<>If you tie for first place in a tournament, you'll be awarded a gold trophy
and first-place points. There won't be a playoff.
<>The best opponents in tournaments are usually the players who start latest.
<>On a real course, one or more of the other holes on the course will usually
be visible from a hole, but not in Mario Golf.
<>You hear applause whenever your ball lands on a green or fairway, even though
you can't see any spectators who could produce sounds. Maybe they're hiding in
the woods like Toad.
<>Also, you never see your character carrying his or her golf bag, but you also
never see a caddie.
<>If you complete a putt using "Fast" putt speed, a Goomba pops out of the
hole! This is hard to do, but I have done it. If you complete a medium putt, a
Monty Mole appears - an event that's much more common. Also, if you hit the
pin, the words "Pin Shot!" appear on the screen and Ukkiki (the Super Mario 64
monkey) will slide down the pole.
<>If you hit the ball into a water hazard (and you surely will eventually), a
Cheep-Cheep will jump out of the water. Two different kinds of Cheep-Cheeps
might appear (I think one is a Blurp from Super Mario World).
<>The game's engine and mechanics are similar to all the other Mario Golf games
for the NES, Game Boy Color, GameCube, and Game Boy Advance.
<>It sounds like Mario whistles the opening notes of the Minuet of Forest from
Zelda 64 when he pars.
<>This is the only Mario sports game where Mario is not available for play at
the start of the game and must be unlocked.
<>In multiplayer games, different players can select the same character. Doing
so will change that character's appearance. For example, one of Bowsers is
green (like on the old cartoons), and there's an African-American Sonny. Also,
one Mario looks like Fiery Mario, and one of the Peach clones resembles Daisy.
<>You can also change a character's appearance by holding a C button while
selecting that player on the selection screen.
<>Hold the L or Z buttons while selecting a character to make him or her a
left-hander. This won't work for characters unlocked using the Transfer Pak,
though.
<>There are three in-game misspellings: One tournament is called the Boo Clasic
(not Classic), one of the tournament filler players is known as Rutooo instead
of the intended Ruto, and another is Inpa instead of Impa. I spell their names
as they're listed in the game.
<>Klepto (the buzzard in World 8) is the most well-known Super Mario 64 enemy
not to appear as a tournament cameo. I feel MIPS (the bunny) should also have
appeared.
<>All seven Koopalings make cameo appearances except for Iggy and Roy. I don't
know why they left them out. If you don't know who the Koopalings are, they
were the bosses in Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World, and they also
frequented the Software Toolworks' "edutainment" titles in 1993 and 1994.
<>Pauline appears (in tournament cameos) for the only time since the original
Donkey Kong. Also, the Koopalings (except Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and
indirectly Super Mario Sunshine), make their only appearances in a Mario game
after the edutainment era.
<>Mark is the only filler character from NES Open Tournament Golf, the first
Mario golf game, to appear in the N64 game.
<>Other than the carpenters, Ganondorf is the only character in Zelda 64 who
had a name that doesn't appear as one of the tournament filler players. Fado's
name is not actually mentioned in the game text, and characters like Anju and
Guru-Guru didn't have a name until Majora's Mask.
<>I think Kirby and Pikachu deserved a tournament cameo, too.
<>The message "Got 'em!", which appears whenever you unlock a new character,
might be a reference to the Pokemon series.
<>For the obsessive among us, I don't think anything special happens if you
beat every Ring Shot challenge using every player.
<>As far as I know, no holes that appeared in NES Open Tournament Golf are
"remixed" for use in Mario Golf. All 108 holes are new and unique.
<>Most importantly, experience will make you a better player. Some things,
especially putting, are difficult to explain, but practice will help a lot (as
will the Mulligan Glitch). Also, if you're playing on an emulator, save states
work wonders, as does slowing down the game speed during the swing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Character Guides [CHARC]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Name Shot Type Trajectory Drive Dist. Unlock?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Plum Straight ----|---- 208y Available at start
Charlie Fade ---||---- 210y Available at start
Peach Straight ----|---- 212y Available at start
Baby Mario Draw ----||--- 215y Available at start
Luigi Fade --|||---- 220y Character Match #1
Yoshi Straight ----|---- 230y Character Match #2
Sonny Draw ----|||-- 240y Character Match #3
Wario Fade -||||---- 250y Character Match #4
Harry Draw ----|||-- 260y Character Match #5
Mario Draw ----||||- 270y Character Match #6
Maple Straight ----|---- 245y Earn 50 Birdie Badges
Donkey Kong Fade -||||---- 275y Complete 30 Ring Shot games
Bowser Draw ----||||- 280y Character Match #7
Metal Mario Draw ----||||- 285y Earn all 108 Birdie Badges
---Shot Heights---
Low: Plum, Charlie, Luigi, Wario, Donkey Kong
Middle: Yoshi
High: Peach, Baby Mario, Sonny, Harry, Mario, Maple, Bowser, Metal Mario
Legend has it that there's a way to unlock all the characters by entering a
special code! I won't tell you what it is, though, because I think it would be
fairer to make you earn them the right way like I did! It should be noted that
all of the characters unlocked in Get Character mode (except Bowser) are always
available for play in multiplayer games. The four characters on the bottom of
the Player Selection screen can only be accessed if you use a Transfer Pak with
the Game Boy Color version of Mario Golf (discussed in the notes section), and
their statistics will vary depending on their experience levels.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Course Guides [COURS]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
--------------------------------Toad Highlands---------------------------------
Toad Highlands is the easiest course in the game. Holes are short, greens are
simple and slow, and there aren't many dangerous bunkers and water hazards. The
deciduous trees, which appeared in Super Mario 64, aren't a problem if you stay
on the fairway. The layout of the course isn't all that different from the
average real-life American golf course. The total distance is 6,213 yards,
making it by far the shortest course in the game.
1 (Par 4, 363 yards)
This is a very basic hole. It's short and straight, though a little narrow.
Make sure to keep the ball on the fairway, where it's easier to hit than in the
rough. The green is flat and simple.
2 (Par 3, 161 yards)
This Par-3 is short and doesn't have many complicating factors, but it's easy
to overshoot the green because you're hitting so far downhill. Club down a
notch or two to keep the ball on the green.
3 (Par 4, 343 yards)
Watch out for the bunkers to the left of this slightly-curved Par-4. The green,
which is surrounded by bunkers, is a little hillier than what we've seen so
far.
4 (Par 5, 477 yards)
Use a power shot on this relatively short Par-5. If your tee shot is good and
you have a powerful player or a tailwind, you can reach the green in two and
set up an eagle putt. But watch out for the nasty bunker in front of the green!
The Plums and Charlies would be best off hitting a mid-iron shot to the fairway
on their second shot to set up an easy approach.
5 (Par 4, 355 yards)
This straightforward hole has a very high tee box, so you can blast some
monster drives. Keep that in mind when aiming, too, since your drive will
usually go past the landing area. The elevated green is a bit hilly but not too
tough.
6 (Par 3, 138 yards)
Club down a notch because of the height of the tee area. The flat green and
short distance of the hole make for an easy birdie. This is quite possibly the
easiest hole in the game to get a hole-in-one.
