The 10 Best Films About Golf. In this series of sports-themed articles, we’ll be reviewing the best sports films from auto racing and baseball to tennis and surfing. These Best Of lists will include both popular and lesser-known films from a specific sports film subgenre and our plan is to release each list monthly near a major sporting event.
With Golf’s first major championship, the 90th Masters Tournament, upon us, there’s no better time to review films involving “The Gentleman’s Game”. Golf originated in Scotland in the 15th century and has slowly become one of the most popular recreational and professional sports in the world. Golf has had its share of icons from Bobby Jones and Sam Snead to Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods who have become legends of the sport. Golfing terms have even made their way into pop culture through ‘taking a mulligan’ or do-over to experiencing ‘the yips’ or sudden anxiety affecting physical performance.
In film, golf has lagged behind other sports verticals due to its slow-paced gameplay that doesn’t translate well to screen. However, there have been a few films about golf that have transcended the sports genre from the classic raunchy sports comedies Caddyshack (1980) and Happy Gilmore (1996) to classic inspirational stories found in The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005) and Phantom of the Open (2022).
Once we’ve completed the list of best films by individual sport, we’ll have a cumulative article with the absolute 50 best sports films. For now, you can view our tentative schedule below and we’ll try to fit in some articles for some other sports such as Volleyball and Rowing that aren’t typically depicted in many films:
- Best Films About Football
- Best Films About Baseball
- Best Films About Surfing
- Best Films About Basketball
- Best Films About Summer Olympic Sports
- Best Films About Soccer
- Best Films About Running
- Best Films About Tennis
- Best Films About Auto Racing
- Best Films About Hockey
- Best Films About Wrestling
- Best Films About Winter Olympic Sports
- Best Films About Boxing
- Best Films About Golf
- The 50 Best Sports Films
For our rankings we’re going to use some criteria to help define and refine our list. First, the film must primarily be about amateur or professional golfing.
Second, we’re not going to include Romantic Dramas or Romantic Comedies unless the main theme of the film is golf. This will affect a film such as 3-Iron (2004) that has some scenes of golf but is primarily a Romantic Thriller so will not make our list while films such as Love on the Right Course (2024) is a romantic drama with an entire plot and theme centered around golf (so will be listed).
Third, the more golf action in the film, the higher the film will rank on our list.
Fourth, we’re not including documentaries on this list but we do recommend checking out The Short Game (2013) and Tiger (2021).
Fifth, like our previous sports film lists, we’re also not including animated films.
And sixth, we had to follow our rule for all of KBZ’s film listings where we only list films that have a 4.0/10 or higher rating and were made after 1970. We will extend our second rule for this list to 1967 to include Banning (1967).
Our complete list of Sports Dramas features over 587+ films from 1942 – 2024 and our complete list of Sports Comedies features over 254+ films from 1968 – 2024. Though we don’t yet break down films by sports discipline, we will list every individual sport-related film in their respective articles. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to get updated as we release future articles on each sport and add the latest and greatest subgenre films to our collection.
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The 10 Best Films About Golf
Films that didn’t make our list (and only for completists): Banning (1967), Caddyshack II (1988), Blades (1989), Golf Punks (1998), The Tiger Woods Story (1998), Miracle on the 17th Green (1999), Golfballs! (1999), Birdie & Bogey (2004), The Foursome (2006), Who’s Your Caddy? (2007), Chasing the Green (2009), Golf in the Kingdom (2010), Hole in One (2010), Becoming Redwood (2012), Arthur Newman (2012), The Squeeze (2015), Just Getting Started (2017), Round of Your Life (2019), Dream Round (2020), Eagle and the Albatross (2020), Walking with Herb (2021), Birdies (2022), The Mulligan (2022), Caddy Hack (2023), The Country Club (2023) and Lobby (2025).
Films not reviewed for this list: The Boys of Sunset Ridge (2001), 29 and Holding (2004), Fairway to Heaven (2007) and Open (2021).
