Lee Trevino's Fighting Golf FAQ/Guide 1.00 By Andrew M. Evans aka AndrewM (AndrewM@NESHQ.com) Looking for anything NES? Visit my hopefully-but-probably-not comprehensive NES site at www.neshq.com! --== Table of Contents ==-- Section 1 ----- Revision History Section 2 ----- Disclaimer Section 3 ----- FAQ Introduction Section 4 ----- Game Introduction Section 5 ----- Basic Controls Section 6 ----- Meet the Golfers Section 7 ----- Some Advanced Notes Section 8 ----- Club Yardage Chart Section 9 ----- American Course Section 10 ----- Japan Course Section 11 ----- Best Scores Section 12 ----- Closing Notes, Credits, and Thanks --== Section 1 - Revision History ==-- Version Date Released Changes 1.0 October 11, 2006 Original Version --== Section 2 - Disclaimer ==-- This FAQ is intended for private use and may not be reproduced on any sites or in any publications without my prior consent, which I may or may not (I don't see why I wouldn't) grant by having you e-mail me at AndrewM@Neshq.com. If you should fail to do so and I see my FAQ posted somewhere I shall be forced to sue you into litigation Hell with my army of high-powered lawyers. Actually, this whole bit is a bunch of ballyhoo. If you want to post or reproduce this FAQ go right ahead and do so, just leave me my credit and the shameless self-promotions for my NES Site, www.neshq.com (in case you have yet to see!). Oh yea, and if you somehow get hurt using this FAQ I am in no way responsible (is this even possible). As a matter of fact, by even opening this file you have officially absolved me of any responsibility in my entire life. Ok, well it was worth a shot...... --== Section 3 - FAQ Introduction ==-- And a good day to you sir! Welcome to my Lee Trevino's Fighting Golf guide. I had the good (bad?) fortune to find this game in a lot of NES games I had bought several years ago. I managed to play this game more than any human should ever experience 8 bit golf through my college years. Like most of my other FAQs this one was written, very conveniently, without the aid of instructions. While this made me feel like a true man I'm sure it's also causing me to miss crucial pieces of information, like why most Japanese golf games have someone with 'Jumbo' in their name somewhere. The very fact that I know this fact is disappointing and makes me want to go bury my head in a volcano. But enough about me, on with the game! --== Section 4 - Game Introduction ==-- Action, adventure, danger... you'll find absolutely none of this in Lee Trevino's Fighting Golf! But, if you like to see strange, voyeuristic panty shots of 8-bit animated women then this game is for you my brother (for some reason if you hit a good shot with Pretty Amy she shows you a shot of her underwear that only a Japanese game programmer could think was a good idea)! From the main menu you may: go to stroke play (a regular 18 hole game of golf with 1-4 players); Nassau game (skins game with 2-4 players on the 9 holes of your choice); or practice (practice shots with no wind on the hole of your choice). --== Section 5 - Basic Controls ==-- Most of the controls in Lee Trevino's Fighting Golf (LTFG from here on out, soldier) are pretty self-explanatory. When you're at the shot screen you have three different things to do. Firstly you can take a shot (this is the default state at the shot screen). To start your swing press A. Press A the first time to determine the power of your shot - the closer to the left edge the harder the shot will be. Press A again to determine the flight path of your ball, aka hook/slice. If the shot meter ends up to the left of the arrow your shot will go right, and ending up to the right of the arrow will take your shot left. How much left or right of the arrow determines how much the ball curves. Pressing B will bring up the aiming crosshairs - use these to determine the initial heading of your shot. Pressing A at this screen will bring up the overhead view of the hole. Pressing A again brings up the overhead view of the green. Pressing A one lat time brings you back to the aiming crosshairs. Pressing B again will bring you to the club selection. Pressing B one more time brings you back to the actual shot screen. --== Section 6 - Meet the Golfers ==-- And here, ladies and gentlemen are the golfers at your disposal: Pretty Amy - The only lady of the bunch, the proverbial diamond in the