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Retro Game Walkthroughs For
"Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour"
(Gamecube)

Retro Game Walkthroughs for Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour (Gamecube)
Submitted By: Johnson
M A R I O G O L F : T O A D S T O O L T O U R

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to my Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour walkthrough guide. Here I will explain to you all the main modes of play within the game and with my helpful tips hopefully make them easier to complete. So without further ado, lets get down to the green.

CHARACTERS

MARIO

Shot Path: Straight
Max yards: 212
Shot height: High

Impact: 10/20
Control: 5/20
Spin: 14/20

Mario is a very good character for the beginner. He has pretty good stats, with a straight shot path and a good amount of max yards, making him very easy for the beginner to use. His only problem is that he hits his shots high, making them more affected by the wind.

PEACH

Shot Path: Straight
Max yards: 203
Shot height: Medium

Impact: 13/20
Control: 12/20
Spin: 5/20

Peach is another good character to select. She has good Impact and Control, and her shot height is medium, so the wind won’t affect it that much. However, her max yards are quite low, but if you use the Auto-swing in your game a lot, then Peach would be a good character for you to use.

LUIGI

Shot Path: Left
Max yards: 206
Shot height: Low

Impact: 16/20
Control: 10/20
Spin: 6/20

Luigi is a very good character to use for the more advanced player. He has excellent Impact and good Control, and his shot height is low, meaning wind will barely affect his shots. He also has good max yards, but his shot path swerves left, so the beginner may find Luigi a bit too tough to handle.

YOSHI

Shot Path: Straight
Max yards: 208
Shot height: Medium

Impact: 13/20
Control: 9/20
Spin: 9/20

Yoshi is an excellent all-round character. He hits the ball in a straight path, his height is medium so the wind won’t play a major part in his game and his max yards are good. He also has fairly good Control and Spin with a good Impact, and I would suggest to any player who’s got some experience of the game to play as Yoshi.

KOOPA TROOPA

Shot Path: Right
Max yards: 200
Shot height: Medium

Impact: 14/20
Control: 14/20
Spin: 7/20

Not a bad character, but Koopa stats would not benefit anyone who would prefer to play as an all-round character. His shot path swerves to the right, he has the lowest max yards in the game and has bad spin. However, with very good Impact and Control and a medium shot height Koopa I would only recommend to players who are very good at the game.

DONKEY KONG

Shot Path: Far left
Max yards: 215
Shot height: Low

Impact: 10/20
Control: 5/20
Spin: 12/20

Donkey Kong is all about powerful play. He has good Impact and Spin, but with a far left shot path and poor Control, plus a low Shot height meaning course obstacles are a hazard, DK is a very difficult character to play with. However, his max yards are very high meaning he can hit very long shots.

WARIO

Shot Path: Far left
Max yards: 210
Shot height: Very low

Impact: 11/20
Control: 7/20
Spin: 9/20

Wario in ways is similar to DK. His shots swerve to the far left, and his shot hits very low, meaning wind won’t play a part in his game, although course obstacles are a major hazard. Plus with a large max yards, and fairly good stats, Wario is more about power than tactics.

DAISY

Shot Path: Right
Max yards: 213
Shot height: High

Impact: 10/20
Control: 6/20
Spin: 13/20

Daisy is quite a useful character to play with. She has large max yards, and has good Impact and Control. However, her control isn’t very good and she hits her shots high, meaning the wind plays a major part in her game. Best used for more experienced gamers.

BIRDO

Shot Path: Left
Max yards: 209
Shot height: High

Impact: 12/20
Control: 8/20
Spin: 11/20

Birdo is the closest you’ll get to an average character. Her good Impact and Spin and fairly good Control added with a large max yards make her very useful for some situations. However, with a high shot height, and all-round stats she can sometimes be a poor character to play with.

DIDDY KONG

Shot Path: Right
Max yards: 207
Shot height: High

Impact: 13/20
Control: 9/20
Spin: 7/20

Another average character, Diddy Kong has pretty good max yards and Impact, plus his shot path can be occasionally useful. However, his stats aren’t that great, especially spin, and the wind also plays into his game, making him a character that I would only recommend to more experienced gamers.

WALUIGI

Shot Path: Right
Max yards: 209
Shot height: Medium

Impact: 13/20
Control: 9/20
Spin: 12/20

Waluigi is quite a good character and is a good choice for beginners. He has good Impact and Control, and hits a good amount of max yards and hits his heights at a medium height. He doesn’t match up to the very good standards, but is a safe bet to the less experienced gamers.

BOWSER

Shot Path: Far right
Max yards: 217
Shot height: Medium

Impact: 8/20
Control: 4/20
Spin: 15/20

Bowser, like DK, is more about power than precision. He can hit a massive amount of max yards, plus his Spin is excellent and he hits shots at a medium height, meaning wind won’t play a major part in his game. However, his Control is very poor and he hits his shots to the far right, so Bowser I would recommend to very experienced gamers.

