The 14 Best Golf Movies, Ranked
A Gentleman's Game (2002)
A curious little film about life, the ironically titled "A Gentleman's Game" has all the characteristics of a Hallmark Channel original, right down to the cheesy DVD cover art. Nevertheless, as directed by J. Mills Goodloe, this R-rated sports drama is more mature than your typical family fare, replete with salty language and a darker view of life as seen through the eyes of young Timmy Price (Mason Gamble).
Timmy is a golf prodigy, but his platitude-spouting father (Dylan Baker) — "You can't win them all, we gave it a shot, all that matters is we tried," he says at one point — forces him to work as a caddie. Consequently, the young man learns harsh lessons about the game he loves and the people who play it. Slowly, he realizes the world is not as cut and dried as he believed after a series of events bring him face-to-face with a former pro-turned-failure (Gary Sinise), a racist country club snob (Philip Baker Hall), and a thumbless caddie with a dark secret.
It's all a bit heavy-handed, and the results aren't nearly as polished as one would expect. Still, some interesting ideas make "A Gentleman's Game" something of a double bogey — not bad, but far from a winning formula.
The Caddy (1953)
Arriving during Martin and Lewis' heyday, "The Caddy" is a fun slice of entertainment with enough wacky humor and bouncy tunes ("That's Amore!") to hold one's attention for 90 minutes. Jerry Lewis shows off his comedic talents and supplies the sort of hijinks you expect as Harvey, a talented but skittish golfer who acts like a 12-year-old and throws tantrums on the putting green.
The plot follows Harvey's attempts to repurpose himself as a coach/caddy for his golf-challenged buddy Joe (Dean Martin, suave as usual), leading to a series of antics that somehow lands them a gig as popular entertainers. Yeah, it's all nonsense, but Martin and Lewis display delightful chemistry, the songs are fun, and a supporting cast consisting of Donna Reed, Barbara Bates, and Joseph Calleia, along with a handful of cameos from famous golfers like Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, and Byron Nelson, ensures viewers get their money's worth.
From The Rough (2011)
Taraji P. Henson stars in "From the Rough," a formulaic but inspirational true-life sports drama about a swimming coach who leaves the water to serve as head coach for Tennessee State University's men's golf team. Catana Starks (Henson) gets the gig, albeit with stipulations, forcing her to recruit international players to round out the group. So we get a ragtag squad of underachievers, played by Tom Felton, Justin Chon, Paul Hodge, and Ben Youcef, who have no idea how to play together and struggle to impress the athletic director (Kendrick Paulsen, Jr.).
Will this crew of misfits put aside their differences and win the big tournament? Will the school abandon its disdain for Catana and learn to accept her unique approach to the game? Will Catana's boss stop acting like a jerk long enough to let her do her job?
"From the Rough" wears its heart on its sleeve and is about as predictable as a four-foot putt, but no one goes into this type of film expecting originality. Let's just call this one par for the course.
Tommy's Honour (2016)
Films about golf often focus on the social divides that prevent poorer talents from participating in a game typically reserved for the upper class. "Tommy's Honour" follows suit but positions its themes around a contentious father/son relationship. In this case, Tom (Peter Mullan) and Tommy Morris (Jack Lowden) are avid golfers but view the game much differently. Tom believes in the class structure and quietly does his job as a caddie and greenskeeper of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, headed by the snotty Alexander Boothby (Sam Neill). Meanwhile, Tommy yearns to open the game up for everyone, regardless of social status, and draws the ire of more affluent folk who would rather jump off a Scottish cliff than see their precious game ravaged by the lower class.
Beautifully shot and well-acted, "Tommy's Honour" (directed by Sean Connery's son, Jason, no less) plays more like a golf history lesson than an out-and-out drama. Still, it should satisfy those seeking to learn more about the sport and the people who paved the way for its modern-day success. Now, if we could get a movie about the invention of miniature golf...
Dead Solid Perfect (1988)
"Dead Solid Perfect" would be considered a classic if "Tin Cup" didn't swoop in and do a better version of its story less than a decade later. It's the tale of professional (but not quite extraordinary) golfer Kenny Lee (Randy Quaid) — "The only b****** on the tour who can't make a putt!" — and his exploits on the PGA Tour, where he encounters all manner of obstacles, including self-doubt, relationship issues, and gambling problems, in his pursuit of eternal glory.