7 (Par 4, 387 yards)
The longest Par-4 we've seen so far. You might want to aim a little short of
the mounds in the middle of the fairway - it's narrow there, and if you hit
onto the mound or in front of a tree, you might have a tough shot. The green is
guarded by a bunker in front and to the left, so steer clear.
8 (Par 5, 511 yards)
This hole is all distance and no challenge. The fairway is extremely wide, and
a power hitter will have no problem reaching the green in two. The green isn't
bad, although the area around it is a little narrow. Very birdieable.
9 (Par 4, 409 yards)
This hole is another that plays short because you're hitting from so high. Aim
for the far right side of the fairway, keeping your distance from the water
hazard. Remember that the hill slopes toward the water. Also watch out for the
bunker in front of the green. If you're not careful, this can be one of the
most dangerous holes at Toad Highlands.
10 (Par 4, 304 yards)
The tenth hole is extremely short, even for a dogleg. If your player can hit
250 yards and/or a tailwind is blowing, you can reach the green in one.
Otherwise, don't; you'll be in for a world of hurt if you get lost in the
woods. Remember you're hitting uphill, so you won't get as much power and loft
on your drive as you normally would. Even if you just shoot for the fairway,
you should have a good chance at making birdie.
11 (Par 4, 380 yards)
Most players should be able to hit a drive over the first hill, but watch out
for the irksome little fairway bunkers. Also steer clear of the bunkers around
the green. One of the more interesting holes aesthetically.
12 (Par 5, 466 yards)
Accuracy is at a premium at this short, narrow Par-5. Hard hitters might prefer
to use a 3-wood off the tee. Even players like Yoshi that don't have much power
can easily make the green in two.
13 (Par 3, 165 yards)
This is one of the longer-playing Par-3's at this course, since you're hitting
uphill. Club up a notch and you should have an easy birdie putt.
14 (Par 4, 388 yards)
The fairway isn't very wide here, so aim carefully. Stay away from the nasty
little pond, too. Club up on your second shot, where you're hitting onto a
slightly elevated green.
15 (Par 4, 369 yards)
The wide fairway makes this a great place to use a power shot off the tee. If
you're going to err on your second shot, it's better to miss left, since
there's a really nasty bunker to the right.
16 (Par 5, 448 yards)
Despite its short length, this Par-5 is tricky. You're hitting quite a bit
uphill, and if your ball lands in the valley, you'll be hitting your second
shot 15-20 yards uphill, usually from the rough. You might prefer to hit your
tee shot a little short onto the top of the hill. A power hitter can often
birdie this hole, but weaker players will have a tough time.
17 (Par 3, 149 yards)
Club up one here; you're hitting uphill and you don't want to wind up short.
The green is one of the trickier at the course.
18 (Par 4, 400 yards)
It's best to stay right on this concluding hole to stay out of the water and
rough. Your second shot may be from a leaning position, and be careful not to
hit into the valley in the right-front part of the green.
----------------------------------Koopa Park-----------------------------------
Koopa Park is fairly similar to Toad Highlands, but fairways are a little
narrower and there's more water and other obstacles. Some holes (like the
eighth) boast spectacular scenery in the mold of Pebble Beach - not that that
makes life easier for you! Koopa and Spiny shells dot the landscape here.
There's also a nice clubhouse in the background. You might recognize the
evergreen trees from the courtyard of Peach's Castle in Super Mario 64. These
trees can be a problem on some holes. The course length is 6,565 yards,
considerably longer than Toad Highlands.
1 (Par 4, 372 yards)
You might want to hit your drive a little short of the fairway bunkers found at
the bottom of the hill. The green is steep and isn't very big, but it's
surrounded by fairway.
2 (Par 5, 527 yards)
This hole is long and narrow, but hitting downhill gives you a bit of a head
start. Stay away from the forest! The green is pretty flat.
3 (Par 4, 375 yards)
This uphill dogleg is one of the more interesting holes at Koopa Park. Keep
away from the trees and bunkers on your tee shot, and remember you're hitting
uphill.
4 (Par 3, 169 yards)
This hole goes 10 yards uphill, so club up a notch off the tee. Otherwise, this
is pretty straightforward.
5 (Par 4, 400 yards)
An accurate shot is important on this flat but slightly irregular fairway.
Reaching the green isn't that tough, but make sure to stay out of the greenside
bunker.
6 (Par 5, 545 yards)
This Par-5 is long, and even though you're hitting uphill, its fairway is nice
and wide. A lot of players will need to lay up short of the stream, but
sometimes you can go for the green in two.
7 (Par 4, 380 yards)
This hole isn't too complicated or difficult. Hit the fairway on your tee shot,
approach the green, and try to putt for birdie on the tricky green.
8 (Par 3, 140 yards)
One of the most spectacular holes in the game. Give the ball a little extra
oomph; you're hitting slightly uphill, and you definitely don't want to hit off
that cliff. Also, the green is pretty tough.
9 (Par 4, 362 yards)
This fairway gets narrower as it progresses. Power hitters might prefer to hit
onto the island to the left instead of the main fairway. The green isn't too
bad.
10 (Par 4, 381 yards)
Unless you can really slug the ball, you won't be able to cut the dogleg.
There's a bunker in front of the elevated green, so club up on your second
shot. Another fairly simple green.
11 (Par 4, 366 yards)
This is one of the most difficult holes at Koopa Park because the fairway is so
narrow. You'll have to get pretty creative if you wind up in the trees. The
green is of generous size, but it's also pretty steep near the edges.
12 (Par 5, 512 yards)
This hole is very tough because of the narrow tree-lined fairways. It's safest
to aim for the wide part about 240 yards out and go for the green in three.
13 (Par 3, 174 yards)
This Par-3 is rather long, but it's not too tough. Club down a notch since
you're shooting downhill.
14 (Par 4, 392 yards)
A stream divides the fairway in two. While it depends on your player's power
and the current wind, the safest option is usually to hit behind the first part
of the stream, setting up a long second shot.
15 (Par 4, 436 yards)
This Par-4 is long but downhill. You may want to hit a 3-wood or shorter club
from the tee so you won't come near the water or trees at the narrow point in
the fairway. The sloped, elevated green can be a little tricky.
16 (Par 3, 154 yards)
The green is 22 yards below the teeing ground, so club down two or three
notches and you should have a chance for a tricky birdie putt.
17 (Par 4, 360 yards)
Another interesting dogleg. Even a middle-of-the-driving-range golfer can hit
the ball within fifty yards of the pin, and Metal Mario can easily score a
green in one. While this hole isn't too tough, you do need to watch out for
the water around the green. Also, the green is rather steep in places.
18 (Par 5, 520 yards)
This Par-5's length is augmented by the fact that it's uphill all the way.
However, the wide fairways make this a great spot for heavy hitters like Bowser
and for using power shots. Going for the green in two is risky due to water
hazards. You'll often have a steeply uphill putt.
--------------------------------Shy-Guy Desert---------------------------------
Players hit the sands in Shy-Guy Desert, which is a notch higher on the
difficulty scale. Since this course is situated in the desert, there's a lot of
sand and no water. Many holes consist of island-like sections of fairway
surrounded by waste area. Greens often blend in with the fairways. This is the
longest course in the game at a total of 6,706 yards. To succeed at Shy-Guy
Desert, you'll want a character that can hit the ball with both power and
accuracy. It might remind you a little of the TPC Scottsdale course.
