From cult classics to charming comedies: what happened when golf got the Hollywood treatment

A look at five golf movies that capture the sport’s drama – and comedy.

Like a professional athlete’s performance, sporting movies are often hit and miss. While some become cult favorites, others fall by the wayside after struggling in the hinterland between dramatization and sporting action. Certain sports lend themselves to getting the Hollywood treatment, and arguably golf falls into that category, perhaps because of the slower pace of play and the focus oftentimes on the personalities away from the course rather than on the action. This 1980 laugh-a-minute romp was the first of its kind and brought humor to the typically stuffy world of golfing country clubs. The plot revolves around a high school student – played by Michael O’Keefe – and his journey to obtain a college scholarship. During his time at Bushwood Country Club, O’Keefe’s character becomes involved in a rivalry amongst a prominent, stuck-up member of the club – Judge Elihu Smails (played by Ted Knight) – and a boisterous, jokester guest named Al Czervik (played by legendary comedian Rodney Dangerfield).