The Only Recap You Need Before Happy Gilmore 2

It's certainly been a while since "Happy Gilmore" was first released — 29 years to be exact — so unless you're one of those who have been watching the classic Adam Sandler golf comedy regularly ever since then, you might need to brush up on the original's basic plot points in preparation for the upcoming Netflix sequel. That's where we come in, with both the video above and this feature that tees up what happened in the first "Happy Gilmore," how things ended, and which threads the sequel seems to be picking up.

Pulling double duty as both Adam Sandler's best film and one of the best sports comedies of all time, "Happy Gilmore" follows the story of the titular character (Sandler), a man who has dreamt his whole life of becoming a professional hockey player. The inconvenient truth that he's actually terrible at the sport is apparent to everyone but Happy himself, so he never bothers even considering a plan B. But after his grandmother gets into tax trouble and might have to sell her house, Happy accidentally discovers that he can make a few bucks on the side by impressing people with how far he can drive a golf ball. When his power drive is witnessed by retired pro golfer Chubbs Peterson (Carl Weathers), he explains to Happy how much money the aspiring goon can make actually playing golf and offers to train him. And thus begins Happy's long, reluctant journey into switching his goal from playing hockey to golf.

Happy's loud, abrasive, party-boy persona clashes with the traditionally quiet, reserved, and distinguished vibe of professional golf. But as Happy gets famous for both his antics and his driving ability, he brings a larger and younger crowd of fans to the sport. Even those in the world of golf who don't necessarily sign off on Happy's rockstar attitude or his fans can't help but ultimately embrace how much it has helped the sport by bringing in better ratings and more money.

Everyone, that is, except for Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald). Shooter resents how much attention Happy is hogging, especially since Shooter had been heavily favored to win the tour Happy joins. Shooter is so eager to get the spotlight back on himself that he buys Happy's grandma's house out from under her and tells Happy they can have the house if Happy quits the tour. Happy's girlfriend, Virginia Venit (Julie Bowen), tells Happy that his grandma would rather see him be content than have her house back — and points out that, as much as he doesn't want to admit it, Happy's grown quite fond of golf. So Happy gives Shooter a counteroffer: he'll quit golf forever if Shooter can beat him in the tour, but if Shooter loses, he has to give Grandma's house back.

Shooter doesn't think he has any chance of losing to Happy, so he quickly accepts the offer. Happy pulls a huge upset and beats Shooter in the big tournament, winning the coveted gold jacket — a prize Shooter has never won. On July 25, 2025, when "Happy Gilmore 2" joins the ranks of movies that took over 20 years for a sequel, we'll see Happy return to golf after having apparently left the sport behind, which will, in turn, give Shooter the chance to finally beat him.