1 (Par 4, 360 yards)
The fairway is divided in two by the sand, so you'll have to choose which side
you want to hit to. As usual, the shorter side is safer and better for light
hitters. Balls often roll down the elevated, undulated green.
2 (Par 3, 153 yards)
You're hitting 19 yards downhill, so club down a notch or two. Another
straightforward, birdieable Par-3.
3 (Par 5, 520 yards)
A long hole with wide fairways. Steer clear of the pyramid; it's out of bounds.
It must be a national monument or something. A good second shot will set up an
eagle putt, but you'll be leaning if you didn't aim for the right side of the
fairway on your first shot.
4 (Par 4, 390 yards)
The fairway is divided into several sections, but it's best to hit to the short
one 220 yards out, above the valley. The green slopes strongly toward the front
and back.
5 (Par 4, 400 yards)
This hole consists of several island-like fairways, a common feature at Shy-Guy
Desert. Hit to the one appropriate to your player and wind status. As long as
you stay on the grass, you'll have a good chance at birdie.
6 (Par 4, 420 yards)
A nice straight Par-4, but an errant drive will force players to extricate the
ball from the cacti, usually costing a stroke or two. Also, your second shot
may be from a leaning position.
7 (Par 3, 160 yards)
Club down a notch here since you're hitting downhill. The pin placement is
rather precarious, so you might want to aim a bit left. The green is one of the
hilliest we've seen so far.
8 (Par 4, 403 yards)
Not too long, but very narrow. Aim a bit short of the spot where the fairway
grows really thin. The green is well-protected by a vile bunker.
9 (Par 5, 550 yards)
Not only is this the longest Par-5 we've had so far, it's full of bunkers!
You'll be very lucky to reach the green in regulation.
10 (Par 4, 380 yards)
Best described in 3 words: short, narrow, steep. Even the green is steep.
11 (Par 4, 412 yards)
The tee shot shouldn't be too tough, although power players should club down to
avoid the narrow part of the fairway. One of the easiest holes at Shy-Guy
Desert.
12 (Par 3, 177 yards)
Long and uphill, but otherwise pretty simple despite the bunkers to the sides.
Consider clubbing up a notch.
13 (Par 4, 370 yards)
Most of the fairway is fairly narrow, but it's fairly straight. Watch out for
the cacti near the back, and remember that the pyramid is OB. Club up for the
second shot to reach the elevated green.
14 (Par 5, 535 yards)
Tough. Your tee shot is to a narrow fairway flanked by an enormous bunker to
the left. To the right of the fairway near the hole is another big bunker, but
you won't have to deal with it if you reach the green in two - which is very
doable with a good first shot.
15 (Par 3, 164 yards)
A long Par-3 that slopes 36 yards downhill. You'll need to club down three or
four notches to land on the green.
16 (Par 4, 340 yards)
One of the shortest Par-4's in the game, but don't let the distance fool you.
It's usually better to use a long iron instead of a driver from the tee. This
way, you'll stay a good distance away from the cacti that will obstruct your
second shot. Besides, the hole isn't long and the fairway is wider near the
front. The green is evil. It's very steep and slopes toward the bunkers.
17 (Par 5, 570 yards)
A very memorable hole. The fairway consists of many small islands in the midst
of waste area. Pick the fairways that work best for your situation. Please stay
on the fairway! You won't like waste area, which is a lot like a bunker. It's
nearly impossible to reach the green in two, and the green is no cakewalk like
it usually is on long holes.
18 (Par 4, 402 yards)
The fairway is long and of average width for Shy-Guy Desert, but watch out for
the naughty little fairway bunkers. Quite birdieable.
--------------------------------Yoshi's Island---------------------------------
The Yoshi's Island course takes you to the humid, beautiful jungles of Yoshi's
Island, where palm trees grow and monkeys roam. Fairways are narrower, bunkers
are nastier, and water hazards are larger and more common. Greens are faster
and slicker and much hillier, as well. This 6,596-yard course isn't all that
long, but you'll find the Par-3's to be absolutely brutal. And yes, there
really are giant fruits everywhere.
1 (Par 4, 350 yards)
Not long, but one of the hilliest holes in the game, and there's a massive
bunker to punish careless hard-hitting players. Your second shot is
particularly hard. It'll be from a leaning position to an elevated green that's
guarded by a bunker in front and back.
2 (Par 4, 400 yards)
This hole is uphill with a narrow fairway, which is especially tough for mid-
range Sonny types. Club up for your second shot since you're shooting up a
hill. The green is slick and steep.
3 (Par 3, 170 yards)
At Yoshi's Island, Par-3's aren't the breezes they were at the first three
courses! In fact, the shortest holes at this course are usually the hardest.
This is cruel and unusual. You're hitting downhill to a green that slopes
toward the water in the back and a bunker and a very steep fairway in the
front. Club down a notch or two and use backspin. It's safest to aim for the
fairway, make a good short approach shot, and settle for a par putt. The green
is nasty.
4 (Par 5, 470 yards)
Not long, but it's one of the steepest inclines in the game, and it's narrow as
usual. What's more, your drive will often roll down the hill. Darn! Shot 2 is
one of hardest shots in the game. Club up twice and use backspin and maybe a
power shot to get up the hill, being careful not to hit one of the banana trees
in your way. This is often a place where you suffer through a succession of
shots from rough. At least the green is relatively flat.
5 (Par 4, 382 yards)
Despite the cliffs and bunkers you can hit, this is one of the easier tee shots
at YI. The second shot is harder; it's onto an elevated green with a bunker in
front. If you're on the fairway, you'll be wise to club up a notch. You'd
rather be in the rough than this nasty bunker. The green is one of the
smoothest at Yoshi's Island.
6 (Par 3, 155 yards)
The toughest holes at this course are its Par-3's, as I stated earlier. You're
hitting onto an island 20 yards higher than you, so club up 2-4 notches. The
green is surrounded by a set of five equal-sized bunkers.
7 (Par 5, 544 yards)
A long but downhill Par-5. Usually you must hit a bit short to the right-hand
fairway, but Metal Mario can aim for the left side if wind is favorable. There
are two different ways to take your second shot. Either cross the stream and
hit a long iron to the left, or go for the green with a gambling power 3-wood
(for sluggers). No matter what, a tough one, even on the green.
8 (Par 4, 420 yards)
Depending on your character's power level, you can either hit to the fairway at
the top of the hill (for most players) or power past the bunker in the valley
(for Metal Mario). Remember the fairway is wide and you're hitting downhill.
The green is large but protected by bunkers like the revolving Koopa Shells in
Mario Kart games. You might want to club down on your second shot because of
the slope. The green isn't too bad.
9 (Par 4, 365 yards)
Not very long as the crow flies, but you must usually hit your second shot to a
small island of fairway far from the green. Club down a notch on your first
shot and up a notch on shot two because of the elevation shifts. The green is
basically flat in most places, so putting is usually easy. There are also
aren't bad greenside bunkers.
10 (Par 4, 375 yards)
This hole is fairly short but uphill, and the fairways are narrow in places and
very hilly. Club up once on your second shot to reduce the risk of hitting into
the prominent bunker in front of the green. Putting is a nightmare, and the
ball may be pulled in competing directions by the complex steep slope.
