Golf

Golf is the first sports game Mario participated in. It is a game for the NES released in 1984. It is based on the sport of the same name. It could also be played on the Nintendo PlayChoice-10. In the Western version of the game, the golfer is Mario, though he is not wearing his traditional shirt and overalls. However, he is not the golfer in the Japanese version as the game Captain Rainbow would retcon the golfer's identity as Ossan. Additionally, the Game Boy port of this game would feature Mario on the cover of the Western version, but not the Japanese version.

Gameplay
The gameplay of this game is pretty simple. The player is given a ball, and a map on the right side of the screen shows the hole that they want to get to. The obstacles on the way are also over here. The player will get more points depending on how many times they hit the ball to get it into the hole. Many different types of clubs are also available.

Description from the Nintendo eShop
''Bogey, par, birdie, or Eagle. ''The score is up to you. ''Golf is 18 holes of realistic links action. Each hole has tricky hazards, so strategy is a must. ''Read the wind direction, check the distance, select a club, adjust your swing and keep your eye on the ball. Now drive it home. ''From twisting fairways and hungry sand traps to big water hazards and deceptive greens, Golf is packed with challenges. ''This version of the game does not have multiplayer fuctionality.

Vs. Stroke & Match Golf
A version of the game was released for the Nintendo Vs. System called Vs. Stroke & Match Golf. Two versions of this game exist. Vs. Stroke & Match Golf Men Version features the same player character as the NES version, but Vs. Stroke & Match Golf Ladies Version features a woman.

References in later games

 * Wii Sports - 9 of the holes on this game's course reappeared as the 9-hole course in this game.
 * Wii Sports Resort - The same 9 holes that appeared in Wii Sports reappeared as the back 9 of this game's course, and in the same order.

Trivia

 * This game was a purchasable NES game in the GameCube version of Animal Crossing (GCN).
 * This was the first golf game, and the first sport-themed game Mario appeared in.
 * The golfer on the box art is actually the second player.
 * Ossan was an internal name for Mario during the development of Donkey Kong.