Based on the phenomenal (and far superior) book by Dan Jenkins (who also wrote the script), "Dead Solid Perfect" works best when it focuses on Lee's relationships with ornery, foul-mouthed sponsor Hubert "Bad Hair" Wimberly (an excellent Jack Warden) and wise old caddie Spec Reynolds (Larry Riley), who each do their part to aid in his quest for greatness.
Flawed and less outrageous than its source, though very much an R-rated sports flick for adults, "Dead Solid Perfect" presents an amusing, albeit coarse, look at the world of professional golf.
Pat And Mike (1952)
Fans of Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn are sure to get a kick out of "Pat and Mike," a charming, wonderfully written comedy about a golfer named Pat (Hepburn), struggling to reconcile athletic fame with her problematic personal life. Pat is engaged to Collier Weld (William Ching), a dimwit hellbent on bending her to his will. Luckily, Mike (Tracy) steps in as her manager, and together, the pair shed the baggage in their lives and come out on top.
"I don't know if you can lick me or I can lick you, but together, we can lick the world," Mike says to Pat. Indeed, here is a film about two people with opposing viewpoints on life whose relationship (and eventual courtship) allows them to become better versions of themselves. Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin's sharp script gives plenty for our iconic leads to chew on ("Not much meat on her, but what's there is 'cherce'"), and director George Cukor displays the same comedic panache he demonstrated with "Adam's Rib" and "The Philadelphia Story."
"Pat and Mike" may not be a golf classic, but it's a fun, safe little film that zips right down the fairway.
The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005)
In a perfect world, audiences would have flocked to "The Greatest Game Ever Played" in 2005 and turned it into a monster-sized hit. Sadly, this mighty effort from director Bill Paxton earned mediocre reviews, bombed hard at the box office, and practically vanished from public consciousness. Too bad, because "The Greatest Game Ever Played" is a remarkable sports drama with impeccable performances, strong direction, and an ending that will leave all but the most cynical wiping tears from their eyes.
Shia LaBeouf stars in the true story as Francis Ouimet, a talented golfer hailing from the working class. His social status affords him few opportunities in the world of golf, a game played by the wealthy elite, but he eventually ends up challenging Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane) and Ted Ray (Stephen Marcus) in the 1913 U.S. Open, which many consider the greatest golf game of all time.
Paxton and screenwriter Mark Frost (adapting his novel) do a stellar job developing the numerous characters and their circumstances. We see Francis' dealings with his world-weary father (an excellent Elias Koteas) and his pint-sized caddie (a scene-stealing Josh Flitter), as well as his run-ins with elitists like Lord Northcliffe (Peter Firth). Even the legendary Harry Vardon is presented more as a victim of circumstance than an outright antagonist. "The Greatest Game Ever Played" checks all the right boxes and deserves mention alongside some of the all-time classics in the genre. Yeah, it's a hole-in-one.
Phantom Of The Open (2021)
"The Phantom of the Open" is one of those delightful little movies that warms the heart in a big way. Starring Mark Rylance and directed by Craig Roberts, this true story follows Maurice Flitcroft, a crane operator who took a shot at the 1976 British Open, despite never playing a round of golf in his life and went on to fame and ... well, just fame.
You see, Flitcroft sucks at golf. On his first tee, he closes his eyes, whacks the ball, and is surprised to see it travel just four feet. A stunned crowd comprised of reporters and spectators gasps. Calmly, he steps to the ball and takes another swing, hitting it to the left of the fairway. "That'll do," Flitcroft beams. Yeah, he's that type of guy.
Naturally, Flitcroft's antics ruffle the feathers of his elite fellow golfers and provoke the media, who quickly dub him the world's worst golfer, but he doesn't care. He's doing what he loves. Flitcroft eventually gains notoriety as a gatecrasher and forces the R&A to change its rules to prevent him from entering again. Undeterred, he adopts aliases and ludicrous disguises to hide his identity. After all, it's just a game.
"The Phantom of the Open" is a quirky and heartfelt film about a man who disregards the naysayers in pursuit of an uncatchable dream. He never wins the Open, but he never gives up, either. We get misty-eyed just thinking about it.