PETEY PIRANHA (SECRET CHARACTER)

Shot path: Straight
Max yards: 220
Star max yards: 300
Shot height: Very high

Impact: 9/20
Star Impact: 4/20
Control/Star Control: 6/20
Spin/Star Spin: 9/20

As a star character, Petey’s excellent max yards and power make him a very powerful character to play as. However, with a very high shot, the wind can swerve his ball right off the course, and his stats are nothing more than fairly average. If you’re looking for power, Petey is the ideal choice for you.

BOO (SECRET CHARACTER)

Shot path: Far right
Max yards: 208
Star max yards: 253
Shot height: Medium

Impact: 12/20
Star Impact: 7/20
Control/Star Control: 9/20
Spin/Star Spin: 7/20

Despite being a secret character, Boo isn’t all that good. Although he has good Impact and a medium shot height which play to his advantage, his Impact and Spin are nothing to shout about and with a far right shot, Boo is a character that could make your game very difficult.

SHADOW MARIO (SECRET CHARACTER)

Shot path: Left
Max yards: 212
Star max yards: 275
Shot height: Low

Impact: 10/20
Star Impact: 5/20
Control/Star Control: 6/20
Spin/Star Spin: 6/20

Shadow Mario is a fairly decent character, with quite a good max yards and good Impact. However, his low shot height mean obstacles on the course may play a part in his game, and his other stats are quite poor. I wouldn’t recommend this character, as he isn’t that good.

BABY BOWSER (SECRET CHARACTER)

Shot path: Straight
Max yards: 211
Star max yards: 268
Shot height: Low

Impact: 11/20
Star Impact: 6/20
Control/Star Control: 7/20
Spin/Star Spin: 9/20

Quite a useful character to play as, Baby Bowser hits straight shots and his max yards a very good too. His stats are pretty average, with good Impact, but he hits his shots low, meaning the course obstacles may get in the way, although the wind won’t affect his game. A good character for less experienced players.

TERRAIN

ELEVATION

Elevation means how high or low a patch of the terrain you are playing on is. When you aim, a grid will appear surrounding the landing point of the ball. Red lines mean higher elevation where the ball lands, blue means lower elevation and white means equal elevation. The arrows will show you the slope and steepness of the patch of land. An arrow that slopes down means the hill slopes down, and vice versa when it slopes up. The size of the arrow determines the steepness of the hill; a larger arrow means a steeper hill. If now arrow appears, the ground is flat.

FAIRWAY

The fairway is basically most of the course, excluding course hazards and other patches of terrain. The fairway does not affect your ball lie, and doesn’t require you to hit any difficult shots. Mainly located in the centre of the course, the fairway won’t affect the ball roll, and unless it rains it will roll fine.

FAST FAIRWAY

These fairways aren’t introduced until later into the game, but when the do appear they’ll appear a lot more in the game. The fast fairway is light green, and doesn’t look like grass. They range from different sizes, and when the ball lands on them, it rolls much further than on a regular fairway. If you add topspin to your shots, they can roll great distances. When in open spaces, fast fairways can get you very close to the green, but sometimes they can make your shots very difficult if your ball rolls too far.

GREEN

The green is the place where the pin is always located. The green is an area of very short grass, usually about 100 feet in diameter and varying in length. If you can hit the ball onto the green two strokes under par, you’ll see ‘Nice One’ appear on the green, meaning a birdie. If you hit three under, you’ll see ‘Great’ meaning an eagle.

BUNKERS

Bunkers are a golfer’s worst enemy. If your ball lands in a bunker, it could seriously affect your shot. When you land in a bunker, your lie will suffer and you’ll need to get your ball out. If you land in a bad position, I suggest you use a sand wedge to get your ball out as although you’ll only hit around 60 yards, you’ll probably get the ball out safely.

Grass bunkers are common in Bowser Badlands. They look like tall patches of grass and can seriously affect your lie. Very difficult to get out of, I again suggest the sand wedge to get you out. Beach Bunkers on the other hand are not as frustrating, but can still affect your lie. Mainly found in Blooper Open, they are easier to get out of, but don’t make a habit of firing your shots into bunkers.

ROUGHES

There are three types of rough; heavy rough, semi rough and rough. Semi roughs are the least devastating of the three. Usually found on the edges of regular rough, this terrain barely affects your lie so don’t worry about them much. Roughs on the other hand are more difficult to get out of. Not very hard to get out of, but sometimes you can land in a difficult position, and there are usually trees and other obstacles around rough patches meaning progress will be slow.

