Ninja Golf is an arcade action game that combines golf with a side-scrolling fighting game. You are a ninja, and your goal is to survive nine holes of ninja golf! On each of the holes, you alternate between the golf and action parts. First, you hit the ball by selecting the direction and distance from the overhead view on the bottom of the screen; next, you will need to run to the location where your ball was hit while defending yourself from many enemies.
The terrain you need to cross determines which enemy ninjas, giant frogs, killer sharks, snakes, and other obstacles get in your way. To eliminate these enemies, you can kick, punch, or use a throwing star. Several bonuses may appear on the screen, including temporary invincibility, extra lives, health restoration, or magical transport to the green.
Once you reach the green, you need to defeat a fire-breathing dragon that guards the hole. The nine-hole course gets progressively harder and features holes with par 3, par 4, and par 5 distances.