Mario Golf: World Tour deftly illustrates the pleasures of a humble game of golf: the careful ritual of checking the speed of the wind, assessing the lie of the ball, and puzzling over the perfect club for the job at hand. Its disjointed structure makes it less accessible than it should be, but this is a game built upon the simple satisfaction of golf mixed with the goofy charm of Nintendo's most popular mascots, and for the most part, it succeeds in delivering an endearing and fun experience. There is, however, a disconnect between the "serious" side of Mario Golf and its all-out wacky side, and it's largely down to how the game is split into two distinct areas, which quickly come to feel at odds with one another. The first is the Castle Club, where you play exclusively as your Mii against the backdrop of a lavish country club. There you're free to mingle with the familiar Nintendo faces wandering the halls, shop at the boutique, visit the gym, and partake in a spot of tea in the Royal Room, but there's no real interaction permitted with Mario and Co, who exist only as NPCs in this mode. The castle and its cast are twee in a way that only Mario and friends can be.
