The best way to introduce yourself to a sport, if you are not athletic, is probably by enjoying it vicariously through TV shows and docuseries. It’s an easier way to learn about it, its challenges, origins or even famous personalities who made it big. Much like every sport, golf has also been at the centre of several stories that have been adapted for the screen. Ahead of Will Ferrell’s upcoming comedy series GOLF and a sequel to Adam Sandler-starrer Happy Gilmore (1996) — both in the works at Netflix — here’s a look at some other popular golf TV series and shows, including the streaming platform’s popular Full Swing that premiered last year.
While sports such as tennis and football have commonly provided fodder it comes to cinematic and TV storylines, golf has gained more interest of late. From K-dramas to reality shows and Netflix’s Full Swing — which released its second season in March and currently holds a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes — golf is getting more mainstream than before. Considering how the sport comes with its share of technical jargon, these shows can help you understand and enjoy the sport even more. And if you are looking forward to see how Will Ferrell’s new comedy show will explore the game, here’s what we know so far.
Presented by Netflix, the upcoming comedy series starring Will Ferrell, Ramy Youssef, and Josh Rabinowitz, will follow the story of a fictional golf legend, portrayed by Ferrell. His character will participate in a new golf league that becomes one of PGA’s major competitors. The sitcom is said to be loosely based on the PGA Tour-LIV drama.
While not much has been known about the other characters, it has been confirmed that the show will have 10 episodes. Despite there being no announcement regarding an exact release date, given that the show begins filming in 2024, it is expected to arrive on the streaming platform in 2025.
It’s no surprise that Ferrell jumped at the opportunity of taking on this role given that he is an avid golfer. Not only the Saturday Night Live comedy legend but also other Hollywood stars like Justin Timberlake, and Mark Wahlberg are known to indulge in the sport and also have exclusive club memberships. Another famous personality who also enjoys swinging his fancy clubs is the Kansas City Chiefs player and pop star Taylor Swift’s boyfriend —Travis Kelce. Given the NFL player’s ongoing love affair with the media, it won’t all be surprising if he even makes a cameo in the upcoming golf series.
Besides being a sport that requires precision and technical abilities at their maximum, it’s not like golf is devoid of drama and hence shows like Full Swing have captured that. Let’s take a look at other shows and series with stories revolving around golf.
Taking a behind-the-scenes look at an athlete in his second act, Redefined: J.R. Smith is a four-part docuseries that follows the retired NBA star J.R. Smith as he returns to college to complete his education. In turn, he finds a new athletic passion in golf as he becomes a member of the Men’s Golf Team at North Carolina A&T. The docuseries is a lesson in resilience and sets a powerful example of what it takes to chase a dream. Battling dyslexia and ADHD while continuing on his path to redefine himself, Smith seeks to inspire young athletes. Directed by Philip Knowlton, the docuseries was released in 2023 and was produced by NBA legend Lebron James‘ company.
After the first season of Full Swing followed professional golfers on and off the course across a season during one of the most competitive events of the sport, the PGA Tour, the second season arrived in 2024 with more drama. Given the success of season one which featured Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Matt Fitzpatrick, Joel Dahmen and Tony Finau, it was no surprise that the show got renewed at Netflix.
Launched on March 6, 2024, the second season returned with some new faces along with some returning characters. Mainly revolving around the biggest storylines of sport, including the PGA Tour/LIV Golf deal and the 2023 Ryder Cup, the show masterfully documents the challenges faced by golfers amid the relentless competition across four major championships: the Masters, PGA Championship, US Open Championship, and the Open Championship.
Here are the Full Swing season 2 featured golfers:
Fans who enjoyed bingeing on both seasons of the series will be pleased to hear Netflix has greenlit a third season that is expected to arrive in 2025.
One of golf’s most popular reality shows has been Big Break, broadcast by the Golf Channel. The series debuted its first season in 2003 and aimed to reward an aspiring professional golfer exemption into selected events or full-season exemptions on lower-level tours. Vying for a chance to play on a pro tour, contestants from all over the world participated in the reality show. For amateur players, the show provided a great platform and fans could enjoy the journey of aspiring pro players working on their skills to earn the big break.
One of the oldest TV series revolving around golf, it ran for a record-breaking 23 seasons before eventually getting cancelled in 2015. While the show is no longer on air, fans can enjoy episodes from every season and relive the best competition moments on GOLFPASS.