Honorable Mentions: Dorf on Golf (1987), A Gentleman’s Game (2002), Par 6 (2002), Seven Days in Utopia (2011), Little Loopers (2015), Swing Away (2016), Tommy’s Honour (2016), Playing Through (2022), Love on the Right Course (2024) and Happy Gilmore 2 (2025).
#10
The Long Game
Plot: In 1955, five young Mexican-American caddies are determined to learn how to play and create their own golf course in the middle of the South Texas desert.
KBZ’s Take: The Long Game shares many similarities to another sports crowd pleaser, McFarland, USA (2015). Both films tackle Latino high schools, their upstart athletic programs and cultural integration within mainstream sports. And both films are rather predictable, which is common within the sports film subgenre.
Where they differ though is with The Long Game’s period setting in the 1950s and some great performances from Jay Hernandez, Julian Works, Dennis Quaid and a very funny Cheech Marin. You’ll know where this film is headed from its first act, but it won’t stop you from cheering at the end.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: The story of golf icon and legend, Bobby Jones, who retired from competition at the tender age of 28.
KBZ’s Take: Unlike other sports verticals, there’s a glaring lack of sports biopics for golf. Though Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius suffers from some pacing issues and generic biopic themes, it is worth seeing for a look at one of golf’s greatest icons.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: Catana Starks (Taraji P. Henson) becomes the first woman to coach a collegiate men’s golf team and subsequently guides her misfit players to an all-time-record championship season.
KBZ’s Take: For our #8 selection, we had an internal debate between From the Rough, Swing Away (2016) and Love on the Right Course (2024). All three films share a Hallmark-like quality to them with various pros and cons. And while all three films focus on golf, the latter two films have more significant themes of romance which led us to select From the Rough for this spot.
As for the film, it’s based on Catana Starks who became the first woman ever to coach a college men’s golf team. Taraji P. Henson excels in the role of Starks as she guides a team of misfits led by Harry Potter’s Tom Felton. We wouldn’t call the film great by any means, but if you’re an avid golf fan, it’s a film that will likely bring a smile to your face.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: World War I has left golfer Rannulph Junuh a poker-playing alcoholic, his perfect swing gone. Now, however, he needs to get it back to play in a tournament to save the financially ravaged golf course of a long-ago sweetheart. Help arrives in the form of mysterious caddy Bagger Vance.
KBZ’s Take: The Legend of Bagger Vance is typically included in most lists of the top golf films. While the film is enjoyable with some iconic scenes of golf and commendable performances from Will Smith (Bagger Vance) and Matt Damon (Rannulph Junuh), we felt the film’s pacing was off and there were a few films we would recommend over Bagger Vance for fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: A second-string pro golfer desperate for his shot at success, tours the country.
KBZ’s Take: Though Dead Solid Perfect is a cult classic among fans of golf, the film has never had a proper release on DVD. We provided a link below where you can watch the best version of the film.
As for Dead Solid Perfect, it’s achieved its cult classic status through a realistic view into the life of a second-tier golf pro. The film explores the challenges of Kenny Lee (Randy Quaid) both on the green and with his somewhat chaotic personal life. This is one of Quaid’s most underrated performances and a film no fan of golf should miss.
Where to Stream / Buy: YouTube
#5
Tin Cup
Plot: A washed-up golf pro working at a driving range tries to qualify for the US Open in order to win the heart of his successful rival’s girlfriend.
KBZ’s Take: As we’ve noted in our other articles for sports films, Kevin Costner is the godfather of the subgenre with his roles in American Flyers (1985), Bull Durham (1988), Field of Dreams (1989), For Love of the Game (1999), Draft Day (2014) and McFarland, USA (2015). Costner has appeared in everything from running and bicycle racing to baseball and football.