Heavy rough is very frustrating to get out of. They will affect you ball lie a lot, and are usually located past normal roughs. Probably one of the most difficult terrain patches to get out of, they are also usually surrounded by trees, meaning getting the ball out is very difficult and time-consuming.

FLOWER PATCH

Flower patches are uncommon terrain, and won’t really affect your ball lie as much as bunkers and other areas. Usually found around the edges of holes, they are easily recognisable due to the flowers different bright colours. When your ball lands in a flower patch, a group of Pikmin will fly out.

ROCK

Another uncommon type of terrain, rock patches are found in the Shifting Sands the most, and no other areas. It is quite hard to land into a rock patch, as your ball will usually just bounce off the rock and into another type of terrain. However, if your ball does land in a rock patch, it will affect your ball lie quite a bit. Rock patches are also disguised as countless numbers of items, such as flat areas and pillars.

WASTE AREA

Only really found in the Shifting Sands, Waste areas affect your ball lie quite a bit, but not as much as rock. Your ball won’t bounce into waste areas, just fall and stop. Waste areas are lighter coloured than regular bunkers and usually found off to the hole sides and are big open spaces, although you may find smaller patches in the middle.

HAZARDS

WATER/LAVA

Exactly the same, water and lava patches are places where if your ball lands in them, you’ll have to re-do the stroke, and you’ll get a one-stroke penalty. The most common place for water is Blooper Open and lava areas can be found in Bowser Badlands. Usually found on the side of the hole, but you can find little ponds of them scattered in various places.

TREES

Scattered around the hole, if your ball lands in a tree you’ll have to again re-do the shot and receive a one-stroke penalty. Sometimes your ball will fall out of the tree and land at the base, but that isn’t always a good thing.

THWOMP

Found in Bowser Badlands only, Thwomps will slam down on your ball if it lands underneath them, and affect your ball lie quite a bit.

BOM-OMB

The Bom-Omb is a big black bomb that sleeps around the hole. If your ball lands near it, the bomb will explode and send your ball flying into a different place. Sometimes this can play to your advantage, as it may be blasted onto the green, but sometimes your ball could be blown into another hazard or back several yards.

GAME MODES

TOURNAMENT

This is the main attraction of the game. There are over five different tournaments, with a selection of unlockable ones. Here you can play for trophies, play the holes for fun, or even play from the front tees.

CHARACTER MATCH

Another main mode, the Character match allows you to play as other characters for fun. However, if you see an envelope next to a character, it means they want to challenge you. If you accept and win, you will unlock the star version of the character, which is a better version of that character (When you unlock the hidden characters, they already have their star characters).

STROKE PLAY

In Stroke Play, your aim is to complete the hole in as few strokes as possible. You must select a cup and play all 18 courses of that cup and get the lowest score you can.

DOUBLES MATCH

In this mode, two characters will face off against another two in a match. You each take it in turns to hit a stroke, until eventually one team wins. You can play doubles match using the following options:

Stroke Play
Match Play
Four Slots
Three Slots
Skins Match

RING ATTACK

Another main mode, here you have to hit the ball through all the rings floating in the air and get the ball in the hole under par. If you miss a ring or go over par, you have to start again. If you complete this mode, you will unlock one of the secret characters.

CLUB SLOTS

In this match you complete with a limited amount of clubs. The clubs you use are determined by a slot machine. You can do Four Slots, which determines clubs and items, or you can play Three Slots which only selects clubs.

COIN ATTACK

Here you play all 18 courses of a cup, and the courses will be littered with hundreds of gold coins. You can either play Quick Cash, where you collect the coins and gain extra coins for getting the ball in two under par, or you can try Cash Cup where you collect as many coins as you can and get the ball in on par.

SPEED GOLF

Here you compete in 18 courses and you need to complete them in the fastest time possible. All the regular rules of the game apply and you can’t save in this mode either.

NEAR-PIN

In Near-Pin, you take part in 18 courses but you only get one stroke, and you must try to get as close as you can to the pin in one stroke. Simple as that.

SIDE GAMES

There are also four side-games in Mario Golf, which are as follows:

Birdie Challenge – Here you need to complete an 18 course cup getting as many birdies as you can. Complete this game to unlock a secret character.

Shot Practice – Here you can practice your regular shots.

Approach Practice – Here you can practice your approach shots.

Putting Practice – Here you can practice your putting.

Complete the practice modes to unlock a secret character.

TRAINING

Training mode allows you to practice individual holes and improve your skills. You can only play holes you’ve unlocked.

MATCH PLAY

For only 2 players, this is a face off against your other player. You must complete the hole in the least strokes to win. You must win ten holes to win the match.

SKINS MATCH

For 2-4 players, here you can compete with fellow players in an 18 course cup and win by winning each hole.

