5 best golf movies ever made: Caddyshack isn't No. 1

Sports movies are an American staple, much like apple pie. From Chariots of Fire to Field of Dreams, sports cinema has been entertaining us for years. I come from a family that owned a video store before there was such a thing as Blockbuster, so I've seen my fair share of movies, and sports movies happen to be my favorite.

I also happen to be an avid golfer. I love the game, and I will watch anything from the US Women's Amateur to Big Break on the golf channel. When you put those two things together, you get a person who has seen every golf movie ever made, many of them more than once. I decided to put together a list of the greatest golf films ever made. In my opinion, there are only five worth mentioning, which is why this is a top five list.

Without further ado, let's get into my list of the top five golf movies ever made, which will include a short synopsis of the plot for those who have not seen it (spoiler-free) and my reasoning for where I ranked it. Grab your popcorn and enjoy. And feel free to discuss these movies and/or rankings with me -- I welcome it.

Best Golf Movies Ever Made: The Top 5

5. Happy Gilmore (1996)

Starting: Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, Carl Weathers, Christopher McDonald

Fresh off of his Billy Madison success, Adam Sandler decided to tackle the first of his sports movies. In this film, he plays the title character.

Happy Gilmore is a hockey player wannabe who can't skate or handle a puck, but thanks to his dad, has one of the most powerful slap shots anyone has ever seen. He also has a good heart, but a quick temper. When his grandmother faces the threat of eviction due to back taxes, Happy wins a local golf tournament that earns him a spot on the "professional golf tour" so he can make enough money to save her home. 

Happy's ability to drive a ball 400 yards makes him a fan favorite, while his antics and anti-golf attitude make him the ire of tour veteran Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald).

The plot is a little far-fetched and outrageous, but it's supposed to be. The film doesn't take itself too seriously, with one of its highlights being a fistfight that breaks out at a Pro-Am between Happy and Bob Barker.

There are so many hilarious and iconic lines from this film, and anyone who's seen it has definitely tried at some point to emulate Happy's swing, but none of us achieved his distance. This is still during the ascent of Sandler's meteoric rise, so if you enjoy his early buffoonery from movies like Billy Madison and The Waterboy, you'll enjoy this film as well.