Golf: US Course
For alternate box art, see therelated gallery.
Developer	HAL Laboratory
Publisher	Nintendo
Platform	Family Computer Disk System
Release date	June 14, 1987[1]
Language	English
Genre	Sports (golf)
Mode	1–4 players alternating
Format	FDS: Disk Card
Input	Famicom: Famicom Controller
Serial code	FMC-GFUE

Golf: US Course^[2] (alternatively formatted asGolf: U.S. Course), also known asFamily Computer Golf: US Course, is a Japan-exclusive golf game released for theFamily Computer Disk System on June 14, 1987. It is the second game in theMario Golf series and is the first game of theSuper Mario franchise to support more than two players. Gameplay is more similar to that of the laterNES Open Tournament Golf than to that of its companion title,Golf: Japan Course, which was released a few months earlier. Despite the name, the holes are fictional.

Gameplay[edit]

Screenshot of gameplay

The gameplay is similar to that of the previousGolf: Japan Course but with further features added. The course view and course map are now separate screens that can be toggled between, alongside the green view. This allows for a greater amount of detail, especially on the course view. Dense trees are no longer out of bounds but are navigable areas; they always have at least a small amount of land around them, even if they appear to be in water from the map. The wind meter shows a crosshair within a larger crosshair to show the direction and speed relative to whichever direction the player will putt. There are four options along the bottom of the screen in course view, which can be navigated between by holding down and using the left and right, while doing the same but using the up and down to change their values. These options are:

• Tee point: This option is functional only before the first successful stroke, and it allows the tee to be moved left and right.
• Swing speed: Changes how fastMario swings, from 1 (slowest) to 3 (fastest). Faster strokes hit harder, but they are more difficult to hit cleanly.
• Club: Switches between the 14 available clubs (the same as in the previous games).
• View: Switches between the three viewpoints, though once the player is on the green it becomes locked.

Additionally, the score sheet can be viewed by pressing. Unlike inJapan Course, rather than a loading screen appearing every four to five rounds with a coffee shop, the loading screen appears every two rounds with a view of the score sheet thus far.

There are two game modes:

• Stroke Play: Up to four players can try to do their personal best. The other players look like Mario (or the hidden female character) but with a different overall color. Player 2 is green, Player 3 is blue, and Player 4 is orange. Player 3 uses Player 1's controller, while Player 4 has to share it with Player 2. The 1 Player Stroke Play scores were used in the tournament that was contested by 77,000 players.^[3]
• Match Play: Two players, controlling Mario and his green clone, compete against each other. Unlike inJapan Course, there is no computer opponent. A player can forfeit a round by pressing, holding up, and pressing.

There are four slots to save scores (represented by flags, lowered by Diskun when overwriting) with blank slots recorded as 900.

Contest and alternate version[edit]

LikeJapan Course, the game comes on a blue disk, meaning it is compatible with the Disk Fax, a device found in public places across Japan such as department stores. These machines would send the player's saved games and high score information toNintendo. Nintendo held a contest centered around this game. The top 100 players received a trophy, and they along with 9,900 others received a goldFamicom cartridge ofPunch-Out!! There was also an unannounced prize, which was a special version of the game that came on a gold disk known asGolf: Special Course and was given out to 1,000 randomly chosen players who had scored a hole-in-one.

Staff[edit]

Main article:List of Golf: US Course staff

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:Golf: US Course.

• 

  Logo

• 

  Alternate logo

• 

  Mario

• 

  Mario pulling out a golf club

• 

  Mario holding a golf club

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  Mario checking the wind

• 

  Mario hitting a golf ball

References in later games[edit]

Mario Golf: World Tour

• A costume, golf clubs, and a golf ball based on Mario's attire appear in this game forMiis.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U

• One of Mario's palette swaps is based on his stars-and-stripes-based clothing inGolf: US Course, althoughNES Open Tournament Golf is more frequently cited.^[4]

Super Mario Odyssey

• The stars-and-stripes clothing once again appears.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

• Mario's palette swap based on his outfit from this game returns.

Mario Golf: Super Rush

• Mario's golf outfit fromGolf: US Course returns in this game as a reward for achieving an A- rank in Ranked Match during January 2022.

Mario Kart Tour

• Mario's golf outfit makes an appearance in this game as a playable driver, starting from the2022 Los Angeles Tour.

• 

  Sprite of the outfits icon fromMario Golf: World Tour

• 

  Artwork fromSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U

• 

  TheGolf Outfit's model fromSuper Mario Odyssey

• 

  Artwork fromSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate

• 

  The outfit fromMario Golf: Super Rush

• 

  Artwork of Mario (Golf) inMario Kart Tour

Names in other languages[edit]

Notes[edit]

A preview ofU.S. Golf

• Nintendo had planned on releasing the game in America under the nameU.S. Golf, with a brief preview being featured in the fifth issue (Feb/March 1988) ofNintendo Fun Club. This localization would end up being canceled for unknown reasons.

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Official site

• Japan-only games
• Family Computer Disk System games
• Games
• 1987 games
• Sports games
• Mario Golf series
• HAL Laboratory games