Top 20 Hilarious Golf Scenes

Top 20 Hilarious Golf Scenes

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the funniest golf scenes in movies—with a rule of no more than one scene per film.

#20: Bond’s Trickery

“Goldfinger” (1964)

While comedy might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the “James Bond” franchise, the films have had their fair share of comedic moments. In “Goldfinger,” for example, the golf scene shows just how cunning Sean Connery’s Bond can be. Goldfinger’s cheating tactics help put Bond on the brink of defeat—but not so fast. Bond pulls a switcheroo! Goldfinger doesn’t notice, and we’re left chuckling as Agent 007’s trickery pays off at the 18th hole. What’s the lesson here? Don’t cheat the game—and don’t mess with James Bond!

#19: The Boys Are Back in Town

“Navy SEALs” (1990)

While maydays, missiles, and military missions are the main features of this action film, we also get a taste of comedic golf. There’s something amusing about the song choice of “The Boys Are Back in Town” to accompany a scene where the Navy SEALs are doing such an ordinary human activity. Someone pinging a golf ball baseball-style at a golf cart after being hit on the butt with a club isn’t something you usually see on the course. It’s sure worth a laugh. As for the kneeling billiards-style shot? We don’t know what that’s all about. Some of these guys don’t even play by the rules!

#18: Feds on the Fairway

“Casino” (1995)

Joe Pesci’s character Nicky’s reaction to a plane getting ready to land on the golf course is everything. For a small plane like that, the fairway actually seems like a plausible place to land. But come on—this is a golf course! Once he realizes they’re federal agents, it starts to make some sense. We’re left waiting with anticipation to see what happens next. And in comical Joe Pesci fashion, he challenges his fellow golfers to try to hit the plane. For a movie with multiple intense and dramatic scenes, this gives us a much lighter moment.

#17: Bowl in One

“The Addams Family” (1991)

So a kid’s playing around with a ball and breaks a window by accident—that’s far from unheard of. But Gomez Addams is an adult! First of all, we get a kick out of Thing serving as the golf tee in this scene from the 1991 “The Addams Family” film. The film technique of closely following the golf ball as it spins through the air is spot on, perfectly teeing up the impending hilarity. That’s when the ball breaks the neighbor’s window and lands in his cereal just as he’s taking a bite. Let’s just say, his face takes the brunt of it! That’s a bowl in one!

#16: The Ultra-Cool Caddy

“Starsky & Hutch” (2004)

Snoop Dogg as a caddy? Count us in. He carries those clubs in style, just as you’d expect. Vince Vaughn’s character Feldman's way of ridiculing Snoop’s character, Huggy Bear, is definitely uncalled-for—but it makes us chuckle. While secretly doing some detective work for Starsky and Hutch, Huggy shuts Feldman up by proving he knows a thing or two about grass. He could be a professional caddy! After the textbook caddy insight pays off, Feldman has a pretty darn funny reaction to Huggy getting super close to him. Those two have some real on-screen chemistry.

#15: Dissecting Marriage at the Driving Range

“The Departed” (2006)

The slow pace and leisureliness of golf make the course—or driving range—a good place for deep, meaningful conversation. The exchange between Matt Damon’s Sullivan and Alec Baldwin’s Ellerby in “The Departed” puts that on full display in an utterly comedic way. The rather unconventional and vulgar way in which Ellerby expresses his views on marriage really lands well thanks to Baldwin’s brilliant delivery and facial expressions. And it’s Damon's acting chops that allow him to bounce off it perfectly with a simple, yet comical response. We could watch these two chop it up at the driving range all day.

#14: Golfing with Grandpa

“Dirty Grandpa” (2016)

When grandpa and grandson pull up to the golf course in this comedy film, the former is looking for more than just a game of golf—he’s come to spit game. Of course he does! Dirty grandpa is constantly thinking about women and sex in this movie—and he’s very open and vulgar about it, too, leading to many comical scenes. In this golf scene, Robert De Niro’s character pulls out smooth-talking pickup lines and even gets touchy feely with a woman. After he then hurls his golf club at his grandson, played by Zac Efron, we can’t help but crack up. The scene only gets funnier when the two get in an explicit argument after the two women leave.