STAR TOURNAMENTS

The star tournaments are unlocked after completing the first six tournaments, and here you play the back tees of the holes.

SIDE GAMES

This guide will give you some hints on how to beat the side games, which will also improve your overall game. Remember, completing the side games will unlock a few new characters.

BIRDIE CHALLENGE

To unlock Baby Bowser, beat the front nine, and then back nine, then all the 18 holes this challenge has to offer.

Use Koopa Troopa for this challenge as his max yards are the lowest and he’ll end up closet to the pin.

Never shoot straight for the pin. Always shoot several yards infront as that will set up the birdie for you, otherwise your ball will just bounce past and make your life more difficult.

If you mess up a shot or overshoot, start over. You will hardly ever complete this challenge if you mess up a shot. Birdie challenge is all about precision.

Always check the wind as it can have major effects on your game, and check the elevation of the course as slopes and hills can affect your ball lie quite a bit and prevent you landing in your desired spot.

Take your time on this challenge. One mistake like over or under shooting can mean game over for you or make your life a whole lot harder. Precision is your best friend here, so practice a lot with the Manual swinging to improve your game.

SHOOTING

In the Shooting mode, you need to get 8/10 shots inside the red circle. This gets harder as you go through the different difficulties.

Use a star character, as they can hit further than their normal selves and make this challenge much easier.

Try to aim near the front of the circle, as it will usually roll into the middle. Overshooting will result in your ball flying out of the circle, so be careful.

Always check the wind as it can send your ball off course and prevent you landing in the circle.

Never add backspin or super topspin. This will always result in your ball falling short or flying past the circle. Using regular topspin is fine as long as you don’t overshoot.

APPROACHING

Use Koopa Troopa for this challenge as his approaching doesn’t roll as far as other characters.

When in rough areas or bunkers, don’t try to add a few yards to your shot as you don’t need them as you can easily hit the circle without the extra yards.

If you overshoot, hold down on the control stick as that will take out some of the sting from the shot and make it easier to reach the circle.

Never add topspin, as you don’t need it for approach shots, and never add backspin as you shouldn’t exceed the pin by a great amount, so you don’t need it.

Always aim for the front of the circle as it will usually bounce into the centre. Never aim for the centre as it may bounce out of the circle, so it’s safer to aim for the front. And what ever you do, never aim past the pin, unless off course you don’t want it to land in the circle.

PUTTING

It doesn’t really matter what character you use here. Their putting is more or less the same.

Watch for slopes on the green as they can send your ball off course.

Watch when taking a middle or long range putt as it is very easy to overshoot and mess up the shot.

Unlike the other challenges, aim for the middle of the circle or even the cup itself as it will usually reach the front or the centre.

Watch for elevations. Add extra yards if you need to go up a hill, and take off a few when shooting downhill.

Always aim for the centre of the circle, as slopes can seriously mess up your shot if you aim to the left or to the right.

TOURNAMENT HINTS

Try not to give up your strokes whilst playing, as you will receive devastating penalties, some as high as +10. Don’t give up unless you are struggling badly on the course.

Always take note of the wind. If it is blowing against you, hit a couple more yards than you want. If it is blowing in the same direction, hit the ball back a few yards. Also use the direction of the wind to your advantage.

Try to use spins in your game. If you feel the shot will go too far, put backspin on it, and if you feel the ball won’t reach the cup, use topspin. Superspins are also very useful to use, although you’ll need good aiming for the ball to end up where you want it.

Try not to use Auto Swing. Practice with Manual swing before you enter the tournaments, as the Auto swing limits the places where you can hit the ball and should only be used for extreme beginners.

If you don’t feel you will make the hole in par, save and quit, as when you start the hole again, you’ll be at the beginning again. Very useful to use for the tricky courses later on in the game.

TOURNAMENTS

Here I will take you through the best strategies to use on every hole through every cup. Note that these strategies should work with every character.

LAKITU CUP

The easiest cup in the game. The Lakitu cup has very few bunkers and there is very little wind and weather hazards throughout the holes. Be careful though of the trees on the sides of the holes as they can affect your shots. For most part of the holes, the green is flat, but it can get slightly uneven later on.

HOLE 2 (PAR 4)

At the start of the hole, position yourself so that you are firing over the group of trees slightly to the left of you. You should use the power shot and try to hit it as far as possible. Once you reach the green, you will notice it is slightly slanted. Aim a little to the left of the hole, and that should bring you to within around 20 yards of the hole. Now remember that the ground slopes, so you may miss the next shot, but if you do you can still make par.

HOLE 5 (PAR 5)

Start by hitting your shot a little to the left, so that it doesn’t land near the trees on the hill. Now hit a super topspin shot with plenty of power to gain plenty of yards. The next shot is difficult. Aim to the right of the trees, but not too much as the ball could land in the bunker. Now use an IW club and reduce the power in your shot. If done correctly, you should be lined up perfectly.

