After a nearly 30-year hiatus, Adam Sandler returns to the golf course in Happy Gilmore 2. After a successful career on the tour, Happy Gilmore is forced into an early retirement due to a tragic accident during a round. The only thing that brings Happy joy now is his kids. When his lone daughter receives a chance to attend an illustrious dance school, Happy must overcome his fears and return to golf to win a lucrative tournament.
Happy Gilmore 2 is a pure nostalgia play, but it delivers a solid amount of laughs. While Happy Gilmore 2 might not make the list of the best golf movies, five other films deserve a spot on our list. Check it out below.
5. The Caddy (1953)
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis take their comedy act to the golf course in The Caddy. Harvey Miller (Lewis) is a talented golf pro who can’t perform in front of a crowd. Joe Anthony (Martin) is a budding star with an ego problem. Harvey agrees to caddy for Joe, and the result is a disaster. However, Harvey and Joe surprisingly find a second career off the course.
The Caddy focuses more on the relationship between a golfer and caddy than on the performance on the course. It’s a showcase for Martin and Lewis to do their thing as a comedic duo. Fun fact: That’s Amore appeared for the first time in The Caddy. So when you’re hearing it in Rear Window, Moonstruck, and The Garfield Movie, you can thank The Caddy for bringing it into the world.
4. The Short Game (2013)
Every parent of a young athlete thinks their kid could be the next Michael Jordan or Serena Williams. For golf parents, everyone hopes they have the next Tiger Woods in their family. The Short Game examines some of the greatest golfers in the world under the age of eight. The documentary begins about six months before the 2012 World Championships, as eight boys and girls prepare for the tournament.
On one hand, watching these prodigies excel at a sport that gives so many adults trouble is mesmerizing. On the other hand, you’ll quickly see which parents are pushing their kids to the limit. All in all, it’s a fascinating look into youth sports.
3. Tin Cup (1996)
If I ever decide to rank the greatest actors who play athletes in movies, Kevin Costner has to be a first-round draft pick. Baseball is his specialty, but Costner effectively tees it up on the golf course in Tin Cup. Roy McAvoy (Costner) is the best that almost was. A costly decision ruins Roy’s shot at the PGA Tour. Years later, Roy now owns a beat-up driving range in Texas. After being embarrassed by his old rival (Don Johnson), Roy attempts to qualify for the U.S. Open.
Along the way, Roy tries to court Dr. Molly Griswold (Rene Russo), the girlfriend of Simms. Tin Cup’s strength is the palpable chemistry between Costner and Russo. As a realist, Roy’s decision on the last shot still infuriates me to this day. A lesson to all — when you have a chance at qualifying for the U.S. Open, be smart and take the logical route.
2. Happy Gilmore (1996)
Happy Gilmore belongs in the top three thanks to its rewatchability, quotability, and impact on golf. How many times have you seen a golfer try to imitate Happy’s trademark swing? The limit does not exist. Happy Gilmore (Sandler) loves two things: hockey and his grandmother (Frances Bay). After being cut from the hockey team, Happy must find a way to make money to save his grandmother’s house from foreclosure.
By chance, Happy discovers he can drive the golf ball longer than the pros, so he begins to hustle people for money. This leads to a tryout on the PGA Tour, which might come to an end due to Happy’s temper and wild antics. Happy Gilmore is fun, dumb, and charming. The gags still deliver nearly 30 years later.
1. Caddyshack (1980)
Without Caddyshack, there is no Happy Gilmore. The fact that Caddyshack pulled off a slapstick comedy set in the uptight world of golf is a minor miracle. Caddyshack also benefits from having a lineup of comedic greats, including Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Ted Knight, and Rodney Dangerfield. At the Bushwood Country Club, social status matters. Most of the members are snobs and rich jerks. One of the young caddies, Danny Noonan (Michael O’Keefe), works there to win one of the college scholarships offered at the club by Judge Smails (Knight).
Danny forms a friendship with the unorthodox but talented Ty Webb (Chevy Chase). However, the young caddy finds himself in the middle of a feud between Smails and the rambunctious member Al Czervik (Dangerfield). Meanwhile, Carl Spackler (Murray), the club’s eccentric greenskeeper, engages in a confrontation with an annoying gopher. With slapstick humor and memorable gags, Caddyshack remains a timeless classic and the best golf movie.
