The game includes the real-life Muirfield Village and the fictional game-only course "The Bear's Track," both designed by Nicklaus.[1][2] Unlike its predecessor, the game also includes a golf course designer, allowing the player to create a customized course.[1] Three vacant plots exist for the player to create custom courses,[2] and the two existing courses can also be edited.[3] In designing courses, the player can choose between three types: mountainside, parkside, and seaside.[4][5] The course designer features various options, including hills, valleys, trees, and lakes.[1] The player can also create custom backgrounds for the courses.[2][6] Several add-on disks, released for the game and its predecessor, can be used to add additional golf courses.[7] Courses created with Jack Nicklaus' Unlimited Golf & Course Design can be imported into the subsequent game, Jack Nicklaus Golf & Course Design: Signature Edition.[8]
Game modes include skins and stroke, and the player can choose to rewind a poor golf shot and try it again.[2] The golfer is viewed from a third-person perspective,[6] and each hole starts with an overhead angle above the course which allows the player to view the distance to the hole.[2] The game informs the player of the distance to the hole, and offers a selection of golf clubs. A power bar along the left side of the screen controls the shot.[9] Jack Nicklaus appears in the game to give advice to the player before each hole,[10] and the game provides an option to view each shot through a reverse-angle replay.[2] The Super NES version features the same courses and a course designer.[11] It also includes a password feature,[12] and a replay option with various angles.[11]