4 Highlights That Made Happy Gilmore 2 Worth the Wait

Nostalgia fuels Happy Gilmore 2 with plenty of shoutouts to the original from nearly three decades ago, along with some serious star power from modern golf’s best.

The film is also, however, surprisingly heartfelt.

Of course there are slapstick moments, but at its core, the movie is about Happy finding, well, happiness. There’s no denying time has gone by since the original and his life – and the game – has changed dramatically. The crux of why we’re seeing Happy on the golf course again is to help provide for his daughter (the youngest, and only girl, in the clan).

The plot isn’t Oscar-winning, but it’s a fun-filled romp with so many special cameos it’s hard to keep track. There are upwards of 20 professional golfers who make appearances with one – Nelly Korda – in a blink-and-you-miss-it non-golf role, plus Travis Kelce trying, and succeeding, to make some comedy magic.

The golf sequences are fairly over-the-top (but you should expect nothing less considering how the first film went) but the film was on site at a handful of real layouts in New Jersey including Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club, Beacon Hill Country Club, Montclair Country Club, Alpine Country Club, and the Rockleigh Golf Course.

The film was also dedicated to the memory of golf industry veteran Dan Baker, who spent nearly 17 years with the PGA of America and tragically passed away in a car accident last December. Baker left the PGA in April and had helped, via his own consultancy, to make sure the making of the film had some certified authenticity with golfers.

The film is available now to stream on Netflix and here are some of our favorite moments.

(Note: Light spoilers ahead.)

The ‘Gold Jacket Dinner’ takes up two spots on this list. First, the few minutes that Happy spends alongside some legends of the game – Fred Couples, Nick Faldo, Jack Nicklaus, and Lee Trevino (who had a minor cameo in the first film). This moment promoted the biggest laugh-out-loud moment of the sequel when Nicklaus asked the waiter, played by Kelce, for a half-lemonade, half iced-tea. “Arnold Palmer?” says Kelce. “No. Jack Nicklaus. But I get that a lot,” Nicklaus replies, with perfect comedic timing.

Amazing.

2024 PGA Champion Xander Schauffele had only about five lines in the film, but he delivered them with aplomb. Bordering on the raunchy side, you couldn’t help but laugh the way Schauffele delivered his script.

Amongst the other pros who were featured in the film were Tony Finau, U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Keegan Bradley, Rickie Fowler, fellow PGA Champions Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas, along with multi-time Major Champions Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler.

Nancy Lopez, Korda, and Charley Hull were the LPGA stars in the film.

John Daly also plays a big role as Happy’s tenant (he lives in his garage) and pseudo-spiritual confidant.

Scheffler, this year's PGA Champion and Open Champion, also appeared in the movie and was probably the most prominent current star who had the most lines.

The ‘character’ of Scottie Scheffler was a wonderful addition to the cast and kudos to Scheffler who leaned into the, well, incident, that occurred at last year’s PGA Championship (you’ll know it when you see it).

When Happy Gilmore steps up to a tee for the first time in years, it’s everything you hope for. The crowd goes wild, the music kicks in, and Sandler delivers the iconic slap-shot swing with all the power (and absurdity) you remember. It's a pure nostalgia hit.

And, yes, Shooter is back. His long-standing rivalry with Happy reignites in one of the most unhinged parts of the film. You’ll see trash talk, wild stunts, and one last showdown that pays tribute to their ridiculous history.