Switch to the approach wedge, and aim right in front of the hole and take your shot. The ball should roll nicely into the hole for an eagle. If it misses, it will be directly infront of the cup and you can make an eagle.

HOLE 9 (PAR 5)

On your first shot switch to power and add super topspin because if your shot falls short it will hit the trees and land in the bunker. Now the next shot may be difficult if your character hits low yards, as there is a tall tree and large bunker infront of the green. Hit a powerful shot onto the green over the tree and you’ll be safe.

Aim the next shot a little infront of the cup and shoot. The ball should roll nicely infront of the hole and stop around 10 feet away from it. Now hit the ball in for an easy eagle.

HOLE 15 (PAR 4)

There are two hazards on the first shot; a tree and a bunker. To avoid these, hit the shot with impact to avoid the tree, and add super topspin to avoid the bunker. On the next shot, beware of the tree ahead and use impact on the bottom of the ball to avoid it without trouble. Now aim at the cup on the next shot, and you should bag a birdie.

CHEEP CHEEP TOUNAMENT

The next course in the series contains plenty of water hazards, plus the wind and weather will be greater throughout the holes so a lot more skill is needed here to get the holes in on or under par. This tournament also is home to plenty more bunkers and trees. But as long as you stay on course, you should pass this easily.

HOLE 8 (PAR 4)

On your first shot, hit the ball with plenty of power but make sure you hit the middle of the impact zone. If you don’t the ball could fly into the bunkers or the rough on the course. The next shot, hit directly over the bunker near the green. Now, even if you hit the next shot directly for the pin the uneven ground could roll it off course. You may make a birdie, but if you don’t the next shot is easy enough infront of the pin for par.

HOLE 9 (PAR 5)

Hit your first shot as far as you can with plenty of super topspin. Now, you can either on your next shot hit it over the water hazard and save two shots, or play safely and play onto the grass. If you go for the hazard, you must use power to get it onto the green, and if you miss you’ll get a penalty.

If you go for the safe option, hit the next shot as far as you can onto the grass. The next shot should be aimed over the water hazard and hit it as far as you can. Once you’re over the water, aim the shot around 3 yards infront of the cup for a birdie. If you miss, you can still make par.

HOLE 13 (PAR 5)

This course is full of water hazards, so be careful. On your first shot, use plenty of power and hit it as far as you can. You should progress nicely along the course without touching the water hazards. If you’re a star character, you need to reduce power otherwise your ball will land in the water.

Once onto the green, aim your next shot around five yards from the cup and shoot. You should get it in, but if you don’t the ball should set up nicely for a birdie.

SHIFTING SANDS

The third tournament in the series is very difficult to the others due to the great increase of bunkers and hazards. The wind also picks up on this course, and can reach up to 15mph! However, it doesn’t rain here, for obvious reasons, so weather doesn’t really affect your game. There are also very few trees here; instead there are more bunkers. Be very careful on this course.

HOLE 2 (PAR 5)

On your first shot, you need to shoot onto a small island surrounded by a lake; very nice for the start of the course. On your first shot, shoot as far as you can onto the main island. If you can’t reach, use the smaller islands around the edge surrounded by bunkers instead of water.

Once onto the main island, switch to power and aim for the fairway that’s right infront of the green. Now hit your next shot onto the green without too much power, and then aim right infront of the hole and shoot. You should make it in, otherwise your ball will land right next to the hole for an easy hit.

HOLE 4 (PAR 3)

First shot you must hit over a large bunker onto the top of a pyramid. If you fall short, you’ll land in the bunker and almost definitely get a bogey. If you overshoot, you’ll have to redo the course. So no pressure on your first shot.

Once onto the pyramid, switch to a 7I or 8I club, and aim to the right of the hole and reduce your yard count by around 5. Your ball may land in the rough or a bunker, but that’s okay as then you can approach the next shot from distance and get a birdie.

HOLE 14 (PAR 5)

You should hit your first shot as far as you can with power. You should land to the left of the river. Now, if you take the shortcut over the river you can miss about 2-3 shots. However, if you fall short you’ll get a penalty.

If you don’t decide to take the shortcut, which is a wise idea, hit your next shot as far as possible. Watch out for the rough areas that litter this course. Your next you should aim to shoot onto the green, then you can knock in your next shot with an approach shot.

HOLE 18 (PAR 5)

Begin the last hole by hitting the first shot over the large obstacle infront of you using a power shot. You should now land behind a bunker. Next shot, shoot toward the green, but not actually on it. Then shoot in for an eagle, or birdie if you miss. Watch for the countless number of hazards on this course.

