Our beloved sport has been the major inspiration for a lot of great golf movies.
So if you’re looking for a recommendation, there’s no shortage for it.
If you’re trying to decide which one to watch first though, the answer is:
It depends on what mood you’re on and whether you’re looking for something inspirational or something hilarious.
Especially if you’re looking for something particular to your tastes, it can be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
No worries. I’ve done the work for you.
Here’s a list of 45 of the best golf movies from 1922 to 2019.
Have fun!
45 Best Golf Movies
Tommy's Honour is a historical drama about Scottish golfing champions Old Tom Morris and his son Young Tom Morris. These two would usher the modern game of golf.
Set in the first years of the game’s creation and featuring lush Scotland landscapes, this father and son duo were considered golf royalty.
But amid the success and fame, they also go through personal drama and tragedy. One of which is the vehement disapproval of Tommy’s relationship with his girlfriend Meg.
Based on the book entitled "Golf's Sacred Journey: Seven Days at the Links of Utopia" by Dr. David Lamar Cook, this movie is the story of a young golfer named Luke Chrisholm.
He has a promising career before him, but a basketball disaster not only ruined his chances at professional golf but also ruined his relationship with his dad who was also his coach.
When he crashes his career on the fence of an eccentric rancher, he decides to stay with him for a little bit and thus his journey to self-discovery.
This is a documentary that highlights the lives of eight 7-year-old golfers during the 2012 Junior Golf World Championship in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
The tournament brought in 1,500 young golfers from all over the world to choose who’ll become the next golf phenomenon.
Featuring interviews with golfing legends like Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Chi Chi Rodriguez, and Annika Sorenstam, this is a fascinating and sometimes funny chronicle in the world and culture of youth golf.
The Greatest Game Ever Played is an American biographical film about the life of golf champion Francis Ouimet (played by Shia LaBeouf).
Born from an immigrant family in Massachusetts, Francis became interested in golf at the early age of 7. And because they live close to the Brookline Country Club, he went to work there as a caddie despite objections from his parents.
During his free time, he practiced a lot to hone his skills. In 1913, he became the first amateur golfer to play in the U.S. Open.
The problem was, golf in the early 1900s was a class-based sport and was only ever accessible for the wealthy. But despite these obstacles, Francis kept trying.
In this sports comedy, an aspiring ice hockey player named Happy Gilmore, who doesn’t really have much hockey skills to begin with, meets Chubbs Peterson, a former professional golfer.
Peterson sees Gilmore play golf and convinces him to enter a local tournament, that would earn him a spot on the pro golf tour.
Maybe you’re in the mood for Donald Duck? Try this one.
Here, Donald takes his nephews to play golf but he doesn't have any success because his nephews keep playing tricks on him. Just some mindless cartoon fun to help you pass the time.
Starring Will Smith, Matt Damon, and Charlize Theron, this sports drama is based on the 1995 book entitled "The Legend of Bagger Vance: A Novel of Golf and the Game of Life" by Steven Pressfield.
Set in 1930s Georgia, Captain Rannulph Junnuh is a war hero who’s trying to compete for a golf championship tournament.
He meets Bagger Vance, a caddie, who supposedly knows the secret to the perfect swing.
They work together in preparation for the championships, develop a friendship, and even talk about all kinds of existential stuff.
Yep, sports movies about golf have their own share of ridiculous comedies.
This movie tells the story of Danny Noonan who works as a caddie for Ty Webb at a Country Club in order to earn enough money to go to college.
Dannie tries to gain the good graces of the country club's co-founder and director of the caddie scholarship program by caddying for him.
Meanwhile, there’s a businessman trying to repurpose the golf course and a menacing gopher trying to destroy it.
Roy McAvoy, a.k.a. Tin Cup, is a former golf prodigy. He owns a driving range where he hangs out with his pal Romeo Posar and their friends.
Molly Griswold wants a golf lesson, and she seeks the help of Roy, who’s immediately attracted to her.
He then enters the US Open golf tournament just to win Molly’s heart.
The catch: Molly is his rival’s girlfriend.
This is a biographical film based on the life of golf player Bobby Jones, the only golfer to win all four of the men's major golf championships in a single season.
But as with any other successful athlete, Bobby wasn’t safe from personal drama and problems.
After having such a hard time balancing his professional career with his personal issues, he consults his wife and begins to make a decision whether he should continue playing the game he’s good at or just retire.
From the Rough is the true story of Catana Starks, a former swim coach who became the first African-American woman to coach a college men’s golf team.
Played by Taraji P. Henson, Coach Starks overcomes adversity to lead her team of misfits to a record-breaking championship season.
This sports drama tells the story of a young small-town golfer with incredible skills in the sport. And he’s just won a local tournament that broke the public course record.
On his way to US Open, he’s approached by a gambler and lures him to play high-stakes games instead.