#13: Breaking Clubs

“Tin Cup” (1996)

What happens when a golfer and his caddy vehemently disagree? Well, we’d like to think it’d be a bit more civilized than what we see in the movie “Tin Cup.” Kevin Costner’s character wants to play it risky, but his caddy, played by Cheech Marin, thinks he should play it safe. We’ll let you be the judge. The debate about which club to use goes to another level when the two start breaking clubs—until there’s only one left! At least there’s still the 7 iron! We get a kick out of it. And a comment by Dennis Burkley’s character Earl during the outburst gives us yet another reason to laugh.

#12: The Golf Course Stand-off

“Sideways” (2004)

First of all, we wouldn’t call the shot by Paul Giamatti’s character Miles in this scene “nice,” as Thomas Haden Church’s character Jack puts it. But soon after that is where things really get funny. Jack just won’t shut up! Can’t you see that man is about to swing! Does he not know golf etiquette? Eventually, Miles has had enough and reams out Jack—and the way he does it is legendary. Meanwhile, some other guys on the course are getting impatient. And Miles’s reaction is absolutely hilarious. What a shot! See what happens when you’re quiet, Jack? And then, well, Jack rather unusually lurches toward the angry guys’ golf cart. What a way to cap off the scene!

#11: Hitting Balls with Side Effects

“Old Dogs” (2009)

Robin Williams is at the heart of this golden comedy scene. After some prescriptions get mixed up, his character Dan starts to experience some serious side effects. He’s got a business meeting on the golf course which starts off on the wrong foot. Clearly his hand-eye coordination and depth perception are all wacked out. Why is he driving that golf cart? After a swing and a miss, Dan makes contact—but in the wrong direction! And Seth Green’s character Craig is on the unfortunate—but also hilarious—end of it. Green makes us burst out laughing with his groan, crouch, and facial expression. Dan isn’t done there either! One more crotch shot and the luckiest shot you’ll ever see give us even more to laugh about.

#10: The Golf Cart Explosion

“Undercover Brother” (2002)

There are certain rules of etiquette to abide by when playing golf. You mustn’t speak during someone’s backswing, you must replace your divots, aaand you mustn’t race away from course security in a golf cart! That last one proves to be a real problem in this scene, as the eponymous “Undercover Brother,” played by Eddie Griffin, makes the water hazard look positively welcoming! Attacking his adversaries with a bunch of tees, he sparks a will-they/won’t-they slide toward certain death, and an explosion that’d put Tiger Woods off his putt!

#9: The Disgruntled Grandpa

“The Sweetest Thing” (2002)

At the driving range, there are two types of people: those working hard on their game and those trying to hit the ball-collecting cart! The two guys in this clip are definitely in the latter category. With beers in hand, these bros live out many guys’ ideal day: hitting golf balls, talking about women, and having a lightsaber fight. If you can score a few direct hits on the ball harvester as well, then you’re onto a real winner. It’s grandpa who steals this scene in the end though. Poor, poor grandma!

#8: Matt Dillon vs. Cameron Diaz

“There’s Something About Mary” (1998)

We at WatchMojo would like to elongate this movie’s title a little, because in this scene, there’s something about Mary’s swing. And by something, we mean something really good! Cameron Diaz’s character may not look much like a golfer, but she can clearly play—much to Matt Dillon’s bemusement, and to our amusement. Dillon’s character could definitely use a few pointers—that’s for sure. The private investigator smooths over the cracks with some silver-tongued conversation after things start off a bit rocky... Or not. Hobbies don’t come any more hilariously awkward than this!