BLOOPER OPEN

If you have a fairly good amount of Mario knowledge you’ll know that a Blooper is a sea creature in his games. So yes, you’ve guessed the next course is all about water. Fast fairways have now been introduced, meaning your ball will roll much faster than before, so adjusting is needed. Beach bunkers are not as disastrous as normal bunkers, so don’t cry if you land in one, and watch for the wind which has rapidly picked up here. This course is very hard, so be prepared.

HOLE 8 (PAR 4)

For all the holes, the ocean is on the left side of the course. Your first shot should be aimed to land on the lower level of the island, so use a power shot. Hit your next shot close to the green. The next shot is tricky, as the green is very big, but with a good level of accuracy you should get a birdie no problem.

HOLE 15 (PAR 4)

This course is also quite challenging. You’ll need to hit your ball onto the turtle area using great accuracy as the ball can roll off into the rough areas. Hit the ball between the two rows and aim your next shot a few feet from the hole. Your ball should bounce into the hole, and if not you can still make par.

HOLE 18 (PAR 5)

The first part of this hole is very difficult. There is a huge wall blocking your path and you can’t avoid it. Use one shot to hit your ball infront of the wall and another to the right onto the higher area. Watch your power here as too much could result in your ball flying into the ocean.

Your next shot you’ll need to hit across the island, but not too far, near the centre of the fairway. Now use a 9I club to hit the ball onto the third level and then aim your shot onto the green. With luck, it should bounce into the hole. Otherwise, you can still make par.

PEACH’S INVITATIONAL

This course introduces warp pipes and Chain chomps for the first time. Warp pipes are very useful, as sometimes they can take you to the green or other times cross over the course. Chain chomps on the other hand are not so helpful. Land in their pit, and they’ll eat up your ball and reward you with a penalty. Very charming! The wind is strong here, usually 10-15 mph, and rain occurs quite a lot. You should try to aim for the warp pipes all the time as they can be very helpful.

HOLE 2 (PAR 4)

This hole has plenty of chain chomps and water hazards, so beware of these. Hit your first shot over the rough area and the chain chomp using a good amount of power. Luckily you’ll miss out a good section of the course. Now use approach and aim for the front of the cup. It should land within 10 feet of the cup, setting up a birdie.

HOLE 7 (PAR 4)

Hit your first shot as far as you can using power with plenty of topspin. However, don’t let it curve to the right tough, as the flower beds will make life difficult. Now aim for the green, but be careful as overshooting will result in your ball landing in the water. Once on the green, you’ll need to change to a middle putting club. If you miss, you can still make par.

HOLE 8 (PAR 5)

Remember Super Mario 64? Bomb-Omb Battlefield? King Bom-Omb? This course will have Mario fans crying like babies. Anyway, hit your first shot with plenty of power to the right of the fast fairway infront of you. Now you need to make the high ledge onto the green. Try to aim for the cup, as you’ll set up a birdie. Otherwise you can still make par.

HOLE 12 (PAR 5)

There are many Chain chomps on this hole, so look out for these. Aim your first shot between the fourth and fifth chomp, then hit your next shot as far as possible whilst avoiding the chomps. Now switch to approach, and aim for the cup. Bear in mind the green slopes here, so you may not make the cup, but you can still make a birdie.

HOLE 18 (PAR 5)

Aim your first shot for the yellow warp pipe in the bunker. Hopefully it will land in and fly out near the green. Hit your next shot over the tree and it should land very near the cup. Now hit the ball in for an eagle. Excellent work!

BOWSER CHAMPIONSHIP

The last cup is, you’ve guessed it, the hardest cup. Actually, this is much harder than even the likes of Peach’s Invitational! The wind is ever-present, and will affect your game a lot. The holes a basically littered with hazards, and Thwomps, Bom-Ombs and lava are introduced. This cup is evil, and you’ll hate it from the moment you hit your first ball. Remember the hint I told you about saving and quitting? Use that to your advantage on this course. Good Luck!

HOLE 3 (PAR 5)

Watch the chain chomps to your left, and aim to the right past the island and toward the land. Once onto the land, your ne
Submitted By: Ghost Killer
The Gamecube may be neat the end, but that doesn’t mean it didn’s have some great games on it. One of my favourites was Mario Golf and here’s a little guide to help you select the right character and watch out for hazards.

ELEMENTS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT BEFORE YOU START

Wind

Wind is very very important. If you don’t pay attention to later levels when the wind is strong you will miscalculate your shots. If the wind is faster than 5mph then adjust your shot. The more powerful he wind the more adjusting it will need.

Topspin and Super Topspin

These are mainly used to gain some extra yards on drives and secondary shots. Usually use super topspin when you’re sure you will follow onto the green.