He agrees to this and the stakes just keep getting higher and higher, until it’s life-or-death.
13. The Caddy (1953)
This slapstick comedy of a film centers around Harvey Miller, a golfer whose father was a professional player and wanted his son to follow in his footsteps.
Even though Harvey was quite good, he hated being in front of crowds and his social anxiety gets too ahead of him that he can’t even play in games anymore.
So he coaches his charismatic friend Joe instead and Harvey poses as his caddie.
Based on the novel of the same name by Dan Jenkins, Dead Solid Perfect shows the life of an underachieving golfer who tours the country for a shot at success.
Maybe he’s also trying to create space between him and his fed-up wife.
On his journey to preparing for the US Open tournament and trying to get his life together, he learns that the most important things in life go beyond golf.
Pat Pemberton is a physical education teacher who tries to compete on golf and tennis tournaments. She’s a pretty talented athlete.
Mike, on the other hand, is a sports promoter who sees her talent and eventually becomes her manager.
The two of them become partners and they eventually fall for each other, even when Pat already has an insufferable fiancé.
The biographical film tells the life of golf legend Ben Hogan.
Before becoming a professional golfer, he worked as a caddie in order to support his family while staying to close to his favorite game.
But Valerie, ever the supportive wife, urges him to follow his dreams and pursue a career in golf. He listens to his advice and through sheer diligence and perseverance, he became one of the top-ranking players in his time.
The movie also covers the tragic car accident that mangled Ben. He didn’t die from it, which was a rare stroke of luck, and through the support of his loved ones, he recovered and continued to play the game he loved.
C-Note, a hip-hop star is denied membership into a California country club, so he comes up with a plan to get in.
He cleverly bought property adjacent to the golf course’s 18th hole, and this granted him membership by default.
But the other members took him in with a grudge and they try to do all that they can to kick him out.
Can C-Note outsmart them or will they outsmart him?
After the success of Caddyshack, here comes another comedic sequel.
In this one, Kate and her dad get encouraged by Miffy to join her family's country club. But when their application gets rejected, they buy Bushwood's stock from Ty Webb and turn the country club to an amusement park.
In a way, it’s kind of similar to “Who’s Your Caddy?”
If you’re in the mood for a chaotic golf comedy that’s just mindless entertainment, then have a go at this one.
Created by filmmaker Jason Baffa, this documentary portrays what kind of relationship forms between a golfer and his caddie.
Golf has been a game enjoyed by millions for centuries, and the guys carrying the bags have mostly been overlooked.
Featuring amazing and unheard stories, this film definitely does justice to the unsung heroes of golf.
This movie tells the story of golf player Severiano Ballesteros and how he overcame adversity to become the greatest golfer of a generation.
He was blocked by so many obstacles at every turn, but Seve never stopped playing the game he loved.
Using archival footage and artistic recreations, this film will inspire you with a rags-to-riches story of a man who reached his dreams against all odds and became world number one.
First things first, this is a pretty raunchy comedy. So stay away, kids.
Hole in One, also known as "ParFection," is a movie about a college boy named Eric who loses a bet with a scheming plastic surgeon.
His life got turned upside-down because of this, so he has to work really hard to reverse what has been done and become the man he should’ve been.
Based on Michael Murphy’s novel of the same title, this is the story of how Michael met a golf pro named Shivas Irons on his way to India in 1956.
The two of them met on Michael’s detour to the “Links of Burningbush” where they were unexpectedly paired together.
It was supposed to be Michael’s last game.
Through their time spent together, the two form a bond of camaraderie, and this became a transformative event for Michael as he learns lessons about golf and his life.
Timmy is just a regular 12-year old boy who loves golf and lives on the East Coast. One summer, his father arranges for him to be a caddie at a country club.
Since his father was a respected member of the golf club, all the other caddies snob Timmy as being just another member’s son who’ll just spend a day there and then go back to living the life.
But Timmy actually stayed and learned a lot about the game while being a caddie.
Narrated by the adult Timmy as he reflects on his past, this coming-of-age story is a refreshing way to pass the time and learn about life and growing up along the way.
The Founders tells the story of 13 amateur women golfers during the 1950s who weren’t supposed to be athletes or get paid to play.
But despite adversity, they fought prejudice and financial shortcomings to stake their claim in becoming professional golfers and eventually founded the Ladies Professional Golf Association.
This documentary combines archived video footage in the early days of the association as well as recent interviews of people associated with LPGA.
This is a documentary that tells the history of African-American golfers.
Based on the books "Uneven Fairways" and "Forbidden Fairways" by Pete McDaniel and Dr. Calvin Sinnette respectively, this highlights the dedication and determination of historically oppressed people throughout numerous generations who just want to play the game they love.
It’s a truly gripping watch.
This 1930 sports comedy stars Edmund Lowe and Leila Hyams.
