The 9 best golf documentaries to watch this year

Depending on how you look at it, golf is either one of the simplest sports or one of the most complex. The objective is very easy to wrap your head around: This ball has got to wind up in a hole that’s maybe a quarter mile away. Everything that happens after that, though, is where things get interesting. Of course, people who love golf love it for a wide array of reasons. Some people love the beautiful courses, while others love the stories behind their favorite players.

There are plenty of people who love golf but don’t play it much themselves, and those are the people who this list is really for. Golf’s full of amazing stories, and we’ve even gotten our fair share of great golf movies as a result. Sometimes, though, a documentary is an even better fit for a particular story set in the world of golf. As someone who doesn’t play much golf but loves to watch it, these documentaries are right up my alley. They’re the kinds of movies that can inspire and perplex you, and also remind you that at its best, golf is filled with legendary moments. These movies might not be on the shortlist for any awards, but that’s only because sports documentaries are so recognized for how well they put stories together.

After careful consideration, we’ve brought you this list of the best golf documentaries you can stream now.

Full Swing (2023)

Play

tv-ma

1 Season

Genre

Documentary

Created by

James Gay-Rees

Watch on Netflix

Following a full season on the PGA tour, Full Swing is a bit like The Last Dance of the golf world. This eight-episode series gets you behind the scenes with many of the top players in golf as they talk about what’s working, what isn’t, and where their success ultimately comes from. Because it follows the players on the PGA tour in real time, viewers get to feel a little bit like they’re part of the action. Rarely do you get this kind of access to the thoughts of high-level athletes, which makes Full Swing a can’t-miss series for any golf fan.

Full Swing | Official Trailer | Netflix

Tiger (2021)

7.8/10

tv-ma

1 Season

Genre

Documentary

Stars

Tiger Woods, Earl Woods, Rachel Uchitel

Watch on max

Tiger Woods, aka The GOAT of golf, has already had a massive career. Championships, green jackets, celebrity stardom, Woods has seen himself at the highest of highs, as well as the lowest of lows. Tiger is a groundbreaking two-part documentary that centers on Woods’s entire life, including his 2019 comeback to win the Master’s. The doc plays on themes of greatness, redemption, and dignity, and features plenty of footage and interviews that had never been seen prior to the film’s release.

The Founders (2016)

7.3/10

85m

Genre

Documentary

Stars

Louise Suggs, Marilynn Smith, Shirley Spork

Directed by

Charlene Fisk, Carrie Schrader

Watch on Amazon

The Founders is about a group of trailblazing women who decided to show the world they could compete as well in golf as any man could. They toured at a time when American culture barred women from playing any sports that could be deemed “too manly.” The film reminds viewers how far we’ve come, even as it highlights the trailblazers who made that progress possible in the first place.

Loopers: The Caddie's Long Walk (2019)

47%

7.1/10

pg-13

80m

Genre

Documentary

Stars

Bill Murray, Ben Crenshaw, Nick Faldo

Directed by

Jason Baffa

Watch on Amazon

Today, you wouldn’t think twice about how important a caddy is to a pro golfer. They’re often seen as the all-knowing guide when battling out on the greens; however, this wasn’t always the case. Enter Loopers, a documentary on the long and interesting history of caddies in golf. It features interviews from a diverse range of famous caddies and golfers — Bill Murray, a former caddie himself, even appears throughout. Loopers also takes the time to establish the important role that has played in this history, including the fact that African American caddies were hugely important to the early history of the position.

Uneven Fairways (2009)

46m

Stars

Samuel L. Jackson

Directed by

Dan Levinson

Watch on Youtube

Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, Uneven Fairways looks at the rich history of African American golfers who paved the way for future stars of golf by standing up for their rights. The film features incredible interviews with these golfers as they retell the dramatic ways in which the landscape of the sport has changed over the past 100 years.

The Short Game (2013)

51%

7.3/10

pg

100m

Genre

Documentary

Stars

Edd Hall, Jennifer Van Horn

Directed by

Josh Greenbaum

Watch on Netflix

The Short Game follows some of the world’s best golfers as they gather to compete in Pinehurst, North Carolina at the World Championships of Junior Golf. Yes, junior; these golfers are all still in grade school. Learn about this world of golf through a film festival favorite, where the greens are not only a setting for competition but also where these kids learn lessons they’ll carry for the rest of their lives.

Hit it Hard (2016)

50m

Genre

Documentary

Stars

John Daly

Directed by

Gabe Spitzer, David Terry Fine

Watch on Amazon

One of golf’s biggest personalities also has one of the sport’s most unique stories. Hit It Hard is an ESPN Film’s 30 for 30 focusing on John Daly’s past and present. The film covers his wild career, his powerful comeback performance at St. Andrews in 1995, and what he’s up to closer to the present day. Daly’s often known as the king of the “grip it and rip it” style of play. You’ll find that how he acts off the course isn’t all that different from his behavior on it.

Shark (2022)

75m

Genre

Documentary

Stars

Greg Norman

Directed by

Jason Hehir, Thomas Odelfelt

Watch on ESPN

Shark is an ESPN Films 30 for 30 golf documentary on legendary golfer Greg Norman. The documentary delves into the life and career of Norman, nicknamed “The Shark” for his aggressive and fearless playing style. A central focus is the 1996 Masters Tournament, where Norman famously held a six-stroke lead in the final round but ultimately lost to Nick Faldo. This event significantly shaped his career narrative. The film explores Norman’s entire golfing journey, including his two Open Championship victories, his 331 weeks at the world number one ranking, and his overall impact on the sport. Shark features Norman returning to Augusta National years later, reflecting on the 1996 collapse and offering a deeper understanding of the man behind the legend.

Losers (2019)

Play

tv-ma

1 Season

Genre

Documentary

Watch on Netflix

Losers is not a series focused exclusively on golf, but the final episode of its first season, which is titled “The 72nd Hole,” and it focuses on golfer Jean van de Velde. The series as a whole profiles some of the biggest losers in sports history, and van de Velde’s episode is a fascinating look at the way failure can inspire and motivate, even as it sometimes feels crushing in the moment. Every golf tournament has far more losers than winners, and in this series, we get to understand a little bit better what it feels like to get crushed.

Losers | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix