If golf isn’t making you smile like you’d like, take note that Happy is on the horizon. Should you consider your world to be adequately pleasing right now, be advised that it could become even more Happy.
Happy, that is, as in that guy who made you laugh when he wore a Boston Bruins jersey and smashed epic drives with a swing that came right out of the hockey rink. We’re talking Adam Sandler as “Happy Gilmore” and Dan Baker is here to confirm that a sequel to that classic golf comedy is underway.
And, yes, to answer your next wonderments, Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald) and Virginia Venit (Julie Bowen) are on board for what proves to be another rollicking ride. But before we return to the comedy, let’s go back to Dan Baker because he’s 30-plus years of serious golf. A Connecticut native and former club professional, Baker served as championship director of the 1999 Ryder Cup at The Country Club and then had a run as championship director of the Travelers Championship.
This past March, when Baker stepped away from a marketing and sales job at the PGA of America where he also managed the PGA Golf Show, Baker immediately jumped into a consultant’s role. All was well in that world until he answered the phone one day and discovered he wasn’t being asked to consult on someone’s golf tournament operations.
No, sir. The caller told Baker that producers were looking for a consultant to help with “Happy Gilmore 2.”
“They were looking for someone who has been in golf and knows how golf tournaments and golf clubs work, someone who can help them make the movie look realistic.”
Was he interested? Maybe not at first, at least until two seconds went by and an ignition was turned on inside of him.
“It’s a lot of fun to work with creative people,” he said. “The production people might not be golfers, but they’ve done their homework.”
Diligent and professional as he was for decades as professional golf grew larger and demanded more infrastructure at tournaments, Baker totally understands that what sits at the heart of golf is fun and entertainment. In other words, he appreciates a light-hearted portrayal of golf and when “Caddyshack” came out in 1980, he doesn’t deny that he laughed heartily.
“I grew up in Connecticut and knew we had clubs that were just like ‘Bushwood,’ ” that mythical golf club where Judge Smails (Ted Knight), Al Czervik (Rodney Dangerfield), and Ty Webb (Chevy Chase) were members and Carl Spackler (Bill Murray) worked on the grounds crew and dreamed of being head greenskeeper.
Like just about anyone who has seen “Caddyshack,” Baker recalls the memorable lines – “We’re waiting,” or “Don't sell yourself short Judge, you're a tremendous slouch,” or “I don’t think the heavy stuff is gonna come down for quite a while” – and when “Happy Gilmore” arrived in theaters in 1996, he experienced another round of laughs.
So, yes, you better believe Baker is loving those days when he’s on the set or offering advice to the design staff or the folks working props. “It might be telling them what the spectators look like or what would the marshals look like,” said Baker. “My job is to help make them look realistic.”
For weeks now there have been nuggets dropped by Sandler himself about “Happy Gilmore 2,” the most intriguing being a Netflix teaser with this quote – “It ain’t over yet. The way I see it . . . we’ve only just begun.”
The famed Bruins sweater has been used in social media postings and published reports have mentioned Kansas City all-world tight end Travis Kelce being on board for a cameo role. Peruse the Twitter world – oops, X – and you’ll discover that @ShooterMcGavin is very active and he recently tweeted this: “You guys are not ready for Happy Gilmore 2.”
From his vantage point, Baker is the consummate team player, not revealing anything about the plot or storyline, only confirming that he’s having a blast and soaking in the entire experience.
He'll tell you that he’s been in the company of Shooter McGavin “and he couldn’t be nicer.” Or that he’s impressed by the many individuals he’s met who’ve been involved in a series of Sandler movies.
“They have a lot of fun for sure, but it’s like a traveling circus that they take on the road. In many ways it reminds me of a golf championship that is conducted every week. There’s a level of intensity every day and the work days are 13 hours . . . it’s just so interesting to see so many people involved in making a scene just right.”
Of course, no mention of a “Happy Gilmore” sequel would be complete without mentioning a tinge of sadness. That’s because Happy Gilmore cannot get another chance to tangle with the late and great Bob Barker of “The Price is Right” fame.
On a mission to earn enough prize money to pay off the mortgage to his grandmother’s house, Happy Gilmore earned his way onto a pro golf circuit and played in a pro-am with Barker. Who will ever forget the fight that ensued and how the game show host beat up the rambunctious hockey player turned golfer.
Barker, who passed away at the age of 99 in August of 2023, once claimed that he was asked about that fight with Happy Gilmore nearly every day of his life. He so enjoyed that scene that he and Sandler reprised it a couple of times for charitable and entertainment causes.
“Bob was really into it,” said Baker. “I heard he was more than happy to fly to Vancouver (where Happy Gilmore was filmed).”
For a guy who was out in front of arguably the wildest day in Ryder Cup history – the Americans’ historic singles comeback to win in ’99 – Baker feels equally blessed to be behind the scenes of “Happy Gilmore 2.”
For him, golf is always a good view, no matter where you stand.
