__ __ _ ____ _ ____ / \ / \ / \ | _ \ | | / \ / /\ \// \ \ / _ \ | |_) | | | | /\ | | | | | | | | |_| | | / | | | | | | | | | | | | | _ | | |\ \ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | \ \ | | | \/ | |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| |_| \_\ |_| \____/ ____ ____ ____ __ _ ___ ____ _ ____ / \ | _ \ | __| | \ | | / \ / \ | | | __| | /\ | | |_) | | |__ | \ | | | /\_\ | /\ | | | | |__ | | | | | __/ | __| | |\ \| | | | ___ | | | | | | | __| | | | | | | | | | | \ | | || | | | | | | | | | | \/ | | | | |__ | | \ | | \/ / | \/ | | |__ | | \____/ |_| |____| |_| |_| \___/ \____/ |____| |_| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Table of Contents ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [INTRO] Introduction [MODES] Modes of Play [CONTR] Controls/General Tips and Strategies [COURS] Course Guides [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 [VERSN] for the ever-popular Version History. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Introduction [INTRO] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is an odd title to cover for my seventeenth walkthrough, but it's certainly deserving of its own guide. Mario Open Golf is the Japanese version of NES Open Tournament Golf, the best golf game for the NES. However, Mario Open Golf has twice as many courses as NES Open! You will notice a few other differences, too; for example, there isn't a Tournament mode, most of the text is in Japanese, each course has new theme music, and the Select button doesn't do anything. If you like NES Open, you'll like this game. I recommend getting NES Open before playing this Mario Open, though, because this game is even harder. Playing Mario Open Golf on a real system could be a bit complicated, so you may have to use a ROM. However, throughout this guide I'm assuming you're playing on a real NES/Famicom (I won't talk about save states, palettes, etc.). Lastly, don't try to use this guide (except for the controls/strategies section) with NES Open, as the American game's courses are completely different, even though most of the NES Open holes appear in this game. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Modes of Play [MODES] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There's not a lot to say here, but I include this section in all of my guides for sports games. ---Stroke Play--- In this mode, you play a one-player round of golf. If you do well enough, you'll unlock more courses, each of which gets progressively harder. ---Match Play--- Match Play pits you against one of three computer-controlled opponents. You can play against Luigi (who you recognize), Tony (the redhead), and Billy (the tough guy), in that order. Billy is better than Tony, and Tony is better than Luigi. Winning is easy at Japan, but you'll have to play very well to beat the computer on the harder courses. ---Club House--- This adjusts settings and does a few other things. Change Clubs allows you to select the clubs in your bag. As in real life, you can only carry 14 clubs. I usually omit the 1-iron and 2-wood. Make sure to select the icon on the bottom-right corner once you're finished, because if you press B to exit, your club selections won't be registered. Options can turn game music on or off. You can also change the default shot speed, putt speed, and ball spin. I recommend on, medium, slow, and normal, in that order. Player Data shows records for Stroke Play mode on the first screen. The statistics are Rounds Played, Average Drive, Longest Drive, Average Score, Average Putts Per Round, and Percentage of Holes Par or Better. Press A to move on to the next screen, which shows your personal best scores at each course. Training Training mode lets you practice any hole in the game. You can practice only at courses you've played, and the Extra course isn't available (since it's just a mix of holes from other courses). Press START to take a mulligan or to return to the main menu. Memorial Holes lets you watch replays of your last 5 birdies, eagles, albatrosses, and holes-in-one. Pretty cool for 1991! Clear Saved Data erases all statistics and game progress. If you select this option, the game will ask for confirmation. The first option is yes, and the second is no. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 ready to take a shot, first use left or right on the Control Pad to move the white crosshairs and line up your shot. Try to hit the ball into the bright green grass (the fairway), where the ball will be easier to hit than the rough (the dark green grass). Also keep the ball away from bunkers, trees, and any out-of-bounds area. I sometimes place a ruler or other straightedge along the tee box and crosshairs to help me aim my ball. Next, select a swing speed. The higher the speed, the farther your shot will go, but the swing meter will move more quickly and thus be harder to control. Usually you use the Fast speed on tee shots on Par 4s and 5s, while the Slow option should generally be reserved for approach shots (although it is good for beginners). Next select your club. Scroll through using Up and Down, and take note of the distance marked on each club, which indicates approximately how far each club will hit the ball if you make a Nice Shot. Remember that many factors affect how far your ball travels, particularly wind and lie. After you've selected your club, select the kind of spin you want on the ball. Topspin will help your ball roll farther, increasing distance on drives. Backspin will reduce roll on wood shots and can even cause the ball to spin backwards on some iron or wedge shots. Backspin-2 is a stronger form of Backspin-1; Topspin-2 is more pronounced than Topspin-1. Once you select your spin, you're ready to take a shot. Press A to begin your swing. When the triangle below the bar 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 Approach Shots and Hooks and Slices sections. While you're making your shot, hold Up on the control pad if you want a shot with low trajectory (similar to topspin), or hold Down if you want high trajectory, which results in a high shot that rolls a long distance. If you make a wrong selection, press B to back up to the previous selection. If you press B from the swing speed selection menu, you can check your scorecard, examine a close-up of the green, view the current lie, see a bird's-eye view of the course, or watch a replay of your last shot. At any time in play, press START if you want to quit the game. Press A to choose the first option if you're sure you want to quit. Otherwise, select the second option to return to play. Remember: The longer answer is always "yes" (and the default choice); the shorter is "no." You'll also be asked if you want to save your game so you can resume it the next time you play a round at the course. Again, the answer with the fewer characters is yes. You can have a game in progress at each course in each mode if you want to, so don't worry about overwriting existing saved games. ---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 60 yards from the pin. Select the slow club speed and, say, a 9-iron. This would normally hit the ball 117 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. Fig. 1 [] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | [] | | | | | | ^ ^ Use a sand wedge for your approach shot if there's a lot of rough between you and the green. You may prefer to use an iron on longer shots if you're hitting over fairway, especially if the wind is strong. This strategy of underhitting 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--- If your ball lands in a fairway bunker, just whack it out using a sand wedge at fast speed. Most bunkers, however, are near greens. If you hit into a greenside bunker, select a sand wedge and slow speed. From there, use the approach strategy. Hit the ball about 25% farther than normal, and more than that if the ball is buried in the sand. For example, a slow sand wedge will hit the ball 99 yards under normal conditions. If the ball is 40 yards from the green, I would use about 60% power in light sand. Give it slightly more oomph if the ball is buried. ---Hooks and Slices--- Sometimes, it's advantageous to hit a shot that curves to the left or right. Stop the bar to left side of the accuracy mark to make the shot curve to the right: Fig. 2 [] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | [] | | | | | | /\ ^ Stop to the right of the mark to hit a shot that starts right and goes left: Fig. 3 [] | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | [] | | | | | | /\ ^ The farther you stop the bar from the white mark, the stronger your hook or slice will be. ---Putting--- There's not much I can say here - only practice will make you putt better. The caret-like marks indicate the grain of the green, and the longer each triangle is, the steeper the slope. For example: Fig. 4 |> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<| O<<<<<<<<<<<<<The longer a club can hit the ball, the less it will be affected by wind. However, irons and wedges are easier to hit straight. <>If you ever want to use a club that's not in your bag, just save and quit the game. Then go to the Club Selection screen, equip the club you want, and restart the game. <>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. Also, each hole has two different pin placements. <>Every course in this game is a par-72. <>The game's engine is essentially the same as all of the recent Mario Golf games for the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, GameCube, and Game Boy Advance. <>My best scores are Japan 52, Australia 53, France 53, Hawaii 57, U.K. 58, and Extra 54. 326 yards is my best drive. Most importantly, experience will make you a better player. Some things, especially putting, are difficult to explain, but practice will help a lot. Also, if you're playing on an emulator, save states work wonders, as does slowing down the game speed during the swing. When I started playing NES Open Tournament Golf, I was usually hitting in the mid-80s (almost as bad as T-Dawg, Casey At Bat, and Noodle in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, or Saria, Bub, and Sheik in the N64 Mario Golf). Now I can usually get a 60 or 62 (on a real NES with no Game Genie, I might add). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Course Guides [COURS] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -------------------------------------Japan------------------------------------- Japan is the easiest course in the game. Holes are short, greens are simple, and there aren't many bunkers and water hazards. The total distance is "just" 7,089 yards. Perform well here and you'll unlock the Australian course. 