11 (Par 5, 507 yards)
This is a little like Koopa Park. The fairway is narrow, with a bunker to the
right and obstructing trees to the left. Accuracy off the tee is prized. If you
can avoid the trees and the greenside bunker on your second shot, you may have
a chance for an eagle putt. The green slopes toward the bunker, so you may have
a difficult short approach for your third or fourth shot. The green is steep
but easier than many.
12 (Par 3, 140 yards)
The most memorable hole at the Yoshi's Island course. You're shooting onto a
green 38 yards lower than the teeing ground! What's more, there's a big bunker
and lots of water to punish errant hitters. Club down a notch or two and you
should be OK. The green is very tough, too.
13 (Par 4, 415 yards)
Narrow and bunker-laden, the thirteenth tee is a real test of your accuracy off
the tee. What's more, you're hitting sharply uphill, making it play longer than
its official distance. Club down one on your downhill second shot, but don't
wind up short and land in the bunker.
14 (Par 4, 395 yards)
If you hit your tee shot too far, it'll be all wet; too short, and you might
land in the bunker. Fortunately, for weaker hitters, the fairway is wide. Club
up for your uphill second shot. The green, while steep, has a simple grain.
15 (Par 3, 190 yards)
Though downhill, this is the longest Par-3 thus far. It's really difficult,
since there's a round bunker between the green and fairway, like a donut shape.
It may be better to aim for the sides of the donut and tolerate a two-putt. The
green is fairly difficult, especially for a hole as tough as this. A very tough
place to birdie, and very bogeyable. I told you the Yoshi's Island Par-3's were
going to be rough!
16 (Par 4, 398 yards)
Here you're best off aiming for the tiny fairway islands on the small mesa.
It's not the end of the world to hit into the rough on the cliff, though.
17 (Par 4, 389 yards)
A spectacular hole nestled around a mountain. Your tee shot is sharply uphill,
so you might want to use a power shot if you don't hit far. Hit onto the hill
and you'll have a tough leaning second shot. Shot #2 is downhill (club down a
notch) to a nice, big green that's steep in places but only moderately
difficult.
18 (Par 5, 530 yards)
A long, narrow Par-5 freckled with fairway bunkers. If your second shot is
obstructed by trees, lay up behind the stream and go for the green in three.
Otherwise, you might have yourself a chance for an eagle.
----------------------------------Boo Valley-----------------------------------
Boo Valley, home of the famous and poorly-spelled Boo Clasic, is reminiscent of
the Pod Worlds of the original Super Mario Bros. game. Bunkers are fairly rare,
and there are only two water hazards, but it's very easy to hit the ball off a
cliff and out of bounds! Thankfully, the greens might be slightly easier than
they were at Yoshi's Island. At 6,635 yards, you'll want an accurate yet long-
hitting player who can reach the fairway islands; Maple is perfect for this.
The tournament background music here is great. Don't ask me how the golf carts
work.
1 (Par 4, 373 yards)
Depending on your character's power level, you can either shoot ahead of or
behind the "bottleneck." But be careful, since shooting off any cliff at Boo
Valley is OB. Give the ball a little extra on your approach to the elevated
green. Putting is easy since the green is almost flat.
2 (Par 4, 400 yards)
Tee off to the main fairway, but look out; it's downhill and full of fairway
bunkers. Ignore all the little islands to the sides.
3 (Par 5, 534 yards)
Hit your tee shot a little short of the mushrooms. Then hit to the large
fairway to the left, and if you shot accurately, you'll have a long but simple
third shot.
4 (Par 3, 199 yards)
This long Par-3 is a rare Boo Valley hole with a water hazard. Club down one
and you'll be OK. Not too tough, except for a tricky green.
5 (Par 4, 335 yards)
This is the second shortest Par-4 in the game, but the fairway is very
fractured. Hit a wood to the fairway to the right, and then prepare for a long
but easy second shot. This hole has an extremely steep, tricky green.
6 (Par 4, 411 yards)
Accuracy is very important on your tee shot; there are all kinds of bad places
it can end up. You'll probably be using a wood on your second shot as you aim
for the green. The green isn't too bad.
7 (Par 5, 546 yards)
This hole is very long and full of fairway bunkers, but the wide fairways and
downhill slope help cut the distance. The fairway is divided by a ravine, so
you won't be able to reach the green in two. Watch out for the mushrooms on
your third shot. Club up to reach the elevated green.
8 (Par 3, 136 yards)
The eighth hole is very short with no elevation change. However, the green is
tiny, and there's virtually no margin for error. Club up and maybe aim slightly
left to increase safety. The green is steep and very complicated.
9 (Par 4, 402 yards)
The first shot requires accuracy but isn't too tricky. You'll have to club up
in order to reach the elevated green on your second shot, but beware; there's a
bunker for those who over-hit, and OB and rough to punish players who fall
short.
10 (Par 5, 562 yards)
This hole is more length than challenge, even though a lot of it's uphill.
Definitely club up at least once on your approach shot to the elevated green.
The green is pretty steep, but it's easier than most of the other holes at Boo
Valley.
11 (Par 4, 357 yards)
Other than the tricky undulated green, this dogleg is relatively short and easy
with few pitfalls (literally).
12 (Par 3, 152 yards)
Finally! A simple (but not easy) Par-3. Club up at least twice; you're hitting
uphill and don't want to land in the bunker. Also, if you don't hit far enough,
the ball has the delightful tendency to roll away from the hole and into the
bunker.
13 (Par 4, 396 yards)
The distinguishing feature of this hole are the tiny areas of fairway. Hit to
the one appropriate for your situation. Although there's little nasty stuff
around the green, the green itself is pretty steep in places.
14 (Par 4, 391 yards)
If there's no wind and you have a character like Maple, you can hit a full
drive to the ultra-narrow section of fairway to the left, setting up a very
short second shot. Otherwise, hit a long iron to the wider fairway to the
right. Easy holes like this one usually have nightmare greens - and this is no
exception.
15 (Par 3, 170 yards)
A long fairly Par-3 with a slim margin for the error, but the main problem is
the ultra-steep green - one of the worst in the game. 4-footers may easily turn
into three-putts.
16 (Par 4, 407 yards)
Use the "Course View" feature from the pause menu before deciding which fairway
island to hit to - probably either the left one near two mushrooms or the
elevated fairway with the mushroom and 2 bluffs. The first option is much
closer to the hole, while the second option allows greater margin for error.
The green has bunkers in front and back, but it's not very steep.
17 (Par 5, 484 yards)
If your character has the power, hit your tee shot to the high right fairway.
This way, you'll be closer to the green and won't have to deal with the "tall
vertical objects." Club up on your second shot since you're hitting uphill, and
use backspin or sidespin to avoid the obstructions if you hit to the left
fairway from the tee.
18 (Par 4, 380 yards)
Not very long, especially for an eighteenth hole, but it's another hole where
you have a choice of fairways to hit to, depending on the conditions and your
player's power. One of the hardest, steepest greens in the game, and often
causes bad bounces.
---------------------------------Mario's Star----------------------------------
Perhaps the most interesting course in the game, every hole in Mario's Star is
shaped like a familiar character from a Super Mario Bros. game. You'll need a
powerful player to survive the massive bunkers, intricate water hazards, and
microscopic greens. Plus, at 6,673 yards, many holes are extremely long.