Who said two brilliant forms of entertainment, golf and anime can’t merge to make a striking show? Tonbo is certainly proof of that as the manga series written by Ken Kawasaki and illustrated by Yū Furusawa celebrates the sport beautifully. The golf-themed anime show follows the story of promising young golfer Tonbo Oi (voiced by Rika Hayashi) whose life changes after she meets Kazuyoshi Igarashi (voiced by Hiroki Tōchi), a former professional golfer who arrives on the island of Kagoshima after getting disqualified.
For newbie fans of golf, this show is a great way to enjoy the sport without having to worry about understanding the technicalities of the game. Spread across 12 episodes that provide an insight into the game as well as the spirit of sportsmanship and more, the anime makes for a breezy watch. It is available to stream online on Prime Video.
The two-part sports-biographical miniseries revolves around one of the biggest names in golf, Tiger Woods. The documentary series captures the journey of Woods to worldwide fame as a professional golfer and also his very public downfall. From exploring his relationships including the complicated dynamic between him and his father, Earl Woods to his return to competitive golf in 2018, the series insightfully unearths the persona behind the legend. While Woods himself does not appear in the series, it features interviews of his former caddie Steve Williams, high school girlfriend, Dina Parr, and TV journalist Bryant Gumbel among others.
It’s fascinating how golf has been explored across multiple formats of TV shows from reality series to also K-dramas. One of the most popular South Korean dramas that centred around the sport was Birdie Buddy (2011). Starring Uee as Sung Mi Soo and Lee Da-hee as Min Hae Ryung, the show follows the story of a former pro golfer John Lee (Lee Yong-woo) coaching two female players from distinct backgrounds to play at the pro level.
The journey of Mi Soo’s humble country girl and Hae Ryung’s country club elite golfer to become top players goes through several ups and downs throughout 24 episodes. In classic K-drama fashion, this show also has a love triangle and other twists that keep you hooked on the golf-focused part of the story as well as the rest.
This docuseries is a dream watch for any golf fan who understands the intricacies of the game and has the passion to dig deep into the most iconic games ever played. It focuses on the performances at The Open Championship, one of golf’s most prestigious tournaments on the PGA tour. Pro golf players like Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, Tom Watson, Ernie Els and more discuss at length, their performances, game plans and other reflections about the game.
For a true enthusiast of the game, these in-depth interviews provide a great insight into the minds of some of the biggest golf players in the world across 23 episodes. Compared to other shows about golf, Chronicles of a Champion Golfer is a stand-out because of its quality conversations regarding the sport. The series is exclusively available to watch on The Open website.
Several famous K-pop idols are avid golfers, and Birdie Boys brings together a few of them to further enhance their passion for the sport. The Korean variety show starring K-pop group Superjunior’s Leetuk and Shindong alongside CNBLUE’s Kang Min-hyuk, 2 PM’s Nichkhun and NU’EST’s Baekho follows the five idols on a global adventure to explore famous golf courses.
Honing their golf skills and learning the techniques to play pro golf, the show also has the K-pop stars taking on fun activities and exploring some of the best golf courses in Thailand, Laos and Guam. As the worlds of K-pop and golf collide in an exciting manner in this variety show, for fans of both, the series makes for an entertaining watch. The show is currently streaming only on Netflix Thailand.
Produced by PGA stars Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas, this unique golf series in its part documentary, part reality TV show format explores the blood, sweat and tears required to make it into the men’s team at one of the most historic college golf programs. Getting on the Oklahoma Cowboy Golf roster isn’t easy and the series explores the team’s 2018 spring season as they compete for a national title.
With 11 National Collegiate Athletic Association title wins across golf tournaments, the Oklahoma State University team has cemented itself among the best in the country and this show helps recognise that. It also provides a fresh look at campus tournament golf which isn’t otherwise extensively covered. The show is available to stream on NBC and Golfpass.
(Main and featured images: Netflix)
'Full Swing' on Netflix is a docuseries that follows a group of professional golfers — on and off the course as they compete in some of the biggest competitions of the season. Two seasons of the show are currently available to stream on the platform.
Tiger Woods does not appear in the Netflix series 'Full Swing'. Other famous pro golfers like Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka, however, are a part of the show.
Netflix has renewed the golf series for a third season. Full Swing Season 3 is expected to arrive in 2025.
A new series titled 'Golf' was recently announced by Netflix starring Will Ferrell in the lead role of a fictional pro player.
Senior Digital Writer, People, Entertainment and Fashion
Surabhi Redkar is a pop culture enthusiast with a keen interest in celebrity fashion and beauty trends. A post graduate in multimedia journalism from Birmingham City University, she has worked with several ..Read More
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