1 (Par 4, 412y) Make your tee shot curve from right to left, going between the woods and bunker. Consider using your driver at medium speed or a fast 3-wood to stay a reasonable distance from the trees. With an accurate tee shot, you should be an easy medium-speed iron shot away from the green. The green isn't particularly challenging. 2 (Par 4, 405y) A long tee shot is important here, but keep your distance from the OB area by aiming a bit right. If you hit the fairway, a good second shot will set you up for a birdie on a slightly more complex green. It's still not bad, though. 3 (Par 3, 220y) This long par-three is best taken with a fast club near 3-iron territory. The green slopes strongly downhill from left to right. 4 (Par 5, 547y) This is the first par-five in the game, as well as the first hole that doesn't appear in NES Open Tournament Golf. Hitting a long tee shot can allow you to reach the green in two. Your second shot will be a fast-speed driver or fairway wood. Watch out, as it's possible to three-putt because of the steep slopes on the green. 5 (Par 3, 171y) Try a mid-iron at fast or medium speed. Backspin may help. Watch out for the OB area, but otherwise this is a very easy hole. The generous fairway area behind and in front of the green gives you the option of putting from the fairway if you don't make the green in one. Better yet, the green is one of the easiest in the game. 6 (Par 4, 397y) This hole is a bit trickier, as the fairway is interspersed with four small islands, which are out of bounds. The islands themselves are surrounded by a broad area of deep rough. Hit a fast drive accurately to keep the ball on the fairway. The green slopes strongly toward the front, so it's better to overhit your second shot than underhit. 7 (Par 4, 414y) The seventh hole is a dogleg featuring a massive water hazard to the right side. You can't usually hit far enough to cut the corner, so just hit an accurate tee shot and reach the green with a medium-speed mid-iron. Aim a bit right and behind the tee to avoid the hilliest part of the green, as well as the bunker and the out-of-bounds area. The wind often blows the ball toward OB, so watch out! 8 (Par 5, 524y) The fairway is littered with six pothole bunkers, none of which you want to hit the ball into. Unless your tee shot was very good, don't attempt to make the green in two, as you'll probably dump the ball into the river. Instead, aim for the fairway directly behind the river. Aim your approach shot toward the back of the green to minimize the effect of the strong slopes. 9 (Par 4, 393y) This hole shouldn't be too tough, unless your tee shot gets tangled up in the trees near the tee box. Also watch out for the trees on the fairway. Use backspin on your second shot to help keep the ball away from the bunkers on both ends of the green. The green slopes to the left front, but it's not the hardest out there. 10 (Par 4, 417y) An accurate tee shot is necessary to keep the ball out of the woods, so if you're not accurate with fast shots, use a medium-speed drive. Topspin may help add a few yards. The not-too-tough green slopes toward the center. 11 (Par 3, 164y) This is a fairly simple par-three. Give your ball plenty of oomph, lest it go into the water hazard. Aim for the nice flat part of the green. 12 (Par 4, 433y) You may want your tee shot to curve a little bit to the left on the fairway. However, if there's a tailwind, you can try blasting the ball over the forest. Don't underhit your second shot, or the ball will wind up in the sand trap. Check the green before your approach to decide the best course of action in approaching the rather unorthodox green. 13 (Par 5, 581y) This long par-five is similar to a hole found in NES Open, but this hole's fairway has more trees. With a good tee shot and a tailwind, you can make the green in two. The green slopes to the left. 14 (Par 4, 404y) The fairway is divided in two here. If you can reliably use the fast club speed, and there's no headwind, aim for the right-hand fairway. Otherwise, hit to your side of the fairway. The green slopes toward the left. 15 (Par 4, 424y) Aim your tee shot to the left to keep the ball out of the forest, but don't aim so left you risk hitting into the water. Part of the green is very steep and tough. 16 (Par 3, 174y) This is an easy par-three. Try a medium 4-iron. The green slopes toward the edges; it shouldn't cause much trouble. A very birdieable hole. 17 (Par 4, 445y) This hole can be difficult, especially if it's windy. To help keep the ball in bounds, use a medium drive onto the patch of fairway. On your second shot, give the ball plenty of power to keep it out of the massive bunker. The heart-shaped green slopes toward the front. 18 (Par 5, 564y) This hole was one of the hardest at the American course in NES Open, and it's tough in this game as well. You need an accurate tee shot to avoid going out of bounds on the narrow fairway. Unless your tee shot is perfect, avoid going for the green in two. Instead, lay up between the streams on the fairway, about 100 yards from the pin. The green slopes toward the front. -----------------------------------Australia----------------------------------- Australia is a little harder than Japan, but it's not wildly difficult. This is a 7,332-yard course. 