Nearly anyone can pick up this game, and get the general idea of play. The controls are intuitive, and initially simple. Choose your club, aim where you want the ball to go, and attempt an accurate shot. After becoming comfortable with the basic controls, the player can start to delve into the depth of the game. Players slowly learn that they can command greater control over their shots by carefully adjusting for factors such as wind, height, rain, and hazards, and by selecting which part of the ball to aim for, giving it a spin in a certain direction.
Every course gets progressively more difficult, leaving less and less room for error.
Fortunately, the game is designed in a way to give the player the experience to tackle greater challenges as they are unlocked. Mario Golf isn't going to drop you into a course that is too difficult to handle. The graphics and sound do an excellent job of conveying the serenity of the golf course. From the golfer's view, the courses are beautiful landscapes of rolling hills, trees, and ponds. When the golfer hits the ball, the game camera tracks it in flight, and switches to a variety of dynamic angles that display the ball's arc, and show off the beauty of the green.