__ __ _ ____ _ ____ / \ / \ / \ | _ \ | | / \ / /\ \// \ \ / _ \ | |_) | | | | /\ | | | | | | | | |_| | | / | | | | | | | | | | | | | _ | | |\ \ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | \ \ | | | \/ | |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| \_\ |_| \____/ ___ ____ _ ____ / \ / \ | | | __| | /\_\ | /\ | | | | |__ | | ___ | | | | | | | __| | || | | | | | | | | | | \/ / | \/ | | |__ | | \___/ \____/ |____| |_| VinnyVideo's FAQ/Strategy Guide for Mario Golf (N64) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 the gameplay is surprisingly realistic. The graphics are pretty good for a 1999 N64 game, although they can be blocky at times, and slowdown is occasionally a problem. The music is excellent. It's not CD-quality, of course, but the energetic tunes feel perfect 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 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, as in the Tiger Woods PGA Tour games. I like other little details like the familiar (and not-so-familiar) names that 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 have 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 earlier tournaments, but you'll want to use one of the unlockable characters for the later, more difficult tournaments. 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 or her for one-player play. The computer-controlled oponents, especially Wario, will play near perfection for the first few holes, but later in the round it will begin to make mistakes that you can exploit. Get Character mode is another good way to earn Course Points. If you like 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 can be 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 - and bragging rights - if you complete enough of them. 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. Using the "Course View" feature on the pause menu helps tremendously - although taking Geometry (and staying awake during class) might help too! 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. It's a great way to experiment with different characters and courses in a low-pressure environment. ---------------------------------------- 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. Fortunately, 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 round from the beginning. 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 ---------------------------------------- This menu has 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 following: * 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 handy reminder if you lack an FAQ) * Give Up (which ends your hole with a score of par times three - not recommended outside of match play) * 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 Control Stick or Control Pad 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 try to 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 ---------------------------------------- Elevation ---------------------------------------- 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 your potential distance, especially for woods. 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. ---------------------------------------- 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 is a tendency to hook the ball, making it curve from right to left. A fade is the opposite: a left-to- right curve (in its more extreme form, a slice). If you hit a "Nice Shot," your ball will 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 veer wildly off target. 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 farther to the left. Also remember that natural fades and draws mostly affect drives, especially 1-wood power shots, and have a much less significant impact on short irons. For this reason, you might want to consider using 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 natural draw or fade tendency (such as Yoshi or Peach) until they're more experienced. There's a lot to keep in mind, but eventually you'll understand how to deal with a draw or fade. ---------------------------------------- Lies: Good and Bad ---------------------------------------- The condition of the surface you're hitting from will have a significant effect 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 (assuming no elevation changes or wind). 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 in-progress game 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 shot 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 always 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. Lastly, I'm pretty sure there's no way you can use the GBC characters in the Virtual Console version of the game. Please e-mail me if I'm wrong. ---------------------------------------- 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 (and 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, since your shot won't go as far as normal. Conversely, 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. <>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. ---------------------------------------- Other Tips and Notes ---------------------------------------- <>If you don't understand some of the terminology used in the game, you might want to get the Game Boy Color version of Mario Golf, too; it has a good golf glossary. <>Remember that rain slows down fairways as well as greens. <>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 though 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 chose 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, fireballs, eyeballs, 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). <>If you play a stroke game with four Yoshies, the music will be different. This is the only way you can hear that hidden song. Credit goes to MasterYoshidino on the GameFAQs forums for this, by the way. <>It sounds like Mario whistles the opening notes of the Minuet of Forest from Zelda 64 when he pars. <>The game's mechanics are similar to all the other Mario Golf games for the NES, Game Boy Color, GameCube, and Game Boy Advance. <>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 those two were left out. The Koopalings 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. Since I wrote my guide, they've started appearing in lots of Mario games again. <>Pauline appears (in tournament cameos) for the first time since the original Donkey Kong. Also, the Koopalings (except Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and indirectly Super Mario Sunshine), make their first 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. <>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] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This chart shows how each character plays: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This section includes tips for each hole at the game's six regular courses. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------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 fly 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 fall 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 sand splits the fairway in two, so you'll have to choose which side you want to aim at. 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 - or maybe that's where the really nasty enemies live! 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 three 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 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 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 two 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 distinctive 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 ---------------------------------------- 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 might be the 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 them in Snowman's Land 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 SM64 An alternate name for SM64 Cheep-Cheeps; probably not the dino from the 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 An entry-level 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; the voice of Charlie, and the announcer; not the NFL defensive lineman Dexter Manley 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 ? Not sure 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 and cover athlete for Nintendo baseball video games King Zora OoT The king of the aquatic fish-people Kobe NBA Kobe Bryant; Lakers hoops star 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; has recently resurfaced 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 gal pal from the Lost Woods Scuttle Bug SM64 These orange spiders appear in dark locations Sheik OoT Spoiler warning: 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 Classic Mario enemies: 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) NIN - Nintendo programmer/developer ? - Unknown - most likely Nintendo employee ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 updating/correcting various things. 3- 9-11 | 1.2 |100KB | Added a note about a hidden song and the Wii | | | version's lack of GBC compatibility. 5- 6-17 | 1.3 |110KB | Made a few small tweaks - fixed a draw/fade oops, | | | and improved the formatting. Forgot to submit it. 9-28-17 | 1.31 |111KB | Made a few random updates and corrections. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Copyright [COPYR] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (c) 2008-2017 VinnyVideo. All rights reserved. All trademarks mentioned in this guide are property of their respective owners. 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 anything. The latest version will always be available at GameFAQs.com, but don't count on there being frequent updates. You can translate this guide into a foreign language 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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Contact Information [CONTC] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you have any questions or comments about this guide, please send an e-mail to VHamilton002@gmail.com. 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. Also, don't forget to eat your five fruits and vegetables today for better health. They're good for ya. - For my crazy neighbors who stole the U-Haul in 1999 and made my life very entertaining