1 (Par 4, 400y) This can be a frustrating hole, because the fairway is broken up by several small strips of rough. However, the rough isn't too bad, and using backspin on your drive helps increase the odds of your ball staying in the short grass. Make sure to keep the ball away from the trees, and watch out for bunkers on your second shot. The green slopes toward the front, steeply at the edges. 2 (Par 3, 171y) This water-encircled hole resembles the 17th at TPC Sawgrass. Aim a little past the hole and use backspin to keep the ball on the green. The green, which slopes toward the center, isn't overly difficult. 3 (Par 5, 609y) This hole is very difficult because of its length and narrow fairways. Make sure to hit an accurate tee shot, since the trees and bunkers are not your friends. It's almost impossible to reach the green in two, so use a wood to hit your second shot onto the far fairway and approach the green from there. The green is outrageously difficult, too, particularly on the back side. 4 (Par 4, 417y) The fourth hole is surrounded by desert, but the main problem is the abundance of trees on the fairway. Use a medium-speed drive on your tee shot to increase accuracy and reduce distance - a good thing here. If you were very accurate, your second shot will be a piece of cake; otherwise, you'll have to employ tree strategies (see Controls/Strategies section). You won't like the green, either. 5 (Par 4, 440y) The first easy hole we've had in a while. Use topspin and a fast-speed drive to optimize distance from the tee. Hit onto the left fairway and ignore the fairway on the right side. The round green is one of the easiest in the game. Expect to birdie this one. 6 (Par 4, 386y) There are two ways to go here. The best route is to hit a slightly curved medium-speed drive onto the right side of the fairway. Alternatively, you can hit a longer shot onto the left fairway, but this doesn't give you any real advantage and makes it easier to go OB or into the rough or woods. Your second shot will be easy if your tee shot was accurate. The green slopes toward the middle. 7 (Par 3, 200y) Basically an ordinary par-three, but watch out for the pond. I recommend that you overhit the ball with fast club speed and use backspin. The green slopes toward the right back edge and isn't much trouble, thanks to its simplicity. You can frequently get a birdie here. 8 (Par 4, 397y) The main obstacle at this slightly curved hole is the out-of-bounds area, which encroaches dangerously close to the fairway. On your second shot, watch out for the bunkers that guard the green. Aim toward the left end of the green if possible, as parts of it are very steep. 9 (Par 5, 573y) This long hole places a premium on power, but inaccurate golfers will face the triple evils of Rough, Trees, and Water. Use light topspin on your tee shot. Don't try to cross the river on your second shot if you're in the rough or if you're far from the green; instead, hit an iron to the end of the fairway. The green isn't steep, but the slopes change directions in an unusual way. 10 (Par 3, 216y) You'll need to use a medium wood or fast speed on this long par-three. There's not much room for error, as the green is surrounded by a trio of bunkers. Fortunately, the green slopes straight down toward the front end, so it's not very difficult. 11 (Par 4, 405y) A hard, accurate tee shot is necessary to get through the bottleneck in the middle of the fairway. Alternatively, you can hit a shot about 200 yards onto the wide part of the fairway. Don't hit your second shot too hard, as there's a bunker attached to the back of the green. The green is of less-than-average difficulty. 12 (Par 4, 424y) Despite the wide river, this is a pretty easy hole. There's a generous fairway area for your tee shot, and your second shot shouldn't be tough if you stay away from the H2O. One part of the green is very steep, though. 13 (Par 5, 566y) This is a tough hole to birdie. First of all, keep the tee shot on the fairway or you're in for no end of trouble in the woods. For the second shot, lay up onto the second fairway. If you're feeling really bold, you can try for a green in two, but this is difficult even with a tailwind because of the water hazard. Don't underhit the ball on your approach. The green is pretty easy. 14 (Par 4, 388y) There's a massive OB area on each side of the fairway, so shoot accurately or else. Aim for the further of the two trees on the fairway and you should be in good shape for your second shot. The green has an unusual circular grain that can cause problems for careless putters, but it's not very tough. 15 (Par 3, 194y) The green is surrounded by five circular sand traps, but they're not too dangerous. The green isn't usually very tricky. 16 (Par 4, 459y) The sixteenth hole is a classic dogleg (WOOF!). You can try using some right- o-left spin on your tee shot, but I advise against doing so because of the bunker. If your tee shot reached the fairway, your second shot will be easy. The OB area found behind the green shouldn't be a problem. The green can be very difficult. 