A blend of golf featuring Mario and his friends (including some new friends), and an adventure style game. Rather than moving from golf course to golf course immediately, as in the N64 version, you now control your character as he walks around a golfing academy, talking to people, challenging them, and taking up mini golfing games to win statistics.
In the main game you choose from four of the new characters in an aim to become the best player at the golfing academy. There are golf masters who you must beat on each 18-hole course in order to win the game and become champion. You can also choose to play a multiplayer game or various Mario minigames where you play as Mario characters.
The golfing itself lets you choose the direction of the ball, as well as the success and power of your swing by means of a power bar at every shot. You must get the ball into the hole on each course within the courses par score in order to break even or make points, rather than lose points, taking into account things such as wind direction and course traps.
You can link the game up to the N64 version using the N64 Transfer Pak, allowing you to unlock extras in both versions of the game.
