Golf needs a new iconic film

[Bingo1976]

I was pondering, having watched the rather excellent Creed and Southpaw as well as the older Rocky series, that certain sports such as boxing have a plethora of great movies to choose from.

 

Not so golf.

 

Caddyshack - whilst iconic, is just a comedy set around a golf course

Happy Gilmore - some quite amusing moments, and some memorable quotes that are possibly a little old now (Tap it in....)

Tin Cup - someone should have dunked Costner in the lake on the 18th. And what is the moral of that film - do the same retarded thing time and time again, because being a brainless halfwit trumps intelligence?

The greatest game - quite a nice tale, but not really relevant to the modern game

Bagger Vance - is sentimental crud along the lines of Pursuit of happyness

 

There are of course other films, but the above are probably the 4 best known. So what would be your golf story you would want to tell? Would it be a warts and all biopic of Tiger's life (I think this would be a great film - Idris Elba would make an interesting Tiger Woods), or a fiction based on the plucky underdog beating all odds to make it to the top, or something else?

 

I think I would write a script about 2 brothers competing on the European tour (more locations) in the style of Entourage - something fresh and modern, and trying to stay away from sentimental crap.

[Guia]

Eventually, someone will make one about John Daly. You talk about drama, his career has been nothing but a study in what not to do.

[bigchucksr]

"Caddyshack" is the "Gone with the Wind" of golf movies--where is there to go from there? I hear more golfers holding a ball, eyes closed going "Na,na,na,na,na,na,na,na." than I do "Frankly my ball, I don't give a damn!"

[xflex]

Golf films are so hard to do cuz they usually take some actor and give him 2 weeks to learn the game and look like a pro on camera and it NEVER works. Matt Damon swings like a Streisand in Bagger vance.

 

That being said I would love to see them finally make a decent Ben Hogan film. Unfortunately Will Smith will probably play Tiger Woods before that happens :/

[huskydawg]

A biopic of David Feherty's life, lots of laughs and many tears.

[ZBigStick]

A Tiger movie would be great, same with Hogan, but they'd have to get the actor right.

I'd like to see a movie versions of The Match or Titanic Thompson.

[Dag Nabbit]

I would like to see a film about Walter Hagen. I know he is a remote figure; but he was as pivotal a personality as the game has ever seen. He is perhaps the least appreciated of the truly great players of old. He injected brash American swagger into a game that was in danger of choking on the rarefied "heir" of gentile respectability. For that (and 11 majors) his memory could use a refresher.

[Conrad1953]

In order for a film to go iconic it should probably involve some iconic

people and places; some of which would likely not give permission.

 

Any movie about Tiger would likely have him demanding full editorial

control.....if he would even allow a movie at all. At some point though

I think a movie about him is going to happen.....but probably not until

his career in golf has ended.

[slimeone]

If they cast Vin Diesel in the lead, it will be a hit.

[apprenti23]

You forgot the best one, Dead Solid Perfect! The new one, Tommy's Honor looks good.

[ChillyDipper]

I remember watching "Follow the Sun" (1951) on GC a long time ago. It tells the story of Ben Hogan's pursuit of professional golf. Also features a few pros (Snead, Demaret) in cameos. 5/7

[BobsBugsBeGone]

I hear there is an all female Caddyshack reboot in the works.

[Night Putting]

I think Cuba Gooding Jr. would play Tiger. Phil could continue to play himself and build on his stellar performance from Tin Cup.

 

I'd like to see a film about the Jack and Arnie. Especially about the rise of Jack and how he was received by the public and Arnie's Army. I'm only 30 and would love to see a movie about their rivalry and the competitiveness amongst themselves.

[augustgolf]

In order for a film to go iconic it should probably involve some iconic

people and places; some of which would likely not give permission.

 

Any movie about Tiger would likely have him demanding full editorial

control.....if he would even allow a movie at all. At some point though

I think a movie about him is going to happen.....but probably not until

his career in golf has ended.

 

.....which may be sooner than anyone expects.....

[scratchITguy]

Anybody know where you can stream Dead solid perfect? (or DvD)

[ldgriff07]

Caddyshack may simply be a comedy set around a golf course, but it's a classic!

 

Some other golf movies I don't think I've seen mentioned yet are A Gentleman's Game, Bobby Jones Stroke of Genius, Seven Days in Utopia, The Squeeze, and Seve the Movie. While none of these are necessarily classics, most of them are at least decent movies revolving around the game of golf.

 

I'm pretty sure that the lead actors in Seven Days in Utopia and The Squeeze are both guys who carry pretty low handicaps. They didn't have to learn how to swing a club for the movie, they were already good golfers in their own right.

[cardoustie]

Dead Solid Perfect is good fun, i found it a few years back fairly easily on line

[pholway]

lest we forget an all time classic .....

