There are a lot of movies about golf. That doesn’t say, though, that golf on the big screen has not seen its fair share of achievements. There have been multiple hits based on such a long-standing game. Old to fresh, the trials and tribulations of golf have produced several movies. But the only thing that remains to be seen is what movies make the cut. The cut lies at 5 in this sector, however, and there are no ties.
- Tin Cup
Roy “Tin Cup” McAvoy (Kevin Costner) has his own driving range, his only sanctum, in essence. He teaches golf lessons outside his range, a former golf prodigy with nothing left. She asks Roy to teach him while Dr. Molly Griswold is taking a class. She easily sees through his efforts to catch her attention as a clinical psychologist.
David Simms, Molly’s girlfriend, asks Roy to caddy for him. When facing a 230-yard shot, McAvoy criticizes Simms for laying up. Things escalate, and a bet is made. Roy flushes the shot, but is fired after.
Roy then decides he is going to qualify for the US Open. However, he also tries to get Molly, getting her assistance. They arrange a deal, she will help him rebuild his confidence in exchange for golf lessons. As it would have it, Tin Cup qualifies, but he seems to struggle from the issues of course, finishing his round with a seven iron.
In the final round of the US Open, McAvoy is in the heat of the tournament, and one decision to lay up or go for it makes or breaks him.
This movie tops this list for the reasons that it incorporates a real golf story with humor. Unlike the others, the plot is less comedic, and actually has some meaning.
- Happy Gilmore
Another one people would claim higher for, but it’s just a short movie coming up. The mother of Happy Gilmore means everything to him. Happy is saddened when she loses her house to the IRS. While the movers repossess the things from his mother, they challenge Happy to a driving competition. Happy wins 40 dollars out of three drives of 400 yards.
This win gives Happy the idea of going to the driving range to hustle people. When club pro Chubbs Peterson sees Happy, he tells him to play in a cash tournament. It gives him a spot on the PGA Tour to win the tournament, and from there, it becomes a battle, as Happy hasn’t learned enough to compete at a high level. Shooter McGavin easily transforms Happy into his enemy, as Happy takes his attention. The fight between Happy and Gunman, coming down to the Tour Championship, occupies the rest of this story.
- Caddyshack
This is where the choosing gets hard, and many people are going to disagree. Caddyshack remains third on this chart, however.
Although it’s one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen, it just doesn’t have enough of a movie to beat the next two. It is very fun to hear the tale of a young boy seeking to win a scholarship, based on the story of the groundskeeper, Carl, trying to remove a gopher from the plot.
Where this film loses out, however, is the sense of humor it wants to provide. With a mixture of humor, this movie can drive some people away. It’s a great movie, all things said, but it just misses rank.
Make sure to check a more full list of Top 13 best Golf movies of all time.