rough. Amy is a petite lass and the least powerful of the golfers. She is, however, the golfer with the most control. Amy is definitely the best for beginners. Miracle Chosuke - Legend has it that Miracle Chosuke is the unexpected offspring of Pegasus and Barbara Streisand. Ok, so I totally made that up - further proof that I've played this game too long tonight. Chosuke is the second-least powerful and has the second best control. Chosuke actually does have a higher chance of sinking chip shots and shots from further out than the other golfers (I didn't make that up). Lee 'Super Mex' Trevino - The namesake of the game is somewhat puzzling to me. If I were going to have a golf game made with my name on it I'd make myself have awesome power (Jumbo) or a mysterious ability to sink chip shots (Chosuke). Instead, Trevino opted to be the second most powerful golfer with the second worst control. Weird. Big Jumbo - Big Jumbo is a beast. He's the most powerful golfer of the four but his power comes at the price of having the worst control of the four. Jumbo takes some getting used to but technically provides the best shot at obtaining the lowest score owing to his Jumbo-esque ability to slam a golf ball. --== Section 7 - Some Advanced Notes ==-- A few important things to touch on before sending you out to play golf: Wind - Wind plays a fairly significant factor in the game. Each hole seems to have random wind speeds generated each time it's played. I haven't noticed any correlation between high wind speeds and certain holes, but that's not to say that there isn't any. Obviously wind coming from behind will help the ball go further while wind in your face will shorten the distance your club would normally hit (see below for more on this). So if you'd use a 7I for one hole and you have a 5 MPH wind at your back you might choke down to an 8I, whereas you might choke up to a 6I if that same 5 MPH wind was in your face. If that makes sense at all. Wind blowing left or right will blow the ball towards that direction. Hitting high vs Low - Sort of in relation to the above, you can choose to hit the ball high or low. To hit high or low hold the up or down arrow while hitting the ball. Hitting high or low affects how the ball travels as well - balls hit high will be more affected by the wind and balls hit low will be less affected than a normal shot. So hitting a high ball with the wind at your back will take the ball even further, while hitting a high ball into the wind will make it go MUCH shorter than a low shot into the wind. Curving - Hooking or slicing the ball can be a very useful tactic to hit around objects (namely water and trees). Curving a ball can also counteract the affects of the wind. Don't be afraid to experiment with this to see where it can take you. Top spin - There might be a way to add top spin to the ball, although I'm not really sure. If anyone reading this knows then please let me know and I'll add it to this guide. --== Section 8 - Club Yardage Chart ==-- Amy Jumbo Chosuke Trevino D (1w) 245 275 255 265 3w 215 245 225 255 4w 200 230 210 220 1I 200 230 210 220 3I 180 210 190 200 4I 170 200 180 190 5I 160 190 170 180 6I 140 170 150 160 7I 130 160 140 150 8I 120 150 130 140 9I 105 135 115 125 PW 95 125 105 115 SW 85 115 95 105 --== Section 9 - U.S.A Course ==-- Hole 1: 440 yards Par 4 This is a pretty straightforward hole. Just blast it down the middle, being sure to keep it on the fairway. Jumbo, Chosuke, and Trevino will make it two the green in two easily. Amy should make it in two as well unless the wind is really against her. Verdict: Everyone should almost always birdie this hole. Hole 2: 373 Yards Par 4 Another pretty easy hole, although this one can be more confusing than a llama trying to pose as an alpaca (see, you're already confused). Enough about South American pack animals. My opinion here is that you should lay up short of the hole (have Amy/Chosuke hit either a 1I or 3I and Jumbo/Trevino hit a 3I or 4I) and you'll end up with a direct line of sight to the hole. Take your second shot so it bounces off the light rough and sits on the green. Verdict: Easy once you get the hang of it. Should be a birdie hole. Hole 3: 470 Yards Par 4 This hole is tougher than a blind man's steak (yes, I'm aware of how indescribably lame that was). You can play this hole one of two ways: lay up to the fairway to the