- items can be acquired by hitting an item/question block
- sometimes you start levels with items
- mushrooms give speed boost
- bullet bills let your ball fly forward without wind impacting it
- ice flower lets your ball bounce when landing
- many courses take place in Mushroom Kingdom
- Wiggler Park features giant enemies in the background and features music from Honeybloom Galaxy from Super Mario Galaxy
- also features courses that are more traditional
- Castle Club is campaign mode
- play as a Mii through tournaments and get coins to buy upgrades for your character
- upgrades/equipment include drive distance, ball draw/fade and more
- select a club/adjust your aim as you have in previous games
- power meter works the same as previous entries
- there's also a simplified control method that takes away accuracy and only has you worry about power
- you can now direct where you hit the ball as you swing
- do this as you swing by using the control stick or using the touch screen to touch the ball
- use touch screen to chose clubs, start swing
- tap again quickly after the shot is initiated to add topspin, super topspin, backspin or super backspin
- single cartridge download play not supported for 4-player multiplayer
- everyone in multiplayer plays at the same time, instead of having to wait for each person to go
- send taunts/cheers to other players by tapping icons
- online user-created tournaments supported via Miiverse
- Quick Round is a series of modes where you can play as various Mushroom Kingdom characters or your customized Mii
- Single player offers up standard stroke play
- Match Play is where you take on a computer opponent
- Speed Golf has you attempt to play through holes as quickly as possible
- Point Play that converts your scores from strokes into points
- all these modes contribute coins to your total
- choose the number of holes from 3, 6, 9 to 18
- utilize a slot machine that limits available clubs and items
- bob-omb items prompt your ball to explode high into the air
- fire flower will allow your ball to burn through trees
- the boomerang can add bigger draw/fade
- challenge holes have you collecting Star Coins while also making par
- a typical 18-hole round takes us between 30-45 minutes
- there are challenges that cover drives, approach shots and putting at multiple difficulty levels
- Miis registered to your 3DS will gather to watch you play/celebrate
- multiplayer uses small icons on-screen to let you measure your ball distance as compared to your competitors
- online doesn't feature voice or text chat options
- it does feature emoticons you can send to others
- Castle Club takes place in a redesigned Peach's Castle
- you'll find massive flower sculptures of Mario and Peach in the hallway
- there's also a map on the bottom screen
- the castle also has tearooms and gyms for decoration
- when you first join up, you find out your handicap by taking part in a practice round
- start off on the Forest Course, Seaside Course and Mountain Course
- Peach Gardens has coins floating in the air and Mario Kart style power-up blocks
- Cheep-Cheep Lagoon takes place completely underwater
- special outfits can be unlocked by performing certain achievement-like tasks
- you can see the ghost shots of other players while playing multiplayer