The Best Golf Movies and Documentaries

The adage about golf is that it’s a great game to play but not much fun to watch. When the players are shooting, putting, and driving, it’s thrilling. But there’s so much waiting around, staring at the green, waiting for another exciting moment.

That’s not the case with movies and documentaries about golf. You get all the drama, all the intrigue, and all the thrills of the sport condensed into a tight 90-120 minutes. You have to put up with none of the lagging or waiting around.

Here are the five best movies and documentaries about golf to make you fall in love with the sport all over again

1. Caddyshack

Even people who are entirely ambivalent about sports love Caddyshack. You put Bill Murray and Chevy Chase in a satirical farce; what do you expect?

For the true enthusiasts, you won’t get any technical insider talk, like whether to start with your pitching wedge or gap wedge when driving or how many compartments golf bag dividers should create. 

You will get a lighthearted romp that sends up the seriousness of the sport while also honoring the pure fun of the game. It’s a classic for a reason. 

2. The Founders

This extraordinary documentary chronicles the struggle of 13 amateur female golfers to create the Ladies Professional Golf Association. 

Though women have been playing golf professionally since at least 1811, when the first professional women’s golf tournament was held in Musselburgh, a town in Scotland, the sport remains even to this day a male-dominated game. 

The Founders is an incredible homage to the brave women who dared to defy convention and show everyone what they could do.

3. Happy Gilmore

Happy Gilmore is among the most beloved films of Adam Sandler’s peak acting years in the ‘90s and early 2000s. In the film, Sandler plays a temperamental but lovable ice hockey player who suddenly finds himself swept into the world of professional golf.

The behind-the-scenes lore from Happy Gilmore is legendary, from Bob Barker wanting to fight in the movie to the real-life person who inspired the Gilmore character. Lots to dig into if you’re a super fan!

4. Loopers: The Caddie’s Long Walk

Bill Murray makes the list for a second time with Loopers: The Caddie’s Long Walk. This extraordinary documentary, which features Murray as a talking head, explores the time-honored relationship between golfer and caddie. 

Much more than the star and his servant, this symbiotic relationship evolved over the years. The caddy has been anything from a psychologist to a father figure, handmaid, and now a technical advisor. For many golfers, the caddie is practically all of these in one. 

If you’re a sucker for beautiful courses, the film has stunning shots of places like Pebble Beach, the Carnoustie golf course in the UK, and the Ballybunion in Ireland.

Swing for the Nets

You can learn something from each of the films on this list, even the quite silly Caddyshack and Happy Gilmore. Respect your caddie, treat your clubs with care, and remember: at the end of the day, it’s only a game.