How Adam Sandler’s ‘Happy Gilmore’ has ties to New Hampshire

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New Hampshire’s own Adam Sandler has swung into action once again with “Happy Gilmore 2,” which released on Netflix Friday, July 25.

The sequel comes nearly 30 years since “Happy Gilmore” first premiered in 1996. It follows the story of a failed hockey player who takes on the pro golf world with his unusual (and powerful) swing.  

The sequel has a number of cameos and it’s packed with star power like Bad Bunny (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Several top golfers, including John Daly, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, and Will Zalatoris, are also in the movie along with many others.

Sandler, who grew up in Manchester, recently joined Kelce and his brother Jason on the New Heights podcast earlier this year to talk about the film. Did you know the film has quite a few New Hampshire connections? Here are some highlights from their conversation:

⛳  Happy Gilmore was the first movie Sandler had creative control over. Sandler co-wrote both the original movie and the sequel with comedian Tim Herlihy, his college roommate at New York University.

⛳  The character Happy Gilmore was inspired by Sandler’s childhood best friend, Kyle McDonough. McDonough played hockey growing up in Manchester, New Hampshire before becoming a professional hockey player in Norway.

⛳  Around ninth grade, McDonough used his hockey skills on the golf course, which impressed Sandler’s dad.  “He was banging them. My father kept saying, ‘You hockey players. There’s something about the wrist, the way you turn.’”

⛳  By the time Sandler was in college (he estimates he was 23 years old), he knew he wanted to make a movie about a hockey-style golfer. He thought it would be funny to see a guy with a hockey mentality hit it big on the PGA Tour.

⛳  Sandler’s dad Stanley Sandler, who died of lung cancer in 2003, had a big impact on the movie. He loved to play golf and often took Adam to the course and driving range. Many iconic lines in the movie, like “It’s all in the hips,” came from his dad’s advice. “That’s why we wrote that sh*t,” Sandler said.

⛳   He’s been wanting to do a sequel for a long time and has been waiting for the right storyline.

⛳   The sequel finds Happy Gilmore older and struggling. Sandler said, “He starts a bit of a mess, and we try to get his life cookin’ again.”

⛳  Sandler often asked his dad for feedback on the script. Stanley’s typical response? “It could be pretty good. We’ll see.”

⛳ Sandler still plays golf, but admits he struggles with his score. He typically shoots around 88. “I get frustrated out there,” he said.

⛳ Sandler played just about every sport growing up, including football, baseball, and basketball.

⛳ Sandler said Travis and Jason Kelce remind him of his childhood friends.

⛳ Sandler is a big-time Swiftie. His two daughters know every word to Taylor Swift’s songs. When Swift started dating Travis Kelce, Sandler’s whole family was excited. 

Check out the movie trailer.