#7: Michael Jordan Swaps Sports

“Space Jam” (1996)

Hilarity abounds when ‘90s NBA stars Michael Jordan and Larry Bird tee off alongside Bill Murray while an ever-excitable Wayne Knight encourages from the sidelines. Murray starts by conversing with golf balls, and then underestimates basketball to two of the game’s best players. Then, when MJ’s ball goes bonkers, Murray drives it all home with a killer line. The overall concept of a golf ball circling the green until it reaches the cup because of an animated, underground magnet is hilarious. His Airness then getting sucked into an animated world through the golf hole is just…unexpected.

#6: Taking It Slow

“I Love You, Man” (2009)

Ahh, the dreaded air shot! A nightmare for anybody standing over it, and seriously annoying for anybody waiting to play. In this scene, Paul Rudd’s character Peter and his fiancée Zooey, played by Rashida Jones, embark on a golf double date with celebrated singleton Jason Segel, whose playing partner is in need of some serious practice. She does manage a clean hit at least once however. Only she almost snaps Segel’s leg in half in the process! One cavalcade of cuss words later, and we’re laughing like there’s no tomorrow!

#5: Driving Through the Driving Range

“Get Smart” (2008)

If there’s one place in the world where it really isn’t safe to drive, it’s on the wrong end of the driving range! Regardless, that’s where Steve Carell is headed in this clip. He seems entirely unfazed by the golf balls embedded in his driver-side window, but the same cannot be said for Alan Arkin. Arkin likely never looked at sand traps in the same way again—nor swordfish for that matter! In fact, when it comes to driving, whether a car or a golf ball, he probably passed.

#4: Golfing on Goofballs

“Hall Pass” (2011)

When Owen Wilson’s Rick and Jason Sudeikis’s Fred embark on a wife-free week in “Hall Pass,” they’re determined to recapture their glory days. How, you ask? Well, by getting drunk, getting girls, and, in this scene, getting ridiculously high as they and their friends head for the fairways. Golf may be a gentleman’s game, but not when these dudes get through with it. Their hilariously inappropriate antics are enough to turn the sandpits brown. Seriously, come on, man! We wonder what their scores ended up being—based on what we see, probably incomplete.

#3: Golf Course Air Horn

“Jackass: The Movie” (2002)

Why talk through someone’s backswing when you can systematically sabotage it with an air horn? At least, that’s the “Jackass” way of looking at things. In this skit, Johnny Knoxville and company hide out in the trees and do their damnedest to ruin people’s rounds. That’s one way to spend a day out on the links! The victims’ initial confusion turns to frustration, which in turn turns to anger. But our air horn heroes can see nothing but the funny side! It’s less PGA and more LOL—a timeless golfing gag!

#2: Cinderella Story

“Caddyshack” (1980)

While this iconic golf comedy is full of awesome moments, few can touch the “Cinderella story” monologue. Bill Murray narrates himself, pretending he’s at the Masters and swinging his club at… not golf balls—but flowers?! Throughout the hilarious scene, which was almost entirely improvised, he exudes the energy of a kid in his backyard who has a dream of becoming a professional athlete. But come on, Carl—not the flowers! The culmination of this Cinderella story of course ends with him hitting the imaginary ball in the imaginary hole. From greenskeeper to Masters champion—can you believe it? We’ll never forget this Cinderella story.

#1: Brutal Bob Barker

“Happy Gilmore” (1996)

What do you get when you cross a legendary game show host with Adam Sandler and a golf course? A whole lot of hilariously unexpected aggression, of course! We might have selected Happy Gilmore’s brilliant ‘ball rage’ as our clubhouse leader, but instead we’ve gone with Barker—fearing that he’ll beat us up otherwise! Playing his part in a Pro-Am tournament, there’s no doubt that Barker’s drawn the shortest straw with Gilmore. But did anyone see this coming? It’s less “The Price is Right,” and more “The Price is FIGHT.” And we absolutely love it! Of course, every legend has to start (or re-start) somewhere — which is what makes Happy's baby steps back into the world of golf so hilarious... and for Happy, deeply cringeworthy.

Do you have an all-time favorite golf scene? Let us know in the comments!