1 (Par 4, 338 yards)
This Yoshi-shaped hole is so short you can make a green in one, often without
even using a power shot. The green is steep in places, but it's not bad if you
get as close to the pin as you usually can. Don't let this hole fool you into
thinking the rest will be easy...
2 (Par 4, 414 yards)
Shaped like a group of Boos, there's a choice of fairways to hit to. There's
also a lot of deep rough, though. The green is as steep as the interest rate on
a payday loan.
3 (Par 5, 510 yards)
You need extreme accuracy to hit the tiny fairways on this Wiggler-shaped hole.
His spots are bunkers, so beware! Don't forget you're hitting 21 yards downhill
off the tee. If your drive was accurate, your second shot should be easy and
could even set up an eagle putt. Otherwise, you'll probably keep hitting from
bunker to rough (or vice versa). The green is nasty if you don't get close to
the pin.
4 (Par 3, 194 yards)
This is insane! The green is the Cheep-Cheep's right "eye" and is the game's
smallest green. What's more, it's encompassed by a bunker like the way the
nation of Italy surrounds San Marino. Worse still, the green slopes toward the
bunkers, although you may be able to putt from the bunker if the ball rolls
down the green. Club down since you're hitting downhill.
5 (Par 4, 410 yards)
The fairways are the Thwomp's "spikes," but it's going to be mighty tough to
stay out of the tall stuff. Characters with long drives (or tailwinds) might
prefer to blast the ball as far as possible and accept the fact that it'll land
in the deep rough.
6 (Par 3, 149 yards)
The sixth hole requires you to hit onto the tiny green on the back of Lakitu's
shell. It's almost as small as the fourth green, and while no bunkers are
present, overshooting could send you into the water. Club down for your tee
shot on this downhill hole.
7 (Par 5, 500 yards)
This Shy-Guy-shaped hole gives you some nice room for error if you can hit
really far. If you can't, it's better to blast your drive as hard as possible
into the deep rough straight ahead than to hit short to the Shy-Guy well to the
right. If you hit into the rough, either hit short to the fairway to set up a
fairway approach shot, or hit as hard as possible to try to get closer to the
green (leading to a shorter approach shot from the rough). The green is tiny
and very steep.
8 (Par 4, 346 yards)
The short Piranha Plant hole is one of the easiest at Mario's Star. Even if you
hit your tee shot onto the rock, you'll have a short, unobstructed approach
shot onto a massive green. The green is complicated and steep in places.
9 (Par 4, 416 yards)
The King of the Koopas looks giddy here! Remember that Bowser's "mouth" is OB.
Watch out for the stripes of bunkers, and bear in mind that the entire hole is
downhill. Your second shot may be from a steep lean. The green is the game's
steepest and rolls away from the hole.
10 (Par 4, 400 yards)
This looks like a Koopa Troopa. You're hitting 56 yards downhill, so you can
get some serious distance on your drive. Aim for the fairway on the "shell," or
whack the ball straight forward and tolerate the lie of rough. The green is
tiny and bunker-encompassed, but it's relatively smooth.
11 (Par 5, 515 yards)
The Bullet Bills' hole consists of tiny strips of fairway, so just focus on
blasting the ball forward. A good spot for Metal Mario. Use power on your
second shot, especially if you landed on the fairway. The green is small, but
it's surrounded by rough - better than a bunker or water hazard. There's a very
difficult green for such a long, hard hole.
12 (Par 3, 172 yards)
The Toad-shaped twelfth requires perfect accuracy to hit the little green and
not the bunker or water. Better to hit a little short, I suppose. The green
isn't too bad by Mario's Star standards.
13 (Par 4, 400 yards)
You're best off aiming for the right side of the fairway onto the Goomba's
foot. You'll have a long second shot, but it beats being in the rough. The
green is steep, but at least it slopes toward the hole.
14 (Par 4, 380 yards)
Chain Chomp's hole is very hard because of the tiny fairway islands. These are
worse than the ones at Boo Valley because they slope strongly to the outside.
Your second shot will be from a leaning position to a tiny bunker-surrounded
green. The green is tough, too.
15 (Par 4, 419 yards)
This hole depicts the Blooper Nanny from Super Mario Bros. 3. The fairways are
nice and broad, but there's another bunker-surrounded micro-green that may
force you to settle for par.
16 (Par 3, 195 yards)
Peach's hole looks like the painting from Super Mario 64. Long but downhill, so
club down a couple of notches. The relatively large green makes this hole
birdieable. The green is steep but the grain will move your ball in just one
direction.
17 (Par 5, 520 yards)
The Bob-Omb hole isn't too bad. Hit just short of the first bomb's "fuse,"
clubbing down if necessary. On your second shot, use a power 3-wood with loft
to clear the large brown Bob-Omb (setting up an easy 30-yard approach, usually
from rough or bunker, but with some risk of landing in the water), or club down
and hit to the left fairway (the safer choice). The green slopes strongly
toward the back.
18 (Par 4, 395 yards)
The final hole at the final course in Mario Golf depicts the Super Mario Bros.
themselves. It's best to hit short to the Luigi fairway. Another tiny bunker-
encompassed green, it's bad but easier than some.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ring Shot Strategies [RINGS]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's my Ring Shot strategy guide. I think you'll find it to be useful on a
few of these. This strategy guide will help, but some holes are still extremely
difficult and will require you to try many times. Every four holes you complete,
you'll unlock a new course for Ring Shot mode (which are independent of other
modes). Note that the wind speed on Ring Shot holes is random, as is the wind
direction. If you don't like the way it's blowing, just select "Hole Out" on
the pause menu and try again. The wind should be blowing differently. Pick a
character you use a lot, so you're familiar with the player's shot types and
patterns. It's best to use Yoshi or Maple for most holes, since their straight
shot is easy to control and very predictable. In addition, keep in mind that
different rings are placed at different heights. For this reason, you might
want to pick a low-shooting character for the first ring challenge at Toad
Highlands, where a low shot would be advantageous. Remember that on most holes,
you'll have to one-putt in order to save par.
--------------------------------Toad Highlands---------------------------------
---Give It a Shot!---
Hit a low shot (hold Up on the Control Pad while holding the L button) and hit
a 1-wood at approximately 60-80% power. Your shot should sail through the large
ring. From here, simply proceed to score par or better.
---Climb That Hill!---
Try a 2-iron at about 67% power to clear the ring on the hill. Then make a good
approach shot (remember it's downhill) and putt for par.
---Ring in the Valley---
Hit a standard tee shot, and then use a wedge or short iron to lob the ball
into the center of the ring. From here, you should need just a wedge or 9-iron
to reach the green for a chance at a birdie putt. Once you hit the ring, it's
easy.
---3 Rings Above the Pond---
Aim your tee shot - probably a long iron - directly in front of the pond, above
which are the three rings. From here, use a 3-wood to reach the green. Use
ballspin to change your trajectory if necessary. Once (in 2000), I landed in
the water and chipped in for par at this hole!
---Creek Crossing---
The toughest Ring Shot hole so far. Aim your tee shot - perhaps a 4-wood -
directly in front of the rings. You'll usually wind up in the semi-rough or
rough, but that's good! Send your second shot through the rings, keeping a
reasonable distance from the stream on the left. If done properly, you'll have
a short approach shot or long putt for your third stroke, and a short par putt.
