Jack Nicklaus… the actor?

I know it sounds crazy. You may be thinking, “You mean Jack Nicholson, right?” But I kid you not, I am referring to golf’s GOAT, Mr. 18 majors, the greatest of all time.

And it’s not just the Golden Bear. It’s Trevino, Daly, Couples, Faldo, Corey, Pavin, Keegan Bradley, Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler, Jim Furyk, Hunter Mahan, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Bubba Watson and Will Zalatoris. Even top guns Rory, Bryson, Koepka, and world number 1 Scottie Scheffler got in on the action.

And it’s not just the men who got in front of the camera.

LPGA legend Nancy Lopez, Charley Hull, and current women’s number 1 Nelly Korda also made brief cameos.

So how did this happen, and what is this movie that has pulled so many golfing legends into the spotlight? Well, it’s no less than Happy Gilmore 2, the long-awaited sequel to the 1990s cult classic.

Well, maybe “cult classic” is pushing it, but to ‘90s teens like myself who were already into golf at the time, Happy Gilmore was a huge hit.

If it were any other movie, it would have been difficult to get a yes from as many PGA and LIV stars as they were able to assemble.

But Happy Gilmore must have been a part of growing up for most of the pros who joined the cast (apart from the seniors, of course).

For the pros in the movie who are below 50 years old, I am sure they’ve seen Happy Gilmore at least once, if not multiple times. It wouldn’t surprise me if some of them know the lines and characters in the first movie by heart.

I don’t want to be a spoiler and talk about the sequel for those who haven’t seen it yet.

And unlike the original movie, we don’t need to go to the cinema to see the sequel.

It’s on Netflix, so you can stream at home at your convenience.

That’s 30 years of entertainment tech for you.

What hasn’t changed is the movie’s light, funny, and over-the-top take on golf.

Just like Caddyshack in the ‘80s, Happy Gilmore 2 brings laughs to a sport that may seem all too serious and stuffy for most.

And for regular golfers like us, the funniest part is seeing the pros make fools of themselves on screen.

Legends like Nicklaus and Trevino, who are in their 80s, might not be Happy Gilmore’s target audience, but their agreeing to be part of the movie says a lot.

Aside from giving pretty good performances, these ambassadors of the game must have realized that Happy Gilmore 2 is a great way to spread the beauty of the game to those who’ve never touched a club or stepped foot on a golf course.

Golf needs to grow, and goofy as the movie may be, it has mass appeal and takes the snobby image of golf and golfers a notch down.

Don’t expect too much from the movie.

No one’s getting an Oscar nomination for their roles. It wasn’t made to move or inspire.

But if you’d like to be entertained for two hours and see your favorite golfers act and make you laugh a little, then grab that remote and go Netflix and chill!