northeast of the hole or try to drive through the trees. Driving through the trees carries with it the disappointingly high probability that you will hit one of said trees and feel like a jackass. If you managed to avoid the trees you'll probably end up in the fairway and get a shot at the green in two. Going to the fairway is a safer play but pretty much guarantees that you won't get anything below par. Verdict: Either way you go this is a difficult hole and you'll probably bogey it. Hole 4: 165 Yards Par 3 This is an easy one folks. Aim for the northwest corner of the green and apply some curve so that the ball hits the light rough to the left of the green, slows down, and stops on the green. Verdict: You should birdie this hole. Hole 5: 533 Yards Par 5 The easiest par 5 in the game. Just make sure you avoid the flapjackin' water! The three guys should hit the green in two with no problem. Amy should be able to hit the green in two with some decent wind. If the wind's against you as Amy just be safe and go for three. Verdict: Everyone should always birdie this hole. The big three (Jumbo, Chosuke, Trevino) have a good chance at an eagle. Hole 6: 223 Yards Par 3 Pretty straightforward hole. Avoid the heavy rough and avoid the water and you're set. The only other thing to be careful of is the nasty break the green has. Verdict: Easy par, relatively easy birdie. Hole 7: 39 Yards Par 4 Watch out for the water and you'll be fine. All four golfers can clear the water hitting due north (although Amy needs a near perfect shot). Obviously go for the straight shot and if you don't hit full power curve it left to avoid going in the drink. On your second shot try to touch it down right before the green to slow the ball down and have it land on the green. Verdict: Easy par, relatively easy birdie. Hole 8: 557 Yards Par 5 This is one of those holes where you're in good shape if your name is Big Jumbo. Unfortunately if you're name is Big Jumbo you've probably been getting your ass kicked all your life so this is little consolation. Enjoy it while it lasts Mr. Jumbo, this is your hole. Obviously everyone should nail their first shot over the trap to the fairway (derrr!). Jumbo and Trevino can hit the green in two pretty easily. Amy and Chosuke will need a little help from the wind but should give it a shot anyways. There's really no sense in laying up and everyone should flat out go for the green on the second shot since this provides the best approach as well. Verdict: Easy birdie, relatively easy eagle. Hole 9: 450 Yards Par 4 This probably one of the trickier holes on the American course. Obviously you want to carry it over the sand trap... Amy and Chosuke need to hit it closer to the bottom of the fairway while Jumbo and Trevino can hit a little further north. Amy and Chosuke will typically take three strokes to get to the green versus two for Jumbo and Trevino. Try especially hard for a decent spot on the green since it can be a very tricky green to navigate. Verdict: Aim for par on this one. Hole 10: 414 Yards Par 4 Not too tough, not too easy. Lay up on the fairway and approach this hole from the south, where there's a little more room to work with. Don't be afraid to overshoot the green to save par. Remember Jaws? Yeah, water sucks. Verdict: Veterans go for birdie, amateurs go for par. Hole 11: 618 Yards Par 5 Very easy hole, just longer than Manute Bol's pants. Big Jumbo and Trevino prosper on this one. Amy and Miracle Man are kinda screwed. Be sure to use the wind to your advantage as much as possible to try to make this hole play as short as possible. Verdict: Always a birdie for Jumbo and Trevino. Amy and Chosuke's fates depend on the wind. Hole 12: 377 Yards Par 4 Amy should use a 3 or 4 wood, and the others should determine club accordingly (see yardage chart - hah, I knew I didn't waste my time making that yardage chart!!) to lay up just barely on the fairway. This will give maximum approach angle to get on the green. Verdict: Birdie for everyone. Hole 13: 230 Yards Par 3 Easy hole. Hit on green. In the cup in two. Got it? Good. Verdict: Birdie. Hole 14: 469 Yards Par 4 This hole is tougher than solving a greased rubiks cube. Hit between the super rough and the bunker to get on the fairway (should only be tough for Amy). On the second shot I recommend hitting squarely towards the super rough at the green. Put up a