Golf

ゴルフ (Gorufu)NES, Arcade, Other, Famicom Disk System +31984

  1. JP1984
  2. NA1984
  3. EU1986
  4. RU—

Golf was called ゴルフ (Gorufu) on the Famicom; the arcade versions were Vs. Golf, also sold as Stroke and Match Golf, and Vs. Ladies Golf. Today the easiest legal way to play the NES version is the Nintendo Switch Online subscription.

Golf is a sports game that Nintendo released for the Famicom in Japan on 1 May 1984, the first golf game on the system. Satoru Iwata, later Nintendo's president, said he was its only programmer; Shigeru Miyamoto co-designed it and Koji Kondo wrote the music. It was the first golf video game to use a power and accuracy bar for the swing, a mechanic most golf games have used since.

The game sold over 4 million copies, including 2.46 million for the Famicom in Japan. The mustached golfer was called Mario in the 1991 guide Mario Mania, but Captain Rainbow (2008) named him Ossan. Wii Sports later recreated nine of its holes in 3D.

A hidden copy was placed in the early Nintendo Switch firmware as a tribute to Iwata: it started when the console clock was set to 11 July, the anniversary of his death. Hamster also re-released the arcade Vs. Golf on Switch in its Arcade Archives line.12

Names and releases

RegionTitle on the boxPlatformDatePublisherSrc
NA Vs. Ladies Golf Arcade Dec 14, 1984 Nintendo 2
NA Golf NES Oct 18, 1985 Nintendo 2
NA GolfNintendo e-Reader cards Game Boy Advance Apr 21, 2003 Nintendo 2
JP ゴルフGorufuFamicom NES May 1, 1984 Nintendo 2
JP VS.ゴルフVS. GorufuNorth America October 1984; Europe 1985 Arcade Jul 26, 1984 Nintendo 2
JP 任天堂のゴルフPC-88; also Sharp X1 Other 1985 Hudson Soft 1
JP ゴルフGorufu Famicom Disk System Feb 21, 1986 Nintendo 2
EU Golf NES Nov 15, 1986 Nintendo 2
JP ゴルフGorufuNorth America February 1990; Europe 1990 Game Boy Nov 28, 1989 Nintendo 2
WW Arcade Archives VS. GolfArcade version Switch Oct 25, 2019 Hamster 2

Also known as: ゴルフ JP1Gorufu JP1Vs. Golf WW2Stroke and Match Golf NA2Vs. Ladies Golf NA2任天堂のゴルフ JP1

Box art by region

  • Golf box art, North America release
    NA Golf
  • Golf box art, Europe release
    EU Golf
  • ゴルフ box art, Japan release
    JP ゴルフ

Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: libretro-thumbnails.

Version differences

  • AudioFamicom

    The Famicom version has only sound effects and no background music, and it measures distances in metres, while the overseas versions use yards.1

  • GameplayArcade (VS. Golf)

    The arcade version adds match play against the computer.1

  • ContentGame Boy

    The Game Boy version shows smaller golfers on the course map and has 36 holes on two courses: JAPAN and a harder U.S.A. course.1

All differences (4)

Where to play legally today

  • Nintendo Switch Online Subscription

    Golf

    NES version

    Checked: 2026-10-133nintendo.com

Reception

Critics responded positively at launch. Golf sold over 4 million copies, 2.46 million of them for the Famicom in Japan, making it the best-selling sports game on the NES/Famicom; AllGame rated the Game Boy version 4 out of 5.2

In lists

Sources

  1. 1ja.wikipedia.org
  2. 2en.wikipedia.org
  3. 3nintendolife.com

Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13

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