17 (Par 5, 619y) This is a very long hole. If you can't hit fast shots reliably yet, hit a medium-speed 3-wood behind the lake. Otherwise, hit a fast drive without going into the water or rough. For your second shot, I recommend using a driver to hit the ball into the light rough between the hole and the line of trees, setting up an easy approach with a wedge. You can also aim for the fairway behind the bunker. The challenging green slopes steeply toward the edges. 18 (Par 4, 468y) Blast your tee shot onto the main fairway, which features alternating stripes of rough and fairway. Backspin, a left-to-right curve, or a powerful drive can help keep the ball out of the rough. The green is quite steep and very complicated-looking. ------------------------------------France------------------------------------- You may notice that France is a bit tougher than Australia, but it's still not too hard. At 7,492 yards, it's barely longer than Australia. 1 (Par 4, 438y) Use a little bit right-to-left curve on your tee shot to help keep the ball in bounds and out of the rough. The fairway trees can also be nuisances. Watch out for the bunkers and OB area around the green. The green is very steep. 2 (Par 4, 452y) The fairway is quite narrow here. Aim for the part of the fairway closest to the front of the pond. The green slopes toward the back right and front left. 3 (Par 5, 624y) This was the toughest hole in NES Open Tournament Golf, and it's even harder in this game thanks to the addition of trees on the fairway. Hit a long, accurate tee shot, probably without any intentional curve. You can't reach the green from here, so just aim for the end of the fairway, perhaps using a fast 3-wood. Even on your third shot, you'll be a long way from the green. Fortunately, the green isn't too tough. 4 (Par 3, 200y) Use a fast 2-iron or 3-iron with strong backspin to clear the massive bunker. But things don't get easier when you bring out the putter; the green is extremely steep. 5 (Par 4, 350y) This par-four is so short, you can reach the green in one if there's a tailwind. It's safer to aim toward the fairway on the right, preventing a splashdown in the massive water hazard. The green is fairly steep and quite tricky. 6 (Par 4, 357y) Use a fast 1-wood to clear the river that runs down the middle of the fairway. I don't recommend trying to hit the ball in front of the water and cross it on your second shot; you can clear it easily on your first shot. The green is pretty simple. 7 (Par 5, 645y) Yikes! This is really long. You may want to curve your tee shot a little. After your second shot, you'll still be well over a hundred yards from the pin. The green is sloped very strongly toward the middle. 8 (Par 3, 198y) This hole is longer than some par-threes, and if you shoot too far or too short, your ball will go out of bounds. Use a fast 2-iron or 3-iron with backspin. The heavily sloped green is not your friend, either. 9 (Par 4, 338y) A lot of short par-fours are easy, but not this one. The fairway is wide but short, and the green is surrounded by water. The best club selection for your tee shot is a medium-speed 2-wood with light backspin. From there, you'll be just a wedge away from the green, which slopes strongly to the edges. 10 (Par 5, 566y) This tough par-five is made up of two banana-shaped fairways. Use a left-to- right curve with backspin on your tee shot, though not so much that your ball goes OB. Use a fast 2-wood. Go for accuracy on your second shot; aim for the edge of the second fairway. The green is pretty steep, but it's not nearly as tough as some we've faced lately. 11 (Par 4, 440y) The fairway is made up of several islands surrounded by rough and trees. Use backspin on a fast-speed tee shot to keep the ball in the short grass. Watch out for the big bunker and the OB area on your second shot. The green is relatively simple. 12 (Par 3, 224y) This is a long par-three with an island green. A fast 2-iron might work well, depending on the wind. It's not easy being on this tough green. 13 (Par 4, 440y) The fairway doesn't give you much room for your ball to roll, so use a medium- speed 2-wood with backspin from the tee. Th green isn't very steep, but it goes in many different directions. 14 (Par 4, 421y) This hole features a winding, extremely narrow fairway. I'd try a fast 2-wood with backspin to keep the ball on the fairway. There's not much margin for error on your second shot: a bunker to the left, OB to the right, and water in front of and behind the green. The putting surface again isn't the steepest around, but it affects your ball in hard-to-predict ways. 15 (Par 4, 424y) This hole is one of the first in a while to have appeared in NES Open. Unless there's a very strong headwind, you should cross the river on your first shot. Usually you'll want to aim for the twin trees on the fairway, although shooting for the right side of the second fairway will reduce water risk and increase the odds of hitting OB. The green is fairly steep, but in a uniform manner. 16 (Par 3, 235y) A long, wet par-three. You might even use something like a medium-speed 2-wood. The green is very tough. 