decent chip shot and par this sack o' crap and head on to the next hole. Verdict: Par for everyone. Hole 15: 472 Yards Par 4 Another hole where Big Jumbo steals the show. Umm, hit your first shot hard. The gents should be able to hit the green in two under any circumstances while Amy can hit in two with some advantageous wind and skillful golfing. Verdict: Birdies for the gents, par for Amy. Hole 16: 571 Yards Par 5 You're pretty well out of luck however you play this hole. This reminds me of the time the great English writer Jon Michael Hornbaker once said "Why bother picking apples when the cherry tree is rotting?" Well OK, Jon Michael Hornbaker never said that. And come to think of it, he wasn't an English writer either. And now you see how this hole is. So go for par and be happy. Verdict: Par. Hole 17: 170 Yards Par 3 Don't go in the water. Verdict: Birdie. Hole 18: 440 Yards Par 4 Keep it on the fairway on the first shot and hitting the green in two will be a snap. Verdict: Birdie. --== Section 10 - Japan Course ==-- Hole 1: 481 Yards Par 5 Welcome to Japan. Ok, so you're actually still stuck in your bedroom, but at least your on the Japan course. Hole 1 sort of typifies the Japan course - more water and less fairway. Big Jumbo and sometimes Trevino can hit the green in two, but I recommend the safe route for everyone. Lay up so you're still in the fairway on the first shot and then blast the second shot over the water and as far up the fairway as possible. Get on the green with the third and putt in for an easy birdie. Verdict: Everyone should birdie this hole with the big guns occasionally getting an eagle. Hole 2: 190 Yards Par 3 If you can't figure this out it's time to seriously re-evaluate your life. The one piece of advice here is that it's better to overhit than underhit for fear of having to take a second shot over the water. Verdict: Everyone should birdie this hole. Hole 3: 474 Yards Par 4 This is a longer par 4 but is a really easy hole. All three gents should get on in two with no problem and Amy should be able to most times (unless the wind is unfavorable). A pretty easy green leaves room for a good shot at a birdie. Verdict: The men should birdie this hole with Amy going for either par or a birdie depending on wind. Hole 4: 385 Yards Par 4 Another super-easy par 4. Avoid the water on your first shot. On your second be sure to use the light rough in front of the green to slow down your shot before it hits the green. Use the easy green for a birdie. Verdict: A birdie for everyone. Hole 5: 411 Par 4 This hole can be deceptive at first glance. It looks like you should blast it over the water and the green but this doesn't work so well. Obviously take the first shot to make it over the water. The second shot depends on who you're playing as. Amy and the Miracle Man (Chosuke) will have trouble hitting the green in two so I advise going down a club or two and laying up southwest of the green. Jumbo and Trevino can either follow this strategy or, if you're awfully confident, you can try to aim left and curve your shot toward the green to try and get on in two. Either way this is a tougher hole and you should take pains to avoid the water. Verdict: Go for par on this one. Hole 6: 425 Par 4 This is one of the tougher holes in the game just because it's so frapjackin' long and it's a par 4. With Jumbo or Trevino you can go for the middle island on the east side of the hole and then go for the green in 2. I recommend that you quit yer' whining and just take the long way around. Aside from possibly going for the middle island there's not really a tough shot, the hole is just longer than the list of crappy movies Tim Allen has been in. Verdict: Suck it up sissypants and take the par or bogey. Don't get fancy on me now. Hole 7: 380 Yards Par 4 Blech. I'd rather listen to Paris Hilton lecture on the Theory of Relativity than play this hole again. It's tough, no doubt about it. Blast your drive as far as possible while staying in the fairway. I recommend aiming for the peninsula on the southeast of the hole and applying some massive curve to your second shot. Whatever you do just make sure it doesn't involve strapping on the scuba gear and trying to find your ball in the frigid waters of the Japan Course. Chip on with your third shot and go for par. Verdict: Go for par. Hole 8: 180 Yards Par 3 Until you get the hang