Backspin and Super Backspin

These can be great for landing on the green as making a shot that goes too far can be recovered by backspinning to make it closer to the pin. These two are also useful to stop the ball rolling into a hazrard.

Auto Swing

When is the best time to use autoswing? Well it depends. If you don’t need to use any backspin and accuracy isn’t essential then go ahead and use it. Also a nice trick, if you are on the edge of the green or in a bunker just off it (no more than 20 yards) then use auto swing. Tap the A button just a little before the actual distance to the pin and more often than not the ball will trickle in!


STATS

Control

This measures how accurately the golfer will match the path set by the ball given there is no wind. Lower stat means that the golfer isn’t going to follow that path very well.

Impact

The higher you have for this stat the bigger the window for error when taking your shot. If your character has a low number for this area, then it will need better precision to take shots.

Spin

This determines how well your character can spin the ball. While not an essential skill it can be important especially when hitting onto the green.


HAZARDS & OBSTACLES

Water/Lava Hazard

The same thing essentially. If you land in one of these you will have to redo your shot or take it at the water’s edge and what’s more is you’ll get a nasty penalty shot as well. Avoid.

Chain-Chomp

These huge metal enemies will run at your ball and eat it giving you a penalty point and making you retake your shot. Chain-Chomps only attack the ball if you land in their circular area. If you hit the ball too far for them to reach they will remain asleep.

Bomb-Omb

Hit a ball at one of these and the bomb-omb will set off causing a huge explosion which will send the golf ball in any direction. It’s best to avoid them, as the explosion can send the ball into another hazard!

Trees

Trees are very common and more often than not you will hit one. They will slow your ball down or stop it altogether before causing the ball to land nearby. Be careful as a ball behind a tree isn’t going to leave an easy shot next time.

Warp Pipes

These are really useful and can shave off a shot or two. However plan your move as the pipes are colour coded. Meaning if you hit the ball into a red pipe it will reappear out of a red pipe. Also accuracy is key here as under shooting the ball will result in it landing behind the pipe!

Thwomps

These land right on your ball if you lie underneath them. They then affect the lie of you ball a lot so making your next shot is a lot harder.


LAND TYPES

Fairway

This is what you’re going to be aiming for a majority of the time off your tee. It’s usually in the centre of the course and allows never contains any hazards. It also allows an easy shot to be taken on your next go.

Fast Fairway

This is similar to the fairway except (yeah you guessed it) the ball moves faster. With topspin and backspin it’s ideal to know when to use each. If you are hitting the golf ball onto a fast fairway that is near an edge try backspin and the ball may over shoot and roll over the edge. If there’s no hazards and just a long stretch of fairway ahead then by all means topspin. This could gain you up to 20 additional yards.

Sand Bunkers

These should be avoided at all costs as they affect the lie of your ball making it near impossible to make a good hit with anything above a sand wedge. Always use a sand wedge to get out. It may not hit the ball far, but using any other club to go the distance will more than likely result in you messing up the shot.

Shore Line

Obviously these are like bunkers as they are made of sand, but they don’t affect the lie of you ball as much so you could risk making a normal shot off the shore. Still though you should try and avoid them.

Grassy Bunkers

These are mean. Much worse than bunkers. They are the longest looking areas of grass found only in Bowser’s golf course. The only way you can get the ball out is to use a sand wedge. There’s no other way.

Semi-Rough

This is barely noticeable and found usually just off the fairway. It hardly affects your shot at all.

Rough

This is usually around the outside of the course and is littered with trees. This does affect your shot next go, but you could probably get away with an iron. However trees will no doubt obscure your shot so be aware.

Heavy Rough

This will affect your next shot a lot so avoid at all costs. Again trees will plague the heavy rough areas making your shot even harder!

Rock

It’s near impossible to land on rock as the ball will bounce off it if you hit it which is useful if you can aim where the ball will bounce as there are many short cuts in the Shifting Sands course that use this technique. If you do land on it, it will affect your shot so beware.

Wasteland

Darker in colour to rock and no bouncing involved, this is similar to a sand bunker but not as evil to your lie as it. It can be located around normal bunkers or around the outer edge of the course.

Flower Patch

Not as bad a hazard as you may think. It can affect your next shot only slightly, but I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Hit the ball by the way, and Pikmin will lie out of the flowers.


CHARACTERS

Mario

Shot Path: Straight
Max yards: 212
Shot height: High

Impact: 10/20
Control: 5/20
Spin: 14/20

Mario is as always a very average character. Good to start off with. He hits the ball straight and has a good spin on the ball. His control though is very low. He also hits the ball high which means it can be affected by the wind easily.


