The 6 best golf movies of all time, according to a golf nut and film buff

Mark Ellis has been playing golf for most of his life. Same goes for watching movies, a passion and expertise that he has spun into a co-hosting gig on the podcast Rotten Tomatoes is Wrong.

Given his background, Ellis is uniquely suited to rating golf films so we hit him up for his faves. Here’s his ranking of the 6 best golf movies of all time.

Click here for more of Ellis’ takes on the highs and lows of golf films.

6. Dead Solid Perfect

“It’s a great story about an outsider trying to break through. It’s almost like seeing Bill Murray win at the pro-am at Pebble Beach.”

5. The Legend of Bagger Vance

“I enjoy the caddie/mentor relationship, and Bruce McGill as Walter Hagen is as good as it gets.”

4. The Greatest Game Ever Played

“You can’t go wrong with the story of Francis Ouimet. Talk about the ultimate outsider and underdog.”

3. Tin Cup

“It’s a wonderful love story, and also the best portrayal I’ve seen of the caddie/player relationship. The only reason I put ‘Happy Gilmore’ ahead of it is that I can watch ‘Happy Gilmore’ over and over, and still enjoy it. When I rewatch ‘Tin Cup,’ I enjoy it, but I cannot stomach seeing Roy McAvoy losing the U.S. Open every time.”

2. Happy Gilmore

“I love that they took the actual swing and made it a side character that creates so much of the comedy and tells you so much about the film. Also: Shooter McGavin is a great villain.”

1. Caddyshack

“You have such iconic characters, and scene after scene that so many of us practically know by heart, for good reason.

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A golf, food and travel writer, Josh Sens has been a GOLF Magazine contributor since 2004 and now contributes across all of GOLF’s platforms. His work has been anthologized in The Best American Sportswriting. He is also the co-author, with Sammy Hagar, of Are We Having Any Fun Yet: the Cooking and Partying Handbook.