of this hole just hit it a little far and spare yourself the possibility of a nasty water penalty. Verdict: Rookies go for par, experts go for the bird. And if you consider yourself an expert at Lee Trevino's Fighting Golf, it's time to re-examine your life. Hole 9: 588 Yards Par 5 This is a beefy hole. I've seen Big Jumbo reach the hole in two shots (further proof I've spent entirely too much of my life playing this game - as if we needed any), but everyone else can figure on three shots. The green is relatively big and the approach is clear, so you should be able to take this down in four shots. Verdict: Easy birdie. Hole 10: 420 Yards Par 4 Decisions, decisions. Not entirely like that time you were torn between buying the latest Michael Bolton CD or getting your hairy man-legs waxed, this hole presents some difficult decisions. Big Jumbo and Trevino should hit left and go for the green in two. Everyone else should go up the standard fairway and apply some serious curve on the second shot. Not an easy hole for the weaker two. Verdict: Jumbo and Trevino get the birdie while Amy and Chosuke should be happy with par. Hole 11: 566 Yards Par 5 Hit to the left fairway, hit to the north fairway, and get on the green in three. So I saw Chris Politi (of fame from my Winter Games FAQ - the only other human dumb enough to play that game for hours on end) go right and hit through the trees one time but that just seems like such a bad idea... Verdict: Relatively easy birdie for all. Jumbo and Trevino can hit the green in two with the right wind. Hole 12: 165 Yards Par 3 On the green in 1 and in the hole in 2. Got it? Verdict: birdie, hopefully. Hole 13: 376 Yards Par 4 Club selection is crucial here - make sure you choke down enough so that you don't hit into the pre-Trimspa Anna Nicole-sized trap to the left. Hit to the fairway first shot and then you've got a more or less straight shot to the green. Try to bounce it off the light rough in front of green to be on in 2. Verdict: Pretty easy birdie for everyone. Hole 14: 380 Yards Par 4 I really have to default to the wonderful in-game advice here (grammar intact): "SAFE TO ATTACK FROM LEFT SIDE. IT IS A GAMBLE TO ATTACK FROM RIGHT WHICH DO YOU PREFER?" Go for the glory and shoot to the right. First shot for everyone involves hitting through the isthmus (hooray for obscure 4th grade geography terms!) onto the fairway on the right. Don't get greedy with the second shot - it's better to overhit the green a little and go for par. Verdict: Par. Hole 15: 421 Yards Par 4 Much like a transvestite unicorn this hole is deceiving. OK, maybe not, I just really wanted to use 'transvestite unicorn' in a sentence. Hit left, aiming below the tree line, and apply some curve on the ball. On the second shot do the same thing, this time aiming a little more north of the tree line. On in two, in in three. Verdict: birdie birdie birdie. Hole 16: 183 Yards Par 3 Ready for this flash of brilliance? Hit straight to the green and putt in on your second shot. Verdict: Easy birdie. Hole 17: 447 Yards Par 4 Lay up on the first shot, hit the upper fairway on the second and putt in on the third shot. Big Jumbo and Trevino can potentially hit the green in 2 but it's tough. Verdict: Par most of the time, birdie on your birthday. Hole 18: 579 Yards Par 5 Eh, it's hole 18 on the Japan course. You can play this hole about any way and it should work out decently for you. Verdict: Good players will knock out a birdie and decent players will knock out a par. Anything lower and it's time to re-evaluate your lifelong dream of becoming a professional golfer. --== Section 11 - Best scores ==-- I don't remember the best scores I've seen for the courses although I seem to remember that one of them was a -14 (I think for Japan). Go ahead and send me your scores and I'll throw 'em in here. --== Section 12 - Closing Notes, Credits, and Thanks ==-- I hope the FAQ was helpful. If not well then you're probably just angry at the world and a joyless lump of coal (I'll go out on a limb and say there's a good chance the Japan Course made you so bitter). Thanks to Chris Politi, with whom I had the joy of wasting several days of my life on this game. I will use the rest of this space to once again shamelessly plug my website, www.neshq.com. If you see any mistakes or have anything to add to this FAQ, e-mail me at AndrewM@NESHQ.com.