Battle golf is a new addition to the Mario Golf series and one of the more enjoyable ways to spend time with Mario Golf: Super Rush. It takes place in a special arena known as the Super Golf Stadium and sees up to four players racing to become the first to capture three of the course's nine available holes either locally or online. Things can get a little hectic at times, but those looking for an exciting game type that doesn't drag on for too long should be more than satisfied with what Battle Golf has to offer.
There are two different types of Battle Golf; Strategic and Technical. As the name might imply, Strategic Battle Golf encourages players to think about which holes to target and the order in which they take them on. Technical Battle Golf, on the other hand, features a lot more elevation, requiring players to be incredibly precise with some of their shots. There's a lot more to the game type than just precision and hole order, though, with players also needing to think about what the competition is up to and what they might be planning to do next.
8 Choose A Character With A Good Special Shot
In Battle Golf, every player begins with a fully charged special shot meter. The meter also refills much faster than it does in other game types, meaning that players will usually be able to get a few special shots in during a single round of Battle Golf. Choosing the right moment to unleash them can often be the difference between success and failure, as too can the strength of a character's special shot.
Unsurprisingly, perhaps, some of the characters' special shots are much better than others. Wario's will cause anybody who takes a swing in the landing area to be struck by lightning, while King Bob-omb's is able to blast away any balls that happen to be in the vicinity of where it lands. The special shots of Boo, Yoshi and Rosalina can also affect balls in the landing area, making any affected player's next shot considerably more difficult.
7 Don't Fight Over The First Hole
Due to its proximity to the starting position, most players tend to target the nearest central flag at the beginning of each round. Though this makes sense on paper, having to contest a single hole with as many as three other players can greatly diminish a player's chances of actually capturing it, especially as a lot of players use their special shots on the very first stroke.
With this in mind, it's often better to head straight to the holes on the left or right sides of the arena and leave everybody else to fight it out over the first flag. Just to be safe, it can actually be worth waiting a little before teeing off to see where everybody else is going and then heading towards a hole that nobody else is targeting.
6 Keep One Eye On The Competition
The first to three nature of Battle Golf allows players to monitor the competition and get a fairly good idea of when one of the other players is on the verge of winning. When this happens, it can be worth making a beeline towards the flag they're heading towards in order to make sure that they don't get the victory.
If players have held onto their special shot or managed to charge up a second, this is definitely the best time to use it, as a well-timed and well-placed special shot can send another player's ball flying away from the hole. For those who also happen to be on two points, however, it can sometimes be worth leaving them to it, particularly if another player is already challenging them and there is an uncontested hole nearby.
5 Use Special Dash To Move Other Players' Balls
The relatively small size of the Battle Golf arena makes the special dash an incredibly useful tool for this particular game type. As well as helping players to get from flag to flag at a much faster rate, the special dash can also be used to knock other players' balls out of the way, which can often be the difference between scoring a point or having to special dash away empty handed.
This works particularly well when multiple golfers are contesting a single hole, as players won't need to be all that accurate to sabotage at least one of the competition. Players don't need to worry about moving their own ball either, so there's very little reason not to charge in head first while playing Battle Golf.
4 Use Curve To Get Around Hazards
The Battle Golf arena in Mario Golf: Super Rush is littered with Thwomps and Chain Chomps that are perfectly placed to ruin even the most well-measured of shots. While it is possible to play around them, the speed at which the game takes place doesn't really allow for too many extra strokes, so players should get used to using curve in order to save themselves some time.
Some may opt to select a character with a decent Spin stat like Mario or Yoshi so as to be able to curve the ball twice, but this isn't really necessary providing players factor in the curvature when lining up their initial shot. There's no wind whatsoever in the Battle Golf arena, so players are free to focus on curving the ball without having to worry about any weather effects.
3 Pay Attention To The Rush Countdown
Some players may prefer playing Battle Golf with the Rush Countdown turned off just because of how random the rush events can be. Others will feel that it adds an extra layer of excitement to proceedings, with the unpredictability of egg-shaped balls and exploding Bob-ombs all part of the challenge. Whichever camp one falls into, though, it definitely pays to have a strategy in place for when the Rush Countdown is turned on.
Although players have little control over which rush will be chosen once the timer reaches zero, they can at least dictate where their ball is going to be when the rush arrives. If players are already near the hole as the countdown ticks down, they should take their shot as quickly as possible to escape any negative affects. If they're yet to reach the green, however, it can sometimes be best to wait until the rush is over before taking another shot.
2 Use The Bob-ombs Around The Arena
As well as the Bob-ombs that sometimes rain down from the sky when the Rush Countdown reaches zero, there are also a number of stationary Bob-ombs scattered around the arena. If players approach one of them and tap the A button, they'll be able to hit the Bob-omb like a golf ball. It will then target the player with the most flags, completely taking out any other players or golf balls unlucky enough to be in the blast zone.
This can be particularly useful if two or more players are gathered around a hole or if a player is on the verge of scoring their third and final point. It does take up a few moments of the player's time though, so they'll need to think carefully about whether using a Bob-omb or trying to score another point is the best course of action.
1 Make The Most Of Dash Panels
Unlike other game types in Mario Golf: Super Rush, Battle Golf features Dash Panels, which can be used to gain a quick burst of speed. They're positioned all along the purple pathway that connects the arena's nine holes and offer a far greater speed boost than running or a special dash without taking up any of the player's stamina.
Special dashes should still be players' go to technique for getting around the arena, but, where possible, players should look to supplement them with Dash Panel boosts. This may mean getting a little closer to some of the enemies, but the extra speed that the panels provide is arguably worth the risk of the occasional Chain Chomp bite.