I know I'm in the minority here, but my favorite golf movie is not Caddyshack, but Tin Cup. Don't get me wrong - I very much enjoy the Rodney Dangerfield- and Bill Murray-led romp through Bushwood Country Club, but between the real-life pro-golf cameos and Kevin Costner's burned-out cool portrayal of Roy McAvoy, it gets the nod from me by a hair.
The golfy rom-com premiered 25 years ago this week, and its cachet in the culture of golf has led to a few appropriate homages. One I very much appreciate, and in which I would certainly participate were I not a couple thousand miles away, is the Tin Cup Championship, coming up September 5 at Flatirons Golf Course in Boulder, Colorado. There is no better type of venue for such an occasion than a beloved muni.
The format of the tournament takes its inspiration from the best scene in the first half of the movie, when Costner's bull-headed McAvoy and caddie Romeo (Cheech Marin) get into a tiff on a tee box during U.S. Open qualifying. Each prideful man breaks a handful of clubs, leaving McAvoy to finish out the round with just his 7-iron. Thus, the Tin Cup Championship is a nine-hole, one-club affair, though pool-cue-style putting is allowed. Instead of the affections of Rene Russo, the winner receives pro shop credit.
