Golf history has been tackled numerous times in made-for-tv shows, whether in documentary form or in the form of more specific highlight reels (e.g., the 1999 Ryder Cup highlights). And some of those shows are particularly good, sometimes even moving. Here is a list of recommended titles in the areas of golf history and golf highlights.
"The Story of Golf" is a 3-volume set with volumes covering The Early Years, Golf Comes of Age, and The Modern Game, respectively. The set is narrated by Jim McKay, looks and sounds great, is full of terrific tales and is, as of this writing, the best history of golf on tape.More »The story of Jack Nicklaus' final major championship win, this tape, unfortunately, is usually only found - if it's found at all - among the rarities. It needs to be updated and reissued, showing the 46-year-old Golden Bear in twilight, making one final charge up the back nine at Augusta.Buy from Amazon »Ben Hogan vs. Sam Snead. What a matchup. Snead was still competitive on the PGA Tour at the time of this taping, while Hogan likely would have been had he been playing regularly. This tape follows the pair for an 18-hole match and includes plenty of tips from both players. We've seen it written about this tape that many believe Hogan's round against Snead was one of the best of his career.Buy from Amazon »Jim McKay and Jim Nantz share narration on this celebration of Jack Nicklaus' 18 professional major championships. Plenty of insights from the Golden Bear himself, along with family members plus contemporaries such as Arnold Palmer. And of course, it culminates in Nicklaus' stirring win at the 1986 Masters.More »One of the most emotional Masters victories ever was Ben Crenshaw's win in 1995, mere days after the death of his mentor, Harvey Penick.Buy from Amazon »This one might better fit under the heading of "lowlights" for our European readers. It chronicles the comeback of the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 1999 ... you know, the one in which the American players went nuts following Justin Leonard's putt.More »This 4-volume set is perhap more exhaustive than our No. 1 selection, with tapes covering the time periods 1100-1916 (yes, 1100), 1917-1944, 1945-1962 and 1963-1991. Of course, the problem, as you can see, is that this production is now quite a few years old and does not take the viewer up into the Tiger Woods era. Still, for a recap of golf up to 1992, it's quite good.More »If you're interested in a video or DVD on golf history that doesn't require watching multiple volumes, as two previous selections to this list do, then this History Channel production is for you. In about 1 hour, 40 minutes, it hits the highlights.More »Peter Alliss narrates this tape, which by itself makes it worth watching. It covers the birth and growth of the Ryder Cup and takes the viewer up through the year 2000.More »The Tiger Era truly begins at the 1997 Masters, and the contemporary golf landscape is profoundly altered.More »
