Happy Gilmore 2 (2025) is the long-awaited and hilariously heartfelt sequel to the 1996 cult sports comedy that made Adam Sandler’s hot-tempered hockey-player-turned-golfer a household name. Picking up nearly 30 years after Happy’s unlikely rise to golf stardom, the sequel explores aging, legacy, and what it means to pass the torch — all while delivering the outrageous comedy and over-the-top golf antics that fans expect.
Now in his 50s, Happy Gilmore is a retired legend of the game, known as much for his wild swing and explosive temper as for his underdog triumphs. He’s left the pro circuit behind and runs a local hockey and golf youth program in Boston. But when his former rival-turned-friend Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald) returns with a smug protégé — a cocky social media golf influencer — and announces a new, highly publicized senior charity tournament, Happy is pulled out of retirement for one last shot at glory.
The twist? The tournament has a team format, and Happy must train a reluctant new partner: his estranged teenage son, who prefers esports to sports, hates the outdoors, and couldn’t care less about golf — or his dad’s chaotic past. Cue the dysfunctional bonding, golf cart crashes, and hilariously failed training montages.
Meanwhile, Chubbs Peterson’s nephew, a soft-spoken golf prodigy with perfect form but no aggression, joins the tournament under a rival team, adding both emotional stakes and heartfelt callbacks to Happy’s beloved mentor (originally played by Carl Weathers).
Packed with celebrity cameos, absurd golf trick shots, flashbacks to Happy’s wild youth, and surprise returns from characters like Grandma Gilmore (now living her best life in a luxury retirement home), the film balances over-the-top comedy with themes of fatherhood, aging, and second chances.
In the climactic final round, Happy must face not only Shooter’s protégé, but his own insecurities, as he tries to prove that heart still matters more than hype. With a final Happy-style swing — one only he can pull off — the crowd erupts, not just in victory, but in respect for the man who once turned the golf world upside down.
Happy Gilmore 2 ends with a passing of the torch, a broken driver, and one last triumphant shout: “It’s all in the hips.” It’s a riotous, nostalgic return that reminds audiences that you’re never too old to kick some grass.