---Every Which Way!---
Fairly tough. Aim for the left side of the first ring with a long iron. Use an
iron on your second shot to hit the other ring. Your third stroke is crucial,
since you'll be aiming for the green from the rough.
----------------------------------Koopa Park-----------------------------------
---R-RR-Ring!---
Drive the ball to the right edge of the fairway, near the rings. Hit the ball
through the rings with a fairway wood or a long iron, using backspin if you
need a little more loft. You should now need just a mid-iron shot to reach the
green for a possible birdie putt.
---Arch at Forked Creek---
Use a straight shooter like Yoshi to hit the very center of the ring. Then
angle the ball on your second shot, and if done properly, you'll hit the green
and get your ring.
---Switchback Swinging!---
Use a driver with backspin to get the power and distance needed to clear the
first ring. Use a mid-iron to hit the second ring. If you're lucky, you'll
eliminate the last ring and reach the green on your third shot, setting up an
easy birdie. A tough hole for someone like Plum.
---Hide-and-Go-Ring!---
I think they bend the rules a little here... The ring is small and very well-
hidden! Look just a little left from the tee. Aim a bit left and in front of
the ring. Focus on going through the ring on your second shot, and from there
approach carefully so you can one-putt.
---Power Past the Pond!---
Use a middle iron on your tee shot, and aim for the right edge of the fairway
while being careful to stay out of the lake. From here, you should be able to
hit the ring and get near the green on your second shot. If you don't have a
hard-hitting character, your approach shot may be from a bunker, but that's OK.
---Arches Here & There---
You can find McDonald's eateries all over the world, but that's not what these
arches are for. Use a low drive from the tee to hit the first ring. Use an
under-hit iron to reach the left side of the second ring. From here, you'll
usually need to aim for the front of the final ring so you can clear it on
your approach shot. Watch out for the heavily sloped green.
--------------------------------Shy-Guy Desert---------------------------------
---The Anthill Bunker---
Hit a power drive accurately. From here, use a low, slightly under-hit driver
or 3-wood to hit through the ring in the bunker. You'll usually wind up in the
bunker, but thankfully you still have three more shots to approach and putt for
par.
---Cactus Arms---
1. Shoot a long, accurate drive.
2. Lay up behind the ring (near the cacti) on your second shot.
3. Use a wedge or short iron to shoot through the ring, avoiding any cactus
obstructions.
4. Make a good approach shot.
5. Putt for par.
---Pyramid Ring---
Very tough, especially for weaker hitters. Hit your tee shot onto the fairway,
a little right of the ring. Everything surrounding the pyramid is OB, so don't
overshoot. On your second shot, it's usually best to use a power shot and a
mid-iron. This way, you'll get the loft needed to go through the ring and the
distance necessary to avoid the massive OB area. From here, you'll have to make
a good approach shot and one-putt.
---Center of the Bull's-Eye---
Use a mid-iron with backspin to hit the ball through the trio of rings - and
into the bunker. From here, your ball will probably be pretty deep in the sand.
A good approach (use high trajectory if necessary) and a one-putt will be
needed to save par and win.
---Shoot for the Stones!---
Hit a good drive onto the island before the green. From here, use a short iron
to hit the ring on the rock. Use a little more oomph than you think you'd need.
You'll land in the "waste area," but there's no way to avoid it. Reach the
green with a tough approach shot (because of the conditions), and then putt on
the hilly green.
---Sand Dune Summit---
Aim your tee shot at either side of the fairway, preferably the small island on
the left. Focus on hitting through the ring on your second shot, landing on the
fairway if possible. From here, with good play you may be able to use a four-
wood to make the green for a birdie putt. Otherwise, you could be spending a
lot of time in the bunkers.
--------------------------------Yoshi's Island---------------------------------
---Doughnut Hole---
A slightly old-fashioned spelling. Use a long iron with backspin to clear the
ring and hit into the bunker. Then hit a good approach shot with your sand
wedge to set up a tricky par putt. The green is nasty, and it's easy for your
approach to roll to the back of the green.
---Scraping the Cliff---
The two rings here are located along cliffs, and they're pretty close together.
Use something like a 2-iron from the tee to hit the first one. On your second
shot, use a wood or long iron to hit the ring. You might want to use spin on
the right side of the ball so it'll curve closer to the green. From here,
you've got a 40-yard approach shot and - it is to be hoped - a par putt.
---Dunk the Bunker!---
A hard hitter helps here. Hit a normal drive, use a wedge to hit into the ring
(and usually land in the bunker), make a long approach shot, and putt for par.
---Drop into the Valley!---
Again, you'll be hitting into the bunker and attempting a sand save. Use a mid-
iron with backspin to hit through the rings. A powerful player can get more
loft because sluggers can use a shorter club to get the same distance as a
lighter hitter with a club a notch or two higher.
---Arches in the Hills---
Use a low power drive to hit the ball through the arches. Then use a long iron
to reach the green for a birdie putt or a short approach. Use backspin if you
need help clearing the hill on your second shot.
---Zig and Zag---
Just keep going from island to island, hitting woods to reach the first two
rings. On the third shot, use left-to-right spin to keep from going into the
water. Straightforward but long. One of the easier birdies in Ring Shot mode.
----------------------------------Boo Valley-----------------------------------
---The Bottleneck---
Boo Valley's Hole 1 forces you to keep the ball low. Do so and you'll finish it
with ease. If you can get past that elevated green, you'll birdie thanks to the
flat green.
---Past the Peak---
Aim for the right side of the fairway on your drive. Then use right-to-left
spin with a mid-iron to hit the ring and keep the ball in bounds. If you're
lucky, you'll have a short approach shot from the rough and a par putt. The
green is pretty tricky, too.
---The Egg Hill---
Use a long iron to hit onto the high hill to the right. From here, shoot for
the ring, aiming for wherever there's fairway. Club down a notch or two since
you're hitting so far down. You'll need to be accurate on the long third shot
to score par.
---Emerging from the Mist---
Something about this name sounds hard. Use a short iron to hit onto the small
strip of fairway to the far right in front of the rings. Soar through the rings
on your approach shot, then putt for par.
---Valley in the Valley---
This too sounds difficult. Use a fairway wood to hit the first ring with ease.
Then turn left and hit the second ring with a low mid-iron. Again, you'll have
a long (and hilly) approach shot and a tough par putt.
---Duck and Dodge!---
To hit the ring, you'll have to hit onto the cliff - which has a tiny piece of
fairway on it. Use a wood or long iron with backspin to keep it on the hill by
minimizing roll. You can reach the green in two, but depending on the wind and
your character's power, it may be safer to lay up on one of the islands. The
use of power shots helps a lot here.
---------------------------------Mario's Star----------------------------------
---Bloober Calamari Rings---
This hole is shaped like the Blooper Nanny from Super Mario Bros. 3. And like
most of the Mario's Star Ring Shot holes, it's extremely tough. Hit a standard
tee shot with your one-wood or three-wood, although you might want to keep it a
little low. Hit a long iron through the next ring and onto the fairway. The
third shot is crucial, since you must hit through one more ring AND reach the
miniscule fairway. Use sidespin and/or topspin. If you do it right, you'll have
to one-putt for par. This is the easiest Mario's Star Ring Shot hole. Yikes.
---Skull & Bones---
First use a mid-iron to hit through the first ring, trying to avoid the bunker.
