To the golf novice, flicks centered around the sport may not seem like a very exciting cornerstone of film. But when you actually start listing them in your mind, you begin to realize just how many amazing characters have been created over the years (either based in reality or completely fabricated and unrealistic —- looking at you Happy Gilmore). From Bill Murray's Carl Spackler in Caddyshack (okay, everyone in Caddyshack) to Kevin Costner's Roy McAvoy in Tin Cup, there have been plenty of fantastic roles out there that you've probably been quoting for years on the green. Here's our top nine favorite characters we would most like to tee off with, along with a quote or two that you should probably adopt when awkwardly beating your boss.
Carl Spackler (Bill Murray) in Caddyshack
"Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac...It's in the hole! It's in the hole! It's in the hole!"
Fun fact? Bill Murray improvised the "Cinderella story" sequence based on only two lines of stage direction.
Bagger Vance (Will Smith) in The Legend of Bagger Vance
"Inside each and every one of us is our one, true authentic swing. Something we was born with. Something that's ours and ours alone. Something that can't be learned...something that's got to be remembered."
Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler) in Happy Gilmore
"[To his golf ball] You little son of a b**ch ball! Why you don't you just go HOME? That's your HOME! Are you too good for your HOME? ANSWER ME!"
Al Czervik (Rodney Dangerfield) in Caddyshack
[Judge Smails is taking a really long time to hit his drive on the first tee, while Al Czervik waits in the next foursome]
Al Czervik: While we're young.
Chubbs Peterson (Carl Weathers) in Happy Gilmore
Chubbs: It's all in the hips. It's all in the hips. It's all in the hips. It's all in the hips.
Happy Gilmore: Get off of me!
Chubbs: Just easin' the tension, baby. Just easin' the tension!
Happy Gilmore: Yeah, well ease it on someone else.
Roy McAvoy (Kevin Costner) in Tin Cup
"…that shot was a defining moment, and when a defining moment comes along, you define the moment...or the moment defines you."
Ty Webb (Chevy Chase) in Caddyshack
"Remember Danny, two wrongs don't make a right but three rights make a left."
James Bond (Sean Connery) in Goldfinger
[Goldfinger is cheating at golf, with the help of Oddjob]
Hawker: If that's his original ball, I'm Arnold Palmer.
James Bond: 'Tisn't.
Hawker: How do you know?
James Bond: I'm standing on it.
The Gopher (Puppet) in Caddyshack
And finally, we come to the infamous gopher. Why wouldn't you want to play a game amidst this little furry fella's insane antics? After all, Caddyshack is funny because of the way the characters interact with the burrowing menace.
Since the gopher obviously doesn't speak, we can't give you a quote. But, did you know that the noises it makes were actually vocalized by a dolphin? The same sound effects were used for Flipper in 1964.