 

[Tcann32]

I'm torn on the idea. There could of course be some documentary-esque films made, but I doubt it would be enjoyed by that many people outside of the golfing community. Albeit, Arnie, Jack, and Ben deserve it.

 

When considering what has been made already, with the likes of Caddy Shack / Happy Gilmore on one end (which are comedies that many would enjoy outside of golf) and then you have The greatest game, and a couple other similar movies, which are about golf, but at the same time, the movie isn't really detailed about golf.

 

I think in order to ensure success, they'd have to make a fictional story line, and possibly involve some real life characters, which again, has already been done.

 

I think the biggest issue with a golf movie is that, for people who don't play golf, it's really not very interesting, and the same can be said for most sports movies in general, and not a lot has happened with anyone in particular in modern times to be able to release a newer movie. Before anyone says Tiger, I've already eliminated the thought of a huge success of that movie, because lets be real, his escapades are fresher in the minds of the general public than the story of his golfing career, and the things he's down are generally frowned upon in society. This is why you don't have movies about rock stars.

[Petunia Sprinkle]

No thanks.

[Imhappyinthe80s]

A Holly sonders, win McMurray, and Lauren Thompson movie... Plot not relevant

[Imhappyinthe80s]

"Broken record" Johnny Miller Narrates his US Open at Oakmont.

[BMC]

I was pondering, having watched the rather excellent Creed and Southpaw as well as the older Rocky series, that certain sports such as boxing have a plethora of great movies to choose from.

 

Not so golf.

 

Caddyshack - whilst iconic, is just a comedy set around a golf course

Happy Gilmore - some quite amusing moments, and some memorable quotes that are possibly a little old now (Tap it in....)

Tin Cup - someone should have dunked Costner in the lake on the 18th. And what is the moral of that film - do the same retarded thing time and time again, because being a brainless halfwit trumps intelligence?

The greatest game - quite a nice tale, but not really relevant to the modern game

Bagger Vance - is sentimental crud along the lines of Pursuit of happyness

 

There are of course other films, but the above are probably the 4 best known. So what would be your golf story you would want to tell? Would it be a warts and all biopic of Tiger's life (I think this would be a great film - Idris Elba would make an interesting Tiger Woods), or a fiction based on the plucky underdog beating all odds to make it to the top, or something else?

 

I think I would write a script about 2 brothers competing on the European tour (more locations) in the style of Entourage - something fresh and modern, and trying to stay away from sentimental crap.

 

You lost me at "retarded". Not cool brah.

 

TIN CUP is a good film. Not necessarily about golf. Might have gone over your head.

 

Turtle might make a good caddie in YOUR movie.

[Santiago Golf]

A Tiger movie would be great, same with Hogan, but they'd have to get the actor right.

I'd like to see a movie versions of The Match or Titanic Thompson.

 

I always thought that the Match would make a great movie

[tdk8180]

Tin Cup is about intrinsic value vs extrinsic value

[Stonewalled]

How about a movie on Byron Nelson.

 

He won 18 out of 35 PGA tournaments in 1945 including 11 consecutive wins.

 

Had 113 consecutive made cuts and 113 consecutive top 20's. Impressive.

 

Even Arnold Palmer said that he didn't think anyone would exceed Byrons 11 wins in a row in one year.

 

Tiger said it was one of the greatest years in the history of the sport.

 

Not to bad coming from those two.

[ldchristopher]

Eventually someone will make a film about Tiger but it'll be a puff piece. There won't be any mention of Earl's, um, character flaws and at most it will hint at the fact that the apple tree made an apple. Now, if Charles Pierce wrote the movie, on the other hand...

 

Golf's a really hard topic to turn into a film. It requires access to places that don't need Hollywood money (a movie about Jack can't be made without shooting at Augusta, and I don't see them letting outsiders onto their turf) and it's a hard game to play. ProAms have shown that most actors have horrid golf swings. The fact that Costner has a decent swing is part of what makes Tin Cup watchable. Well, that and the overarching theme of intrinsic versus extrinsic values, as someone else mentioned. Golf is also much more of a niche sport than baseball, football, or basketball and therefore can't guarantee an audience like other sports movies can.

[Ferguson]

I've got one.

 

 

"The Three Lives of Ian", featuring Ian Baker, Baker Ian and Ian Baker-Finch.

[2putttom]

The Johnny Miller story "I Shot 68 at U S Open" from rags to ruin.

[aarbro]

I think a TV show would be more feasible. Maybe a 30 min in the style of Entourage, about a young first year pro on Tour and his brother/best friend as his caddy. Include some golf tournament scenes/action, practice, pro-ams (have him paired with some famous people/b listers) and then all the off course stuff, e.g. partying in bars with his caddy, picking up girls, rubbing his sponsors the wrong way for partying too much, the story from going from poor web.com tour player earning nothing and sleeping in his car to now being a pro, dealing with a breakout season and multiple tourney wins, first majors etc.