Peach

Shot Path: Straight
Max yards: 203
Shot height: Medium

Impact: 13/20
Control: 12/20
Spin: 5/20


Peach is a good player and has great impact and okay control yet her spin is very bad. Her distance isn’t very strong either, but her ability to hit the ball at a medium height means wind shouldn’t be too much of a factor.


Luigi

Shot Path: Left
Max yards: 206
Shot height: Low

Impact: 16/20
Control: 10/20
Spin: 6/20

Like Mario, Luigi is also a good character to start off with. His shot height is low which means wind isn’t a factor. However you are more hazardous to trees. His swerve to the left is useful but again his spin isn’t so hot.


Yoshi

Shot Path: Straight
Max yards: 208
Shot height: Medium

Impact: 13/20
Control: 9/20
Spin: 9/20

Yoshi doesn’t really have any glaring flaws. His hit height is medium and straight which is great. His impact is fairly high and his spin and control are about average. Good character to start off with.


Koopa Troopa

Shot Path: Right
Max yards: 200
Shot height: Medium

Impact: 14/20
Control: 14/20
Spin: 7/20

Koopa Troopa is a weak character. He has the lowest hitting range and not such a great spin. However his shot height is at a nice medium level and he has a nice amount of impact and control over the ball.


Donkey Kong

Shot Path: Far left
Max yards: 215
Shot height: Low

Impact: 10/20
Control: 5/20
Spin: 12/20

Donkey Kong has a bad spin ability. But he makes up for that with his sheer strength and relatively good impact and control. However his shot height is low so trees can get in the way of your shots but wind shouldn’t be a problem.


Wario

Shot Path: Far left
Max yards: 210
Shot height: Very low

Impact: 11/20
Control: 7/20
Spin: 9/20

Wario is quite decent and is similar to Yoshi in that his stats aren’t excellent nor poor. His control may be a little lower but his other stats are fairly good. He has the lowest shot height so trees must be kept an eye on but the wind will not affect you at all.

Daisy

Shot Path: Right
Max yards: 213
Shot height: High

Impact: 10/20
Control: 6/20
Spin: 13/20

Daisy smacks the ball pretty far and has a good spinning ability but that’s pretty much it. Her high hitting height is good for avoiding trees but expect the wind to move your ball a lot.


Birdo

Shot Path: Left
Max yards: 209
Shot height: High

Impact: 12/20
Control: 8/20
Spin: 11/20

Birdo is another of the average golfers who has okay control, spin and impact stats but with a high shot height the wind can affect your shots making it harder to predict the lie of the ball. She hits her ball to the left which is useful especially for swerving around obstacles.


Diddy Kong

Shot Path: Right
Max yards: 207
Shot height: High

Impact: 13/20
Control: 9/20
Spin: 7/20

Diddy Kong has great impact and good control over the ball, yet his spin isn’t great. He swerves the ball to the right which is good to miss obstacles yet his hitting height is high meaning wind will affect the ball.

Waluigi

Shot Path: Right
Max yards: 209
Shot height: Medium

Impact: 13/20
Control: 9/20
Spin: 12/20

Waluigi has some nice stats. His medium height means wind isn’t too much of a problem and he packs quite a punch to his shots too. His impact and spin are good and even his control is fairly positive. A good starting character.


Bowser

Shot Path: Far right
Max yards: 217
Shot height: Medium

Impact: 8/20
Control: 4/20
Spin: 15/20

Bowser is the second furthest hitter in the game and has an awesome spinning ability. His shot height is also a nice medium meaning wind isn’t too bad and hitting trees isn’t a major worry. However he has poor impact and control over the ball.


Petey Piranha

Shot path: Straight
Max yards: 220
Shot height: Very high

Impact: 9/20
Control: 6/20
Spin: 9/20

Pety Piranha is good for one thing only and that is his power. He is the strongest character in the whole game but he is terrible when it comes to spinning, control and impact. Also his shot height is very high so wind is a big factor.


Boo

Max yards: 208
Shot path: Far right
Shot height: Medium

Impact: 12/20
Control: 9/20
Spin: 7/20

Boo is fairly good. His path may be hard to get used to but his medium height allows for wind to not be too much of a problem. His impact is good and his control okay but his spin isn’t too hot.


Shadow Mario

Max yards: 212
Shot path: Left
Shot height: Low

Impact: 10/20
Control: 6/20
Spin: 6/20

Shadow Mario isn’t that great to use. His low path height means trees are a problem and his stats are just plain bad. Impact is the highlight of this character and that’s about it.


Bowser Jr.

Max yards: 211
Shot path: Straight
Shot height: Low

Impact: 11/20
Control: 7/20
Spin: 9/20

Bowser Jr. has a nice straight path and the low height while means trees can get in the way, allows wind to not affect your ball. His impact is good but his control and spin aren’t. Not a great character for beginners.

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