Happy Gilmore

film by Dugan [1996]

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 20, 2026

Quick Summary

Happy Gilmore is a 1996 American sports comedy film starring Adam Sandler as the titular character. Sandler, known for his comedic roles, plays an unsuccessful ice hockey player who discovers he has a talent for golf. He joins the professional golf tour to win money to save his grandmother's house. The film is recognized for its humor and Sandler's performance.1

While Happy Gilmore is a comedy about golf, it is distinct from the film Caddyshack, which is also a well-known golf comedy. Caddyshack, released in 1980, features a cast including Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, and Bill Murray, and is celebrated for its humor and memorable one-liners.2

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Bob Barker
The Price Is Right and Happy Gilmore
…film debut in the comedy Happy Gilmore, in which he memorably fought Adam Sandler’s titular character.
Read More
…film debut in the comedy Happy Gilmore, in which he memorably fought Adam Sandler’s titular character.
Read More

Adam Sandler
Early film career: Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer, and Punch-Drunk Love
In Happy Gilmore (1996), Sandler starred as an aggressive ice hockey player who turns to professional golf out of financial necessity, and in The Waterboy (1998) he played the emotionally stunted water boy of a college football team who becomes its unlikely savior. In The Wedding…
Read More
In Happy Gilmore (1996), Sandler starred as an aggressive ice hockey player who turns to professional golf out of financial necessity, and in The Waterboy (1998) he played the emotionally stunted water boy of a college football team who becomes its unlikely savior. In The Wedding…
Read More