Hit your next shot onto any old piece of fairway. It'll be from the rough, so
be careful. From here, use an iron to clear the next ring. You'll have a long
approach shot and a murderous putt left to complete this hole in par.
---Bowser's Big Mouth---
Hit your tee shot a little short of the wide strip of bunker to set up your
second shot. This is tough. You must arc the ball through all three rings, and
if the ball lands in Bowser's "mouth," it'll be OB. Use a mid-to-short iron
with power and you should have a short approach shot and a nasty putt.
---Lakitu's Glasses---
Use a short iron to hit the ball through the spot where the rings overlap. If
you do it just right, you'll eliminate both rings and land in the rough. From
here, you can reach the green. If you land in the bunker, start over.
---Sorry, Bob-omb!---
Power helps a lot here. Aim just south of the Bob-Omb's "fuse" for your tee
shot. This next shot is possibly the single-hardest in the game. Use a short
iron with power to achieve sufficient loft to get through both rings. Your ball
will land on a sloped rock, and if it doesn't go far enough, the ball will roll
into the water. If all goes well, you'll face a tough leaning shot from the
rock. Either way, you have three more strokes left, so you should be able to
make par or even a birdie if you shoot well and stay dry. The green is
pretty steep.
---Princess Peach's Ring---
I assume this is a decorative ring and not an engagement ring! Anyway, this
hole is another toughie. Hit a mid-iron with topspin to hit the tiny ring to
the left. From here, hit an ultra-tough shot from the bunker to the tiny green,
probably with a short iron. Last comes a potentially tricky par putt.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tournament Cameos [CAMEO]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mario Golf contains 117 players, but you can't play using the vast majority of
them, because most of them only make cameo appearances in Tournament Mode. I
made a list of these characters back in 2000 for my own use, and now I've
revised it and published it for the whole world to see, enjoy, and complain
about.
NOTE: You cannot play using Kobe Bryant, Link, Ken Griffey Jr., Boo, or any of
the players listed below, except for those marked with "MG" in the "source"
column.
I repeat: The only players available for play are those listed with an "MG."
You won't even see them except on the tournament leaderboards.
_______________________________________________________________________________
NAME |SOURCE | DESCRIPTION
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andy NIN?
Andross SF A very bad guy
Armond NIN Armond Williams
Baby Bowser YI/MP MP's Baby Bowser is probably modern-day Bowser Jr.
Baby Mario MG This tot annoys a lot of people when seen with Mario
Big Bob-Omb SM64 Boss of Bob-Omb Battlefield; not too tough to beat
Big Mr. I SM64 Appears in the Ghost House and other dark spots
Big Penguin SM64 Race them in Cool, Cool Mountain and ride one at #10
Bill SF? A Star Fox friend or a Nintendo translator Trinen
Bloober SMB3 This squid causes trouble, but can he putt?
Bob-Omb SM64 This classic meanie can be a friend in SM64
Bonooru OoT A dancing scarecrow; brother of Pierre
Boo SM64 You know this ghosty; host of the Boo Clasic [sic]
Bowser MG Mario's longtime nemesis can hit the ball really far
Bub BAM The dino star of Acclaim's Bust-A-Move series
Bubba SM64 This fish is like Boss Bass for Tiny-Huge Island
Buzzy Beetle SMW This shelled creature doesn't appear as often nowadays
Chain Chomp SM64 Set him free to earn a star in Bob-Omb Battlefield
Charles NIN Charles Martinet provides the voice of Mario and others
Charlie MG Perhaps the worst golfer in Mario Golf
Cheep Cheep SM64 He spends most of his time in water hazards
Chill Bully SM64 This one-time enemy guards a star in Snowman's Land
Christian NIN Christian Phillips; a game developer
Chuckya SM64 This Bob-Omb-like guy throws you around
Colin NIN?
Dampe OoT The gravekeeper of Kakariko Graveyard
Darunia OoT The temperamental boss of the Gorons
David NIN David White; did some voices
Deku Scrub OoT These guys spit seeds at Link and price-gouge junk
Dex NIN Dex Manley; did some voices
DK MG The king of swing can really whack that ball!
Dorie SM64 She gives you a ride in the Hazy Maze Cave
Ed NIN?
Erich NIN?
Falco L. SF Falco Lombardi; a good but arrogant pilot
Faran ? Maybe from a game called Golden Sun (not confirmed)
Fire Bros. SMB3 One of the rarest enemies in Super Mario Bros. 3
Fly Guy SM64 Bounce on this Shy-Guy to get a lift!
Fox SF This fox is the star of the Star Fox series
Gail NIN Gail Tilden; a long-time game translator
Goomba SM64 These classic mushrooms appear after the longest putts
Goron Kid OoT This Goron is Darunia's son; name varied in Zelda 64
Greg NIN Greg Richardson; a translator
Haley NIN Haley Burns; did some voices
Hammer Bros. SMW These meanies bonk Mario with hammers
Harry MG A pretty good golfer with a beard that hides his mouth
Henry NIN?
Ingo OoT A greedy guy at the ranch
Inpa OoT Should be Impa; Princess Zelda's nursemaid/bodyguard
Jen NIN Jen Taylor; did some voices
Jessica NIN Jessica Chisum; did some voices
Kate NIN Kate Fleming; did some voices
Ken MLB Ken Griffey Jr.; then a center fielder for the Mariners
King Zora OoT The king of the aquatic fish-people
Kobe NBA Kobe Bryant; plays hoops when not getting in trouble
Koopa SM64 This turtle even gets a course named after him!
Lakitu SM64 Throws Spinies and operates the camera
Larry SMW The youngest of the Koopalings
Lemmy SMW The clown prince of Koopalings
Link OoT The star of the Legend of Zelda series
Ludwig SMW The oldest of the Koopalings
Luigi MG Mario's brother isn't the best golfer in the game
Malon OoT A young rancher who loves horses
Maple MG One of the best Mario Golfers; only appears here
Mario MG You know him! He can hit the ball pretty well
Mark NIN Mark Dias; did some voices
McCloud SF Might be a redundancy of Fox; could also be James
Metal Mario MG A hard-to-find character who slugs the ball
Michael NIN?
Michelle NIN Michelle Powers; a translator
Mido OoT The bully of Kokiri Forest
Mike NIN Mike Madeoy; did some voices
Monty Mole SM64 A subterranean pest; appears after some long putts
Morton SMW This Koopaling has a different skin tone from the rest
Mr. I SM64 The smaller version of Big Mr. I
Nabooru OoT The second-in-command of the Gerudos
Navi OoT This fairy serves as Link's camera
Paratroopa SMW A flying Koopa
Pauline DK Mario's first princess from Donkey Kong
Peach MG The princess is the best golfer early on
Penn NIN Penn Badgley; did some voices and is star of a TV show
Phil NIN Phil Sandhop
Pidgit SMB2 A half-forgotten Subcon carpet-rider
Pierre OoT A dancing scarecrow; brother of Bonooru
Pigma SF Pigma Denmar, a pig
Podoboo SMW This ball of fire appears near lava
Plum MG Perhaps the least-remembered Mario Golfer
P. Zelda OoT Hyrule's princess
Rauru OoT The first sage
Red Beezo SMB2 This enemy from the past tries to poke you
Rex SMW This dinosaur isn't as nice as Barney
Rutooo OoT A misspelling of the Zoras' princess, Ruto
Saria OoT Link's friend/girlfriend from the Lost Woods
Scuttle Bug SM64 These orange spiders appear in dark locations
Sheik OoT I won't tell you who he is
Shy-Guy YI This masked guy has his own golf course
Skull Kid OoT This masked guy causes trouble in Majora's Mask and TP
Sledge Bros. SMB3 Giant Land's version of Hammer Bros.