17 (Par 4, 440y) Don't try to reach the green in one, because you can't do it. Don't even try to cut the dogleg. Instead, just hit a regular shot down the fairway, setting up an easy second shot. The green slopes toward a definite central point. It may be pretty easy depending on where the ball is. 18 (Par 5, 700y) The French grand finale will really test your ability to hit the ball far and accurately. After the tee shot, I would use a fast 3-wood to hit the ball to the fairway nearest the hole. From there, you'll be only about 160 yards from the pin. The right-front part of the green is very tough; the rest of the green is easier. ------------------------------------Hawaii------------------------------------- I guess this was replaced by the U.S.A. course in NES Open. Hawaii is much harder than the previous courses. Holes are much longer, fairways are smaller, and greens are hillier and surrounded by obstacles. The total distance is 8,219 yards. 1 (Par 4, 435y) The best way to handle the narrow fairway is to use a fast 1-wood with some backspin. You don't want to hit the ball into the bunker, since it will usually cost you a stroke. The green is pretty tough. 2 (Par 4, 440y) Use a fast drive to whack the ball over the large OB area, and use backspin to keep the ball from rolling into another OB section. If done properly, reaching the green will be easy. The green itself is very tough. 3 (Par 3, 240y) This is long for a par-three. Use a fast-speed 2-wood or 3-wood, and don't forget about accuracy; the green is surrounded by bunkers. Parts of the green are very steep; other parts aren't. 4 (Par 4, 405y) I hate to tell you this, but you'll have to use a medium-speed 6-iron from the tee. If you attempt to drive the ball, you'll hit the ball into the bunker or deep rough. On your second shot, use a fast 2-wood with backspin to reach the green. You might remember this green from NES Open. It's very steep, but it can be easy if your putt is straight downhill or uphill to the cup. 5 (Par 5, 773y) I'm not making this up - this hole is 773 yards. Thankfully, the fairways are pretty wide. Shoot a fast 1-wood with topspin for your opening drive. Hit your second shot onto the right-hand fork in the fairway, and if you've been hitting well, you'll be a mid-iron away from the green. The green is pretty tricky, especially for a hole this long. I wouldn't count on getting a birdie at this hole. 6 (Par 4, 400y) The fairway here is about the size of Rhode Island or the clothes of Britney Spears. Use a fast 2-iron with backspin for a good chance of reaching the fairway. From there, you can reach the green with a fast 3-iron or another similar club. The green will be easy to handle if your ball is on the same "rank" (a chess term) as the hole. 7 (Par 3, 212y) Use a fast-speed 2-iron or similar club, depending on the wind. This green may cause trouble, since many different forces will affect your putt. 8 (Par 5, 678y) I'm sorry, but long par-fives are not over; in fact, they're the norm rather than the exception in later courses. Use a medium-speed drive for your tee shot to keep the ball on the fairway. Don't aim for the stripy area or the island fairway. On your second shot, use a fast driver to hit the ball onto the northern fairway near the hole. Reaching the green isn't easy, as bunkers and water abound. The green is complex but generally not too tough. 9 (Par 4, 412y) This par-four is shorter than some at this stage in the game, but the fairways are EXTREMELY narrow. Keep the ball away from the water, and feel free to use the medium speed if it will help you shoot more accurately. Your second shot shouldn't require much distance. The green slopes sharply toward the left back end. 10 (Par 4, 464y) The ultra-narrow fairway here is sandwiched by a lateral water hazard and a guitar-shaped bunker. Use a little left-to-right curve and/or backspin. Your second shot shouldn't be too difficult. I think you'll agree that the putting green is not easy. 11 (Par 4, 456y) Use a medium 2-iron from the tee to reach the main fairway without going OB. From there, try a medium 4-iron or so to the round patch of fairway. Your third shot is tough; the green is surrounded by sand and water. The green is pretty tricky. A very bogeyable hole. 12 (Par 3, 231y) Not only is this a long par-three, the green is guarded by water and an OB section. It's hard to judge which club to use, but I would probably use a fast 2-iron. The green is pretty steep, but not as tough as some recent ones. 13 (Par 4, 416y) It's best to use a fast 1-wood to blast the ball over the OB region, although it's also possible to use a medium 2-iron with backspin to cross the OB area on your second shot. The green is near some water hazards, and I think you'll find putting to be difficult. 14 (Par 5, 762y) I told you there were long holes ahead! Use a long drive with backspin to reach the first fairway, then use a fast driver or 2-wood with backspin on your second shot. Do the same to reach the green. The green isn't too bad, but you may be in for some pain if you misjudge the amount of power to put on your putt. 15 (Par 4, 452y) This hole's fairway is broken up by many patches of rough. Use backspin on your drive to make it a little easier to hit the fairway. An accurate second shot is imperative, as the hole is surrounded by a massive bunker and water. The green is no walk in the park. 16 (Par 4, 455y) Aim for the sock-shaped main fairway at this scenic hole. The second shot is just terrible; the hole is surrounded by a massive out-of-bounds section. If you miss the green, the ball will probably be OB. You won't like the green, which slopes strongly toward the edges. 