It’s the story of a husband and a wife who drift apart but eventually get back together because of their love for golf.
This slapstick comedy of a movie starring The Three Stooges is only 17 minutes long, so it’s a film you can watch for any short break.
It’s about the friendship of three delivery men who work for a beer company.
When they learn that the company is sponsoring a golf tournament, they decide to sneak into the golf club.
It’s not because they’re avid fans either. In fact, they don’t really have any idea how the game works.
This is a 1991 Swedish film which title means “the accidental golfer.”
It’s the story of a guy named Hapless who gets laid off from a toaster factory and gets an offer to play golf against a wealthy man for money.
This is the story of a clerk who pretends to be a golfer so he could romantically pursue a wealthy socialite girl.
Lora Moore, the champion of her golf club, loses a match to a woman from another golf club.
Dismayed by the loss, she seeks the help of Jerry Downs, a professional golfer. He agrees, and they work together to improve her putt.
Jerry is also very handsome so understandably, Lora starts falling for him. She’s got a lot of competitors in that aspect though.
On the side, the friends of these two lovebirds also fall for each other. So a lot of romantic silliness ensues.
31. Blades (1989)
Maybe for some inexplicable reason, you’re up for a golf horror film? Try this one.
In Tall Grass Country club, there's a killer on the loose.
Despite this, Norman, the club owner, decides to announce a televised professional golf tournament while encouraging a guy named Roy to get to the bottom of the killings quietly.
Anthony Lombardo, also known as Babe, used to be a pro baseball player. Now, he’s a middle-aged man with the Internal Revenue Service harping him about financial stuff.
When he successfully invests this great golf swing, he does all that he can to make some money out of it.
33. Golf (1922)
Starring Larry Semon and Oliver Hardy, this American silent comedy film tells the story of a golfer who refuses to stop playing that he swings his club from tabletops and smashes mirrors to make his point.
This is another video made by Leslie Nielsen and a sequel to his first golf video entitled “Bad Golf Made Easier.”
In this one, Leslie and his caddie decide to drive a heel golfer named Brad insane. They distract him and make up rules that end up filling him with paranoia.
This is the last installment in the How to Golf Badly trilogy.
Sure, it’s a parody, but it teaches you how to reduce your score and cart-driving lessons. It also features Leslie’s wife, Barberee Earl Nielsen, who plays as a lady golfer.
36. Banning (1967)
Mike, a rising golf star on the PGA tour, gets accused of cheating. This leads him to hustle for a living.
All the while, he’s trying to stay ahead of a loan shark.
Miracle on the 17th Green is an uplifting drama that was adapted from a novel by James Patterson and Peter DeJong.
It tells the story of a 50-year old Mitch McKinley, who loses his job, and decides to pursue his dream of being a professional golfer.
But when he finds success, this causes problems in his family life and threatens to ruin his relationships with them.
Four friends have been sneaking into the Sunset Ridge Country Club since they were boys. It has become a tradition.
Now, 20 years later, they’re members instead of trespassers, and they’re still close friends even as the years passed.
Their bond of friendship and love of golf helped them endure adversity and never lose hold of hope.
Starring Chris Gauthier, John Shaw, Kevin Dillon, and Paul Jarrett, this American-Canadian film is about four college friends who reconnect for their 20-year college reunion on a golf course.
Fair warning: Kids, stay away. This is pretty much a sex comedy. But about golf.
In this film, Bentwood Country Club owner Simon is trying to put Pennytree Golf Club out of business, and Josh Pennytree isn't giving up without a fight.
So, to save the club, Liberty Pennytree hires a new staff consisting of good-looking men and women to boost their finances.
Danny chooses his daughter, Birdie, as his caddy. Eventually, he secures a spot on the PGA tour.
When Danny finds out that Birdie's life might be terminally ill, he’s forced to find a way to play without his daughter.
Starring Tom Arnold, this movie tells the story of an ex-professional golfer who gets assigned to teach a disorganized bunch of kids on how to become golf experts.
Spoiler alert: It’s not an easy job.
Golf has been around for a while, so the game has inspired plenty of films from the early half of the 20th century. This movie is one of those.
It’s a musical remake of the 1927 film "Spring Fever" and tells the story of a shipping clerk named Jack who gets enlisted by his employer to help him improve his golf game.
If you enjoy watching all Leslie Nielsen’s golf videos, then you’ll like this one, too. It’s only around 50 minutes long.
Bad Golf Made Easier is another parody of golf, featuring demonstrations of awful swings and other hilarious stuff.
I’ll leave you with his quote: “I don’t play golf to feel bad; I play bad golf but feel good!”
The biopic shows the life of the famous professional golfer Tiger Woods.
Played by Gary LeRoi Gray and Khalil Kain, this paints a portrait of Tiger’s early life to the successes of his career, with insights on his private life and how he dealt with racism and cultural identity throughout his professional life.