Slippy SF A goofy toad
Snifit SM64 These Shy-Guys spit projectiles at heroes
Sonny MG This perky golfer wears a hat
Spike SMB3 This rare Spiny-like enemy throws spiked balls at Mario
Spiny SM64 Don't stomp!
Star Wolf SF A Star Fox villain
Sumo Bros. SMW A rare character who tries to set Mario on fire
Talon OoT A good-natured, bumbling rancher; Malon's dad
Terry NIN Terry Gangstad; did some voices
Tim NIN?
Toad SM64 Peach's attendant waves the out-of-bounds flag
Tom NIN?
Ukkiki SM64 A mischievous monkey on Tall, Tall Mountain and on flags
Unagi SM64 Eel in the sunken ship; named for a kind of sushi
Wario MG A hard-hitting nemesis of Mario
Wendy O. SMW The only Koopalette
Whomp SM64 These Thwomp-like enemies occupy Whomp's Fort
Wiggler SM64 A caterpillar who gets mad when stomped
Yoshi MG Mario's dino pal shoots straight and pretty far
That's 117 cameo players by my count. The abbreviations in the "Source" column
indicate the game where the character had most recently appeared (as of summer
1999).
MG - Mario Golf
MP - Mario Party
OoT - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
MLB - Ken Griffey Jr.'s Slugfest
NBA - Kobe Bryant in NBA Courtside
SF - Star Fox 64
SM64 - Super Mario 64
YI - Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
SMW - Super Mario World
SMB3 - Super Mario Bros. 3
SMB2 - Super Mario Bros. 2
DK - Donkey Kong (the arcade game)
BAM - Bust-A-Move 2
NIN - Nintendo programmer/developer
? - Unknown - most likely Nintendo employee or Star Fox character
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vinny's Records [RECRD]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As a proficient Mario Golfer, the following are my personal best scores. These
were achieved using Metal Mario, the best-hitting golfer in the game, or Maple,
the longest-hitting straight shooter. Feel free to send me an e-mail if you
happen to break one of these records. I might even include your record in a
future update of this guide! I divide these records into two sets: Non-
emulated, which were achieved using a real N64 and a real cartridge, and
emulated, which used an emulated version of the game with frequent save states.
It's OK to use the Mulligan Glitch to break either set of these records, but no
fair using a game enhancement device.
Non-emulated (using a real N64 and an official, genuine U.S. Game Pak):
---Tournament---
Toad Highlands 61 (2006)
Koopa Park 58 (2006)
Shy-Guy Desert 58 (2001)
Yoshi's Island 62 (2006)
Boo Valley 57 (2006)
Mario's Star 60 (2006)
Longest drive: 326.1 yards
---Speed Golf---
Toad Highlands 69 13:32:33 (2006)
Koopa Park 71 14:22:73 (2006)
Shy-Guy Desert 69 13:20:10 (2006)
Yoshi's Island 69 14:47:06 (2006)
Boo Valley (No score)
Mario's Star (No score)
Emulated (using Project 64 and frequent save states):
---Tournament---
Toad Highlands 49 (2008)
Koopa Park 49 (2008)
Shy-Guy Desert 50 (2008)
Yoshi's Island 51 (2008)
Boo Valley 53 (2008)
Mario's Star 51 (2008)
Longest drive: 353.9 yards
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Version History [VERSN]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I bet you find this REALLY interesting. Note that I worked on the Tournament
Cameos on 12/8/07, 12/10/07, and 12/28/07.
Date | Version | Size |
--------|---------|------|-----------------------------------------------------
8-14-08 | 0.15 | 32KB | Began guide.
8-15-08 | 0.25 | 38KB | Worked on Ring Shot stuff.
8-16-08 | 0.35 | 43KB | Made some progress.
8-17-08 | 0.45 | 49KB | Completed 30th Ring Shot hole.
8-18-08 | 0.48 | 49KB | Didn't do much.
8-19-08 | 0.5 | 50KB | Did very little.
8-20-08 | 0.6 | 60KB | Completed Ring Shot and 25% of the course guides.
8-21-08 | 0.7 | 69KB | Up to about 55% of course guides. Tropical Storm Fay
has hampered progress.
8-22-08 | 0.8 | 80KB | Completed course guides.
8-23-08 | 0.85 | 85KB | Nearing completion.
8-24-08 | 0.9 | 88KB | Proofread 40% my guide. I should note that this is
the first anniversary of the day I began my first
walkthrough!
8-25-08 | 0.99 | 96KB | Finished things up.
8-26-08 | 1.0 | 97KB | Made a couple of additions.
3- 2-09 | 1.1 | 99KB | Finished a updating/correcting various things.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright [COPYR]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(c) 2008-2009 Vinny Hamilton. All rights reserved.
All trademarks mentioned in this guide are copyrights of their respective
holders.
You can print this guide out for your personal use.
You can download this guide to your computer for your personal use.
You can post this guide on your Web site as long as you give proper credit AND
you don't change a single letter, number, or symbol (not even an ampersand).
Remember that the latest version will always be available at GameFAQs.com, but
don't count on there being frequent (if any) updates.
You can translate this guide into a foreign language (British, Southern,
Australian, and New Yorker are not considered foreign languages) and post the
translation on your Web site as long as you ask permission first.
You can't post this guide on your Web site and then say you wrote the guide
yourself.
You can't post this guide on Web sites that contain (or have links to sites
that contain) explicit depictions of naked humans (also known as pornography),
racism, gambling, or flattery of totalitarian regimes.
You can't post this guide on your Web site if you're going to change anything
in this guide that took me so long to write.
If you don't comply with these guidelines, your hard drive will be reformatted
inexplicably and you will suffer from constipation for the rest of your life.
Heed this warning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Contact Information [CONTC]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you have any questions or comments about this guide, please send an e-mail
to [email protected]. That's zero-zero-two, by the way. Remember that not
all e-mail messages will be read. Please follow these guidelines:
Do include "Mario Golf" in the subject line.
Do send polite suggestions for ways to make this walkthrough better.
Do tell me about any errors or omissions you find, especially with the
tournament cameos.
Do ask any questions you have about Mario Golf gameplay. I will respond
eventually if you follow all of these rules.
Do tell me if you break one of my records.
Do make a reasonable effort to use decent spelling, grammar, usage,
punctuation, and capitalization so that I can understand what you're trying to
say.
Do use patience. I check my messages quite sporadically.
Do not send spam, pornography, chain letters, "flaming," or anything that
contains profanity or vulgarity. Again, violation of this rule will result in
deletion of the message and permanent constipation.
And lastly, a public service message: Fight for and affirm the rights of all
humans, regardless of race, age, or creed! And... Don't forget to eat your five
fruits and vegetables today for better health. Nobody's going to read this,
anyway.
- For my crazy neighbors who stole the U-Haul in 1999
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