Tin Cup is Costner’s foray into golf and like Bull Durham, the film layers a romance over a theme of an athlete at the end of his career. Though the film can be predictable at times, it’s still a fun romantic comedy that fans of the subgenre can watch on their own or is also a great selection for date night.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: A biopic of 20-year-old Francis Ouimet who defeated his golfing idol and 1900 US Open Champion, Harry Vardon.
KBZ’s Take: When reviewing various films of different sports verticals, we generally lean towards films that get into the specifics of a sport – the strategy and tactics, the gamesmanship between players and so on. The Greatest Game Ever Played checked all of our boxes for a sports film with its focus on the intricacies of golf as its foundation.
Is the film predictable? Of course it is as it’s based on the real life match at the 1913 U.S. Open between Francis Ouimet (Shia LeBouf) and Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane). But what makes the film special and one of the best films about golf, is how the film makes golf exciting for non-sports fans. There are some great sequences in this film during the final playoff round that will have you on the edge of your seat in anticipation of Ouimet’s win.
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: Maurice Flitcroft, a dreamer and unrelenting optimist, managed to gain entry to The British Open Golf Championship qualifying in 1976 and subsequently shot the worst round in Open history, becoming a folk hero in the process.
KBZ’s Take: Due to the number of films we have seen, we’re rarely amazed or surprised by a film – especially if it’s in the sports subgenres. But The Phantom of the Open is one of those unique films that’s equally inspirational as it is funny.
The film, based on the real-life escapades of Maurice Flitcroft, is somewhat hard to believe. But the film is made more believable by the performance of Mark Rylance. Rylance is one of the best actors of his generation from his Academy Award-winning performance in Bridge of Spies (2015) to the recent The Outfit (2022). But his understated performance as Maurice might be his best. He gives his real-life character a dogged determination that’s relatable and inspirational to anybody that’s ever had a dream.
At its core, the film is an underdog story that’s flipped on its head where the dreams one might try to achieve in life are eclipsed by events with even greater meaning and fulfillment. This is one of our favorite recent films and one we highly recommend for any fan of film.
Additional Lists: Best Recent Fish Out of Water Comedies #1
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
Plot: Failed hockey player-turned-golf whiz Happy Gilmore – whose unconventional approach and antics on the grass courts the ire of rival Shooter McGavin – is determined to win a PGA tournament so he can save his granny’s house with the prize money. Meanwhile, an attractive tour publicist tries to soften Happy’s image.
KBZ’s Take: Happy Gilmore is one of those unique sports films that is a classic film of two sports subgenres – golf and hockey. Though the film is primarily about golf, hockey themes are interwoven through the film from Happy’s style of play to his hilarious and classic ‘hockey-style’ fight with Bob Barker.
It’s one of the funniest sports comedies of the entire sports subgenre with a sequel that’s not on par with the original (but still funny) in Happy Gilmore 2 (2025).
Additional Lists: The 20 Best Films About Hockey #3
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
#1
Caddyshack
Plot: Danny Noonan (Michael O’Keefe), a teen down on his luck, works as a caddy at the snob-infested Bushwood Country Club to raise money for his college education. In an attempt to gain votes for a college scholarship reserved for caddies, Noonan volunteers to caddy for a prominent and influential club member (Ted Knight). Meanwhile, Danny struggles to prepare for the high pressure Caddy Day golf tournament while absorbing New Age advice from wealthy golf guru Ty Webb (Chevy Chase).
KBZ’s Take: There can be only one. And that film is Caddyshack. Arguably the funniest sports movie ever, Caddyshack mixes National Lampoon-like raunchy humor with a very funny spoof about golf.
Any film that has a starring cast of Chevy Chase, Bill Murray and Rodney Dangerfield is sure to delve into raunchy and crude humor and on that front, the film delivers. From Dangerfield’s hilarious one-liners to Murray’s mission to eliminate a gopher to Chase’s womanizing and Zen-like Ty Webb, it’s a classic comedy of the 80s, a classic film about golf and our favorite raunchy sports comedy.
Additional Lists: The Funniest Raunchy Sports Comedies #1
Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon
