Happy Gilmore Golf Balls: Where to Get Them in Australia

Every time Happy Gilmore does another lap of the streaming charts, Australian searches for Happy Gilmore golf balls jump. People want the ball, the putter line, the whole bit.

Then they find out the situation is messier than expected. Here is what is actually out there.

Is there an official Happy Gilmore golf ball?

Licensed film merchandise comes and goes, and most of what turns up in Australian search results is either a short run item that sold out years ago, an overseas listing with $40 of shipping attached, or a print on demand seller who will take six weeks to post. Nothing about that is a good gift experience if you have a birthday on Saturday.

The bigger issue is quality. A lot of movie themed novelty balls are recycled range balls with a decal on top. They look fine in the photo and lose the print inside two holes.

What to look for instead

If the point is a golf ball that raises the same laugh, you want three things.

• A real ball underneath. A Surlyn cover and a high compression core means he can actually put it in play rather than leave it on a shelf.
• A printed design, not a sticker. Printing survives the cart path. Decals do not.
• Local dispatch. Anything shipping from overseas turns a gift into a waiting game.

The Putting Meltdown set

Our Putting Meltdown set is our take on the same joke. Four designs built around the moment every golfer knows, when a two foot putt turns into a full personality crisis.

To be clear about what it is: the set is inspired by the genre of golf comedy, not licensed by or affiliated with any film or studio. We make our own designs. If you specifically want official studio merchandise, this is not that, and we would rather say so than let you find out after it arrives.

What it is instead: four playable balls, printed to survive a round, boxed and ready to give, $34.95, dispatched from Perth.

Other sets that land the same joke

If the Happy Gilmore angle is really about "he likes golf and does not take it seriously", a few others work just as well.

• Grumpy Golfers for the mate who is one bad putt from a full investigation
• Croc 'n' Roll for the slicer
• Roo Crew for the golfer who has given up on accuracy entirely

Can you actually play with novelty golf balls?

Yes, provided the ball underneath is real. Ours use the same Surlyn cover and high compression core as a standard distance ball, so flight and feel are close to what he is used to. Where cheap novelty balls fall down is construction, not decoration.

Worth noting for anyone playing competition: novelty designs are fine for social rounds, but a club competition run under the Rules of Golf requires a ball on the conforming list. Check with your club before you tee one up in a monthly medal.

Where to start

Browse the full funny golf balls range, or if you are buying it as a present, the golf gifts for men collection sorts it by occasion. More ideas in our golf gift ideas guide.