I once hit a golfer with a golf cart.
Man, that is a weight off my soul. I’ve kept that hidden for so long, and now I feel free.
Ahh, I kid. It’s no big secret. I would have been maybe 13 or 14 years old, I was with my dad on his regular Sunday morning golf game with a few of his friends. Usually I got to drive the cart a bit, and unfortunately this one time, I hit one of the other golfers. It was fine, he didn’t suffer long.
I wasn’t invited back with Dad the next time, though.
Golfing with my grandmother was never that traumatic, though. This was in my adolescence, mind you, and I was just happy to sit beside her while she drove the cart and tried to follow where the ball went.
There were things about being out on the golf course with both my dad and my grandmother that I enjoyed; mainly, it was the lush greenery we were always surrounded by. It was quite beautiful.
All these memories were brought back to my while playing Mario Golf: Super Rush on the Nintendo Switch over the last week. Oh, I know that the game is far simpler thats actually picking up you driver or putter is, and that it’s really just an approximation of a golfing experience. But whenever you play a Mario sports game, you’re shouldn’t be looking for or expect a simulator. You should be appreciating it for how it puts the fun of a given sport front and centre. And that’s exactly what Mario Golf: Super Rush.
You can pick from the expected variety of Mario-related characters, each with their own special shots. You unlock a variety of courses as you play through, as you set up individual matches or go for the story-driven adventure mode. The majority of my time has been spent playing individually, mastering my shots and the courses I come up against. While I’ve yet to sink a hole in one, I’ve nailed a few birdies that have left me feeling genuinely accomplished. Of course, I’ve also gone over par way more times than I care to admit. Rather than feeling too frustrated, though, Mario Golf: Super Rush is welcoming enough that I immediately jump back into another round to try and learn from my mistakes.
Whether Nintendo expected this or not, I also find playing the game to be somewhat relaxing. Unlike the fast-paced nature of Mario Tennis or Mario Kart, Mario Golf: Super Rush lets you take your time, and at the end of a long day, laying back on the couch, picking up the Switch in handheld mode and swinging the proverbial club around has actually been a nice way to end the day.
Die-hard golfers will likely scoff at Mario Golf: Super Rush, but for those of us who love our Mario games and want to decompress, this title does the trick.
And you also won’t hit any of your father’s friends with a golf cart. It’s a win win!