17 (Par 3, 238y) You'll definitely be using a wood on this long par-three. The green is elaborate and steep. By the way, I wonder how you actually get to the island green. I guess players have to swim there. 18 (Par 5, 750y) This is another endless hole, but this time the fairway is wide and straight. Use topspin on your tee shot and second shot to maximize distance. Watch out for the OB area and bunker on your second and third shots. The green isn't easy, but it's better than what we've seen lately. -------------------------------------U.K.-------------------------------------- There are some nasty things at British golf courses in real life. But they don't do anything like this even at St. Andrews or Carnoustie. First of all, the course is 8,412 yards long! Second, the course kicks off with a 470-yard hole with an extremely narrow fairway - and it's a par-four! Third, there's a 251-yard par-three. And finally, one par-five is 838 yards long. Really. Don't attempt this course until you're really good at Mario Open Golf. Also, I must note that this may be the only place in a Mario game that plays bagpipe music (at least, an 8-bit system's rendition of bagpipes). 1 (Par 4, 470y) I'm surprised the Chinese don't use this hole to punish dissidents. Use a fast 1-wood with backspin to hit the ball onto the ultra-narrow fairway. After that, find some way to crush the ball over the massive out-of-bounds area without hitting the ball into the bunker on the right (hint: backspin helps the ball stick to the green). Fortunately, the green itself isn't as bad as some we've seen; that said, it's very steep. 2 (Par 3, 226y) It's been a long time since we've seen a hole found in NES Open Tournament Golf. And this, my friend, is the hardest hole in that game! Use a fast 3-wood with backspin and pray that the ball doesn't bother the fishies - or go OB. And I must tell you that the Mario Open version of this hole has about the same green as NES Open - only MUCH steeper. 3 (Par 4, 452y) This hole isn't too tough if you hit a long tee shot onto the far fairway. If you get stuck in the woods, then feel free to cry to your heart's content. Avoid the bunkers to the left side of the green on your second shot. The green is easy by U.K. standards. 4 (Par 5, 576y) This hole requires great accuracy. Hit your tee shot onto the main fairway, squeezing every last yard possible. If your tee shot was accurate and far, you can reach the green in two with another fast drive. Otherwise, lay up onto the small fairway and go for a birdie putt. The diamond-shaped green is very tough. 5 (Par 4, 440y) Select a fast drive with backspin and your shot should land on the fairway. From there, you should be about a medium 6-iron from the green. The pin placement is just nasty, and the green is quite complicated and steep. 6 (Par 4, 428y) The main problem here is the extensive OB territory. On your tee shot, you can hit the ball full strength to reach the second fairway, or club down to a medium 3-wood with backspin if you're aiming for the fairway closest to you. I prefer the latter option. Your second shot will be long. Give the ball plenty of oomph so it doesn't go into the bunkers in front of the green. The green is steep, but it's easier than some we've had lately. 7 (Par 3, 227y) A long par-three. Ignore the fairway and avoid the bunkers, as well as the massive body of water. The grain of the green is complicated, sloping toward the right edge. If your ball winds up on the right edge, you'll need to putt very hard. 8 (Par 4, 464y) Use a fast drive with backspin on your tee shot to keep the ball in bounds and out of the wa-wa. Watch out for the trees directly in front of the tee. You'll also want to use backspin to hit the island green, as there's very little rough surrounding it. The checkerboard design of the green makes putting very difficult if you're far from the cup. 9 (Par 5, 766y) This hole is torture (waterboarding?). First, you have to hit your tee shot pretty far just to reach the fairway. From here, use a fast drive with backspin to hit the middle of the "S"-shaped fairway. If your first two shots were long and accurate, you'll be able to reach the green in three. Otherwise, lay up to the end of the fairway and settle for par or bogey. The green is very tough. 10 (Par 3, 200y) This par-three is a "scant" 200 yards, but there's very little room for error! This island green looks very much like the famous 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass. However, this hole is longer and the green is much tougher. I suggest using backspin on your first shot. 11 (Par 4, 471y) Aim for the right-front fairway on your tee shot; use a medium driver with backspin. If your shot was good, you can reach the green with a fairway wood on your second shot. Otherwise, hit to the far fairway. Use the bad word of your choice to describe the EXTREMELY hard green. This is a highly bogeyable hole. 12 (Par 4, 464y) This is not funny! You usually can't even reach the fairway on your tee shot at this hole! Your second shot will probably be a fast 2-iron. The green is quite difficult, too. 13 (Par 4, 447y) The third consecutive long par-four. This hole resembles a clown face, or possibly a butterfly and a flower. Use a medium driver from the tee to reach the small fairway accurately. Watch out for the water hazard and tree obstructions on your second shot. This is all finished with a nasty green. 