10. Lost in Translation – Golf scene in Japan
Words are not required in this scene as character Bob Harris, played by well renowned celebrity golfer Bill Murray tees it up at Kawaguchiko Country Club in Tokyo with Mt. Fuji in the background. No stunt doubles are needed for Murray who looks completely comfortable on the tee as a single figure handicapper.
9. Tin Cup – Roy McAvoy and David Simms “Whoever hits it the longest”
Testosterone levels are off the charts in this scene from Tin Cup. After breaking all his clubs except his 7 iron, Roy McAvoy managed to shoot par for the rest of the round with his most trusted club in the bag.
McAvoy has a thing for Dr. Molly Griswold (Rene Russo) who at this stage of the movie is dating tour pro David Simms. McAvoy wants to impress Molly and he choses to challenge Simms to a bet which ends up being whoever can hit a 7 iron the longest. How it unfolds is priceless.
8. Goldfinger – Stoke Park Golf Club
The oldest golf scene in my top 10, James Bond (Sean Connery) faces off against Goldfinger and his top hat wearing caddy Oddjob at Stroke Park where the stakes increase during the match. Definitely one for the golf rules enthusiasts, Oddjob drops a replacement Slazenger ball from inside of his pants and Goldfinger plays it as his second shot on the 17th and then up the 18th. Bond knows it’s not his original Slazenger No.1 ball but waits till the end of the game where he calls Goldfinger on breaking the rules which leads to a Bond win.
We couldn't embed the scene but you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-D2k4P_mGM
7. Happy Gilmore – Shooter McGavin unleashing a classic celebration
Simply put, it wouldn’t be a top 10 best golf scenes without Shooter McGavin. I could have chosen many more Shooter scenes but ended up with this over the top classic celebration including the character’s patented double pistols and third person reference “Shooter”.
Arguably, Shooter McGavin is a more memorable character than Happy Gilmore himself. I love Shooter’s work so much, I’ve added a link to a Shooter McGavin best of compilation video that runs for 8mins, great lunch time viewing! – https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLRTeICJHDubKwWsxKtt7Ju8ERy-1kasha&t=35&v=wBIhlie2rJI
6. Caddy Shack – Cinderella Man
Bill Murray is hilarious in this scene playing the role of Carl Spackler in what many golf tragics consider the best golf movie of all-time – Caddy Shack.
Spackler’s club selections for his hypothetical yardage on his hypothetical shots are a highlight for me. Although, you could make a case in today’s long-hitting game that Spackler may have been a visionary 35 years ago.
5. The Legend of Bagger Vance – The Field
This scene has something majestical about it. Maybe it’s Bagger Vance (Will Smith) narrating Bobby Jones’ practice swing for Rannulph Junnuh (Matt Damon), maybe it’s the cinematography, maybe it’s the classical music. Whatever it is, this scene ticks the boxes for me.
4. Tin Cup – Roy McAvoy breaks all his clubs except his 7 iron
We’ve all been there. Well maybe in our minds, not literally breaking every club in the bag except one. In this all-time classic scene, the highly volatile Roy ‘Tin Cup’ McAvoy and his caddy Romeo have an argument on the tee box at the first US Open qualifier. Tin Cup wants the ‘big dog’ on the par 5 but Romeo sees it differently. The end result is that Tin Cup plays the rest of the round with nothing but a 7 iron and cards a 65 as only the great Roy McAvoy could do.
3. Space Jam – Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Bill Murray playing golf
I’m completely biased with this pick and make no apologies as a basketball lover. Michael Jordan was my idol as a kid and seeing him play golf in multiple basketball videos actually sparked my interest in golf in the early days, “If MJ loves golf, so do I”. Outside of my clear bias, this scene features another basketball legend in Larry Bird and actor Bill Murray who is no stranger to golf, playing off around 7-8 and a former winner at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Side note: If you haven’t seen Space Jam before, that magnet that sucks the ball into the hole is held by none other than Bugs Bunny.
2. Happy Gilmore – AT&T Invitational
It’s early days on the PGA Tour for Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler) but the ice-hockey wannabe wastes no time making an impression. Heads turn, spectators flock and ratings spike as ‘Happy’ turns a little unhappy on the green.
This scene also features one of my favourite quotes of the movie, “Doing the bull dance, feeling the flow…” from actor Kevin Nealon.
1. Tin Cup – Roy McAvoy “I can make it across”
In contention to win the US Open on the final hole, McAvoy chooses to ignore ‘playing it safe’ and instead goes for the green in two, in an attempt to close with an eagle to finish at 10-under. Having had trouble all week on the 18th getting across the water, McAvoy spectacularly blows up hitting five consecutive balls into the drink. As Romeo his caddy hands him the last ball in the bag, McAvoy not only makes the green with his 12th shot, but it also drops into the hole to the ecstatic reaction of the crowd.