Minna no Golf Basics Guide
Alright so you just picked up this game from the store or second hand from someone’s games treasure chest and you have had a few rounds with the game and starting to feel an addiction to this game.
If that is the case, then Minna no Golf may really be the game for you. However you don’t know anything about the sport…
Score Card
Scoring in Golf is all about the lowest score not the highest… this is determined by how many strokes over or under the average. This average is called a Par. When you play on a course you will see Par 3, Par 4 or Par 5 but that doesn’t mean there isn’t Par 1, Par 2 or Par 6 etc. only just the hole requires around Par number of hits/strokes to sink the ball into the cup.
The goal is to finish with less strokes. So when you sink in the ball or hole out under par… it is a Birdie, Eagle or Albatross/Double Eagle, but when you first play this game you maybe over par quite often and start with Bogey, Double Bogey or Triple Bogey etc.
On the Score Card of Minna no Golf strokes can be represented by symbols:
Your score will start at ±0 for each game and your performance for each hole is recorded. Example: Starts at ±0 and if you Birdie that hole will be -1, then if you bogey the next hole will be +1 which takes your total score back to ±0. Remember that the lower your score the better.
The Course
All games of Golf start the Course at the Teeing Ground and each hole has a teeing ground where players Tee Off from. A Tee Shot is the first shot you hit to start a hole, it is also refered to as a Drive as you drive it off the tee on long holes. The goal is to sink it in the cup, which is situated on the Green… so maybe getting it on the Green in as few strokes as possible is a more sensible and practical objective to have your mind set on while playing.
Usually each hole is full of obstacles and you will usually have to drive the ball onto the Fairway then make your way to the Green. The Fairway is the best place second to the Collar or Fringe of the Green… the grass on the Fairway is maintained well and is also better for making a good impact with the ball. However you will sometimes end up at edge or off the Fairway which is known as Semi-rough or Rough.. the grass is abit more rugged and has been purposely left this way so that it is harder to play good shots from here.
Other obstacles include sand traps and water traps known as Bunkers and Water Hazards [W.H]. You can play out of a sand trap but you are given a stroke penalty for landing it in the water. You can also receive a stroke penalty for sending your ball off the course and into a Unplayable Area or an area marked as Out of Bounds [O.B]. It is best to try avoid these obstacles including rough grass while you are playing through the course.
Do you best to make your way onto the Green with as few strokes and few troubles as you can. It is sometimes inevitable and all you can do is learn from that experience or mistake… Hopefully it will help you the next time a similar event happens while you are playing on the same or different course.
Hole Out
Once you Hole Out your strokes are calculated against the Par average, at this stage if you are close to par or have score under par… Well Done!
However there is still lots to learn… and this concludes the Basics of Golf. Minna no Golf is a very well simulated golfing game with a few video game quirks that make it a unique and addictive game… Feel free to browse around and chat to users and leave any feedbacks or comments about this basics guide. You can also follow @Shihiko on Twitter for updates or tips to improve your game.
Enjoy.