GOLF LIFESTYLE - GOLF ON THE BIG SCREEN

When a golf movie hits the big screen, how well do they represent your golf lifestyle? Like an ETIQUS timepiece, which can be worn as comfortably on the course as it can be off, the best golfers are as involved with the sport at home as they are whilst playing.  If you’re not thinking of how to improve your swing, you’re online researching the price of a winter golfing getaway. For the true golfer, the sport is more of a healthy obsession than a hobby. In between playing, researching and practising, there are more than a few films about golf to see - but how well do they reflect on us?

“This Crowd Has Gone Deadly Silent, A Cinderella Story Out Of Nowhere”

Arguably the most iconic comedy ever made, and easily one of the most quotable, Caddyshack helped launch the sport of golf to dizzying new heights on its release.  The 1980’s were a really great time for comedy.  So many new talents emerged at the same time, many of whom, including Bill Murray, Chevy Chase and Rodney Dangerfield, had big roles in Caddyshack.  The rich, snobbish member of an exclusive golf course is threatened by the arrival of a brash loudmouth, and promptly challenges him to a round of golf in order to try to maintain the integrity of the club.  Joined by a working-class caddy and a free-spirited golfing prodigy, the group all contribute to the game, culminating in a tense and hilarious final showdown.  Easily the best comedy about golf ever made, perfectly parodying the characters we've all experienced on the course, from the over-zealous groundsman to the slow-playing loudmouth.  As funny now as it was in 1980.

“Greatness Courts Failure”

When Tin Cup came out in 1996, Kevin Costner was one of most recognisable faces on the planet.  In less than five years before, he had starred in Field of Dreams, Dances With Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, JFK, The Bodyguard and Wyatt Earp, carving out a career as one of the biggest names in Hollywood.  With Tin Cup, he turned his attention to golf, portraying the story of Roy McAvoy, a washed-up former prodigy with no ambitions of fulfilling his limitless potential.  In order to impress a woman, and ultimately earn her respect, he tries to qualify for the US Open.  His talent is still there, but arrogance and ill discipline hinder his progress.  A great tale of redemption, and an exploration of what it takes to become a truly great golfer.

“Read It, Roll It, Hole It”

Seldom seen by UK audiences, The Greatest Game Ever Played is nonetheless a great film about golf in the early 20th century.  It follows a young Harry Vardon, whose exceptional skill on the course is not enough to make up for the class boundaries that exist on it.  Over a decade later, a young American named Francis Ouimet, fights against the same prejudices, struggling against his own father’s disdain for the chance to compete in the 1913 US Open, against his idol: Harry Vardon.  With great performances from Shia LaBeouf and Stephen Dillane, The Greatest Game Ever Played takes a look at the early days of golf as a popular sport.

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