7 Best Golf Movies: Exciting Entertainment for the Golfer

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a weekend hacker, there’s no arguing that golf is one of the most enjoyable sports around. And what could make playing golf even better? Watching a movie about golf, of course! To get you in the swing of things, we’ve put together a list of the best golf movies per IMDb. Grab your clubs and some popcorn and settle in for some great entertainment.

How IMDb Rates Great Golf Films

Movies are rated by users on a scale of 1 to 10, with the following meaning:

So, If you ever find yourself wondering why some of the best movies of all time didn’t receive higher scores from IMDb users or critics, there is a simple answer for this: it’s all subjective.

On each new release, users with an IMDb account may place a rating (from one to ten) after submitting their registration details. The user’s individual votes are then compiled and summarized into a single IMDb rating, which is displayed on the title’s main page.

Users may change their votes as often as they like, but each user’s subsequent vote on the same title overwrites the previous one, so it is only one vote per title per user.

IMDb ratings can be helpful when deciding what to watch, but it’s important to remember that they’re subjective. Keep this in mind when viewing the IMDb Ratings and take them with a grain of salt. After all, one person’s 10.0 is another person’s 2.2.

Now that you understand the IMDb rating system let’s take a look at the Best Golf Movies.

Related Post: Best 55 Golf Quotes

The Greatest Game Ever Played 2005 – 7.4 IMDb Score

The Greatest Game Ever Played is a golf movie released in 2005. It stars Shia LaBeouf as Francis Ouimet and Stephen Dillane as Harry Vardon.

Based on a true story, the movie follows the young golfer Francis as he begins to play the game with his father and earns enough money for lessons from caddying to ultimately compete in one of the major golf tournaments, the 1913 US Open.

This movie is a great one to watch when you want to see someone’s journey into greatness. Francis begins the story as an amateur and underdog, but he never gives up and eventually beats the greatest golfer of his time, Vardon. The story is inspiring and the golfing scenes are well shot, even if you don’t know much about the game.

The Greatest Game Ever Played is one of the best golf movies that can be enjoyed by golfers and non-golfers alike. The movie is a true story and the characters are believable, making it a great choice for those looking to watch something about golf, or simply looking for a good movie.

Caddyshack 1980 – 7.3 IMDb Score

Caddyshack is a legendary golf film and is filled with some of the best quotes still used to this day. Truth be told, we consider this as #1 for Best Golf Movies!

The film follows the story of a young caddy, Danny Noonan, played by then-unknown actor Michael O’Keefe. Danny spends his summer caddying at the snooty Bushwood Country Club in order to make some money for his upcoming college tuition.

The film is full of classic one-liners like when Chevy Chase says ‘Be the Ball, Danny’:

and scenes, such as Carl’s (Bill Murray) Cinderella story:

and the epic golf match to end the movie:

Despite its classic status, Caddyshack is not without its flaws. There are many stereotypes throughout, including a few ethnic and homophobic jokes that will offend some viewers.

Regardless, Caddyshack is a classic golf movie that will be enjoyed by many people for years to come.

Happy Gilmore 1996 – 7.0 IMDb Score

If you’re looking for another hilarious comedy then Happy Gilmore is one of the best golf movies of all time. Adam Sandler plays an unsuccessful hockey player named Happy Gilmore, who turns to golf to make money. After a series of laughable events, Happy becomes one of the best professional golfers in the world.

Happy Gilmore is a great comedy that will have you laughing throughout. Adam Sandler’s performance is one of the best in his career. His character’s antics will keep you entertained, while some great cameos from other celebrities, such as Ben Stiller, help to elevate the film.

The highlight of the movie is the hilarious golf course scenes, which are extremely well done. Overall, Happy Gilmore is an enjoyable comedy that is definitely worth adding to your movie collection.

Pat And Mike 1952 – 7.0 IMDb Score

Pat And Mike is a great old rom-com wrapped in a golf movie with some hilarious scenes.

Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn have great chemistry together. At first, the characters are angry with each other, but then they become friends.

Truth be told, the real star of this movie is Katharine Hepburn. The actress has the opportunity to display her excellent athletic abilities as the bright, upper-bourgeois.

Pat And Mike have a very interesting take on the game, and the movie does a great job of showing the frustrations of golf.

If you are a fan of golf or Katharine Hepburn, then you should definitely check out Pat and Mike. It is a good old movie with some hilarious scenes.

The Legend of Bagger Vance 2000 – 6.7 IMDb Score

Golf is a sport that can be boring to watch. The Legend of Bagger Vance, starring Matt Damon and Will Smith, tries to make the game more accessible to the average person by telling an inspirational story around it about salvation, courage, and humility.

The film follows Matt Damon’s character, Rannulph Junuh. Junuh is a talented amateur golfer who lost his drive after returning from World War One. Then a mysterious figure named Bagger Vance enters Junuh’s life and helps him return to golf. 

The movie takes great inspiration from the philosophical Hindu epic, the Bhagavad Gita. The film’s two main characters, Junuh and Bagger Vance represent the two paths of spiritual salvation in Bhagavad Gita—the path of knowledge (Bagger) and the path of action (Junuh).

Bagger Vance is portrayed as a guardian angel who helps Junuh reconnect with his past and find his purpose in life.  The film shows how Vance helps Junuh find the courage to confront his personal demons and become a better person. In the end, Junuh is able to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend and make amends with his former rival, he also becomes a better golfer thanks to Bagger Vance eventually winning the Final exhibition match.

The Legend of Bagger Vance is more than a golf movie with its spiritual journey and themes of courage and humility. It also shows the importance of friendship, love, and overcoming your fears. It is a must-see for anyone who is looking for an emotional and thought-provoking film.

Highly underrated, The Legend of Bagger Vance is a great film. It is an inspirational story with great messages about courage, humility, and redemption. The acting is superb and the cinematography is beautiful. The Legend of Bagger Vance is definitely a film that will have you feeling many different emotions.

The Caddy 1953 – 6.5 IMDb Score

Another oldie, but goodie that gets the nod for Best Golf Movies is the 1953 comedy classic film, The Caddy.

This golf movie is directed by Norman Taurog and stars the comedy duo of Dean Martin (Joe Anthony) and Jerry Lewis (Harvy Miller, Jr), along with Barbara Bates as Lisa Anthony.

Harvey Miller, the son of a well-known golf professional, is expected to follow in his footsteps. However, Harvey is petrified of large gatherings. Instead, Harvey takes up golf instruction as a hobby at the suggestion of his fiancée, Lisa. After Joe, Lisa’s brother begins taking golf lessons from Harvey’s, he is able to compete in tournaments alongside Harvey as his caddy.

Joe’s newfound stardom goes to his head, and he begins treating Harvey with disdain. At a tournament, they begin to quarrel and create a commotion, so Joe is removed as a result. Ironically, after the two friends were kicked out of the golf tournament a talent agent happened to observe their hilarious performance and advised them to go into show business.

The Caddy is a movie that any fan of golf or comedy would enjoy. It has all the classic ingredients of a great film, with Martin and Lewis at their best. If you are looking for a good laugh and some light-hearted entertainment, then make sure to check it out and see why it made our Best Golf Movies list.

Tin Cup 1996 – 6.4 IMDb Score

In 1996, Tin Cup was released to theaters starring Kevin Costner as Roy McAvoy, Don Johnson as David Simms, and Rene Russo as Dr. Molly Griswold. Directed by Ron Shelton and produced by Jim Wilson. This flick is another rom-com made for the avid golfer.

Roy ‘Tin Cup’ McAvoy is a great golfer with a flair for the dramatic. He was, however, once a golf champion at the University of Houston. Much of his career has gone to hell, mostly because he’d throw away a safe situation for the sake of ridiculous swishes on a dare. Roy is now a struggling golfer who resides in a Winnebago overlooking the desolate driving range.

Everything changes though when Dr. Molly Griswold, a clinical psychologist starts lessons with the down-and-out golfer to work on her golf swing. Soon after meeting, Roy finds himself drawn to Molly.

Unfortunately, she is currently dating David Simms, a professional golfer with whom Roy played college golf. Worse, Simms is the egotistical a-hole who has tormented Tin Cups since their men’s golf team Cougar days in college.

The movie revolves around the love triangle of these three along with a hero’s journey for Roy. He knows he must restore himself in order to win the lady, so he enters the U.S. Open as a wildcard. However, the US Open does not conclude quite how we might have anticipated.

Tin Cup is a feel-good movie about second chances, and it is interesting to watch how Roy’s relationships with those around him develop. The movie contains golf action, romance, comedy, and drama all rolled into one.

In conclusion, Tin Cup is one of the best golf movies that will appeal to all golfers and romantics alike. The characters are interesting and the story is compelling. Tin Cup adds something to these genres that we don’t often see, and it is well worth watching.

Wrapping up our Best Golf Movie picks

Which of these movies have you seen? What are your favorite golf movie quotes or moments from the films? We’d love to hear what you think about our list. Please comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to share this blog post with any friends who might be interested in learning more about the best golf movies! And don’t forget to check out our latest posts from the blog.