Synopsis
Caddyshack is a chaotic comedy set at the exclusive Bushwood Country Club, where the wealthy members take their golf — and themselves — far too seriously. The story loosely follows young caddie Danny Noonan, who hopes to win a college scholarship from the club while navigating the outrageous behavior of its members and staff.
Along the way, the club is turned upside down by the arrival of loud, free-spending newcomer Rodney Dangerfield, the laid-back antics of smooth golfer Chevy Chase, and the increasingly unhinged mission of groundskeeper Carl Spackler — played by Bill Murray — who is locked in an absurd, escalating battle with a mischievous gopher tearing up the golf course.
The film blends slapstick, outrageous one-liners, and golf-course chaos into one of the most beloved comedies of the 1980s.
Actors & Crew
- Chevy Chase plays Ty Webb, the son of one of Bushwood Country Club’s founders and owner of several lumberyards. Chase is an American comedian, writer, and actor who became one of the defining comic voices of the 1970s and 80s. He got his big break as one of the original cast members of Saturday Night Live, where his dry delivery and physical humor made him a standout in the show’s early seasons. After leaving SNL, he became a major box-office draw, starring in comedies including Caddyshack, Foul Play, National Lampoon’s Vacation, and Fletch.
- Rodney Dangerfield plays Al Czervik, a nouveau riche golfer and real estate developer. Born Jacob Cohen (November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004) and performing under the name Jack Roy before settling on his famous stage name, he was an American stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer who became a mainstay of late-night talk shows and the Las Vegas circuit. His breakout film role was in Caddyshack (1980), followed by Easy Money (1983), Back to School (1986), and Rover Dangerfield (1991), plus a dramatic turn in Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers (1994). His 1980 comedy album No Respect won a Grammy, and he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002.
- Ted Knight plays Elihu Smails, a judge and founder of Bushwood Country Club who runs the caddy scholarship program. Born Tadeusz Wladyslaw Konopka (December 7, 1923 – August 26, 1986), Knight was best known for Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Henry Rush on Too Close for Comfort. He enlisted in the Army during WWII, later worked as a puppeteer and children’s TV host, and won two Emmys for The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He died of cancer in 1986 at age 62.
- Michael O’Keefe plays Danny Noonan, a teenage caddy hoping to win the club’s scholarship. Born Raymond Peter O’Keefe Jr. (April 24, 1955), he earned an Academy Award nomination for The Great Santini, starred in The Slugger’s Wife, and played Fred on Roseanne from 1993–1995, alongside an extensive Broadway and television career. He was married to Bonnie Raitt from 1991–1999 and later married actress Emily Donahoe.
- Bill Murray plays Carl Spackler, the mentally unstable greenskeeper charged with ridding Bushwood of its gopher problem. Born in Illinois in 1950, one of eight children in a big Irish Catholic family, Murray got his start at Second City before moving to Saturday Night Live. He has more than 90 acting credits and has won a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and two Primetime Emmys.
- Sarah Holcomb plays Maggie O’Hooligan, Danny’s girlfriend and coworker. Her first role was as Clorette DePasto in National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978), followed by Caddyshack (1980). She largely stepped away from the industry afterward.
- Directed by Harold Ramis; written by Brian Doyle-Murray, Harold Ramis, and Douglas Kenney.
Budget & Shooting Locations
- Released: July 25, 1980
- Rated: R
- Budget: $4.8–$6 million
- Grossed $3.1 million opening weekend; $39.8 million domestically and $60 million worldwide
- Shot over eleven weeks in the autumn of 1979; Hurricane David delayed production in early September
- Golf scenes were filmed at the Rolling Hills Golf Club (now the Grande Oaks Golf Club) in Davie, Florida — chosen, according to director Harold Ramis, because it lacked palm trees and could pass for the Midwest rather than Florida
- Other locations included Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport, the Boca Raton Hotel and Club, and West Gate in Bel Air (used for the Bushwood gates); the Rolling Lake Yacht Club scenes were shot at the Rusty Pelican restaurant in Miami
- The production became notorious for on-set drug use; supporting actor Peter Berkrot later described cocaine as “the fuel that kept the film running”
Rewatch verdict and Cringe Meter
IMDb: 7.2/10 (134K ratings). Rotten Tomatoes: 73% Tomatometer (62 reviews) · 87% Popcornmeter (100,000+ ratings). User Score: 7.2, “Generally Favorable” (53 ratings).
Accolades: In 2000, Caddyshack ranked #71 on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Laughs. In 2005, Carl Spackler’s “Cinderella story… it’s in the hole!” speech ranked #92 on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movie Quotes. In 2008, it placed #7 on AFI’s 10 Top 10 list of sports films.
