Golf is definitely the type of game that you need a great deal of patience for since quite honestly it’s one of those games that requires a lot of skill to get into and isn’t quite as quick or dynamic as many other sports. It’s known as a gentlemanly sport, or was, and is supposed to be a dignified game that doesn’t involve any of the other action that many other sports are known for, which could be why a lot people might not be into it that much. That being said though the game of golf still boasts quite a few fans since it’s become one of the top sports in the world and has also attracted quite a few top-level sponsors that have allowed it to flourish over the years. The movies that have been made about golf have been everything from funny to dramatic to even a bit sad at times as the story lines tend to go all over the place to make it interesting.
Here are the five best golf movies ever made.
5. The Greatest Game Ever Played
It doesn’t matter where you come from, who your family is, or what your social status is, if a person has the talent and the drive all they need is a chance to show what they can do and every now and then, wonders can occur. Francis Ouimet didn’t have much, but he had the kind of skill that made him an absolute master when it came to golf, and while this was recognized by many people that could honestly admit to his skill, including his opponents, it was berated by those that felt that social status was far more important than skill. In the end he showed people, including his father, that pursuing your dream might be tough, but it’s worth it.
4. The Legend of Baggar Vance
Sometimes the worse trauma a person can go through is to lose faith in themselves for one reason or another, and for Junuh that seems to be just what happened. When Baggar Vance shows up to train him and help Junuh regain his self-confidence it becomes a kind of test of wills since those that are down don’t always know how to get back up. But with enough help it’s possible for anything to happen, even a miracle when it’s needed. Eventually Junuh gets his game back, reconnects with his old girlfriend, and in a bigger sense gets his life back as Baggar vanishes just as mysteriously as he arrived.
3. Tin Cup
Notice how in a lot of sports movies the main point has to do with confidence and what it means to believe in yourself? Roy is one of the best golfers alive and yet he’s never been to the big game since he’s almost always had fun with the game rather than going for it all. His devil may care attitude has held him back quite a bit even if it’s allowed him to have a fun and engaging life. But when he meets the right woman he finds that suddenly wants to do better and become the man that he knows he can be in order to impress and possibly win her heart. Sometimes all it takes is the right motivation.
2. Happy Gilmore
This is where the golf movies get goofy but also fun since Happy didn’t so much play golf as annihilate it with his off-color humor and his ability to simply demolish anyone on the course with his long drive. When he finally settled down and got the skills to go with his natural ability however he became truly dangerous since he knew how to navigate his way around the pros and made short work of a lot of holes that even the skilled and seasoned veterans had an issue with. This kind of natural ability tends to irritate and frustrate a lot of people but at the same time it definitely inspires folks as well.
1. Caddyshack
This is, by and large, the king of all golf movies since it does focus a bit on golf but it also goes so far out of bounds that one can’t help but laugh a good way through the movie since the gags and the characters are beyond anything you might expect. Carl the groundskeeper and Ty Webb are by far the stars, though Danny and a few others are fun to watch as well. Even Rodney Dangerfield was a gas since he simply did what he does best, which was to be as obnoxious as possible. For those reasons however this movie was easily the best of the golf movies back in the day, even if the second movie kind of bombed out. It might not be able to be made in the same fashion today, but that’s a good thing.
Fore!Caddyshack