14 (Par 5, 778y) The last five holes of this course are outrageously difficult. This is almost certainly the hardest hole we've seen so far. Not only is it over 750 yards, the fairways are broken up by stripes of rough, so it's impossible to tell with certainly whether your ball will land on the fairway. Just keep smashing the ball down the course, keeping the ball out of the rough and in bounds. The green is very steep, but it's not as bad as some we've seen. 15 (Par 3, 251y) I recommend hitting the ball pretty hard, as you don't want to fall short and wind up out of bounds. The green is pretty wacky - and not easy! 16 (Par 4, 464y) This hole's fairway is broken up into several islands. Use a fast drive with no spin to reach the second fairway, setting up a fast fairway wood or long iron for your second shot. The green is one of the hardest in the game. 17 (Par 4, 450y) You can't clear the OB area on your first shot, so instead use a medium 3-wood with backspin. From here, either use a driver to reach the green, or use a medium-speed mid-iron and hit onto the next fairway. The latter may be easier, since a bunker punishes those who miss the green. The green, which slopes toward the center, is really hard. This hole really should be a par-five. Making par is a good achievement. 18 (Par 5, 838y) That's not a typo - this is an 838-yard hole. Aim for the front left fairway on your tee shot. On your second shot, try to hit onto the fairway past the donut- shaped lake unless you hit into the rough. You can reach the green on your third shot - if you play perfectly. The green itself is quite tough. -------------------------------------Extra------------------------------------- The Extra course is made up of holes from the other courses in the game. The hole selection is random, but the course is generally about 7,800 yards long, which is shorter than Hawaii and Britain. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Version History [VERSN] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Date | Version | Size | --------|---------|------|----------------------------------------------------- 4- 5-08 | 0.2 | 15KB | Began guide. Completed Japan guide. 4- 6-08 | 0.6 | 34KB | Completed Australia, France, and Hawaii guides. 4- 7-08 | 0.8 | 40KB | Completed U.K. guide. 4- 8-08 | 1.0 | 48KB | Finished things up. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Copyright [COPYR] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (c) 2008 Vinny Hamilton. All rights reserved. All trademarks mentioned in this guide are copyrights of their respective holders. You can print this guide out for your personal use. You can download this guide to your computer for your personal use. You can post this guide on your Web site as long as you give proper credit AND you don't change a single letter, number, or symbol (not even an ampersand). Remember that the latest version will always be available at GameFAQs.com, but don't count on there being frequent (if any) updates. 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Heed this warning. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 Open" 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. Do send information about any glitches, tricks, or codes you discover. Do ask any questions you have about Mario Open 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. 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Again, violating this rule will result in deletion of the message and permanent constipation. ******************************************************************************* Current list of VinnyVideo guides available on GameFAQs.com and Neoseeker.com: F1 ROC: Race of Champions FAQ/Walkthrough F1 ROC II: Race of Champions FAQ/Walkthrough SimCity 3000 Walkthrough/Strategy Guide Nigel Mansell's World Championship Racing FAQ/Walkthrough Kyle Petty's No Fear Racing Strategy Guide/FAQ Madden NFL '96 (SNES) Strategy Guide/FAQ Madden NFL '98 (SNES) Strategy Guide/FAQ Madden NFL '97 (SNES) Strategy Guide/FAQ ESPN SpeedWorld (SNES) Strategy Guide/FAQ The Oregon Trail: Fifth Edition (PC) FAQ/Walkthrough The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest Low-Spoiler FAQ/Walkthrough Off Road Challenge (N64) FAQ/Walkthrough F-1 World Championship Edition (SNES) FAQ/Walkthrough Donkey Kong 64 FAQ/Walkthrough Where in America's Past is Carmen Sandiego FAQ/Walkthrough Michael Andretti's Indy Car Challenge FAQ/Walkthrough Mario Open Golf FAQ/Walkthrough ******************************************************************************* Proposed future guides: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Low-Spoiler FAQ/Walkthrough The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Low-Spoiler FAQ/Walkthrough The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Low-Spoiler FAQ/Walkthrough MicroLeague Football 2: The Coach's Challenge Strategy Guide/FAQ Scooby-Doo: Unmasked! 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