Full Swing

(Reviewed after Season 3).

A behind-the-scenes look at the world of professional golf. From superstars like Rory McIlroy to journeymen like Joel Dahmen and many in between we get to experience the highs and lows of the sport and what goes into being a professional golfer.

A great, though not consistently so, look at the world of professional golf. We don't just see the lives of the superstars but also the everyday, just-getting-by golfers and players of various levels in between. For me it was the struggles of the less-good golfers that were most interesting though I did also like to see what made the megastars so good and how they approach the game.

It's not consistently engaging though: some episodes focus too much on the golfers' families and tend to feel quite padded. The best episodes focus on the golf.

This mix between golf and the golfer's private lives is the main determinant of the quality of the seasons. Season 1 starts more family-focused but ends very strongly. Season 2 continues where S1 left off. Season 3, while covering the main golfing events of 2024 and still being quite interesting, does feel a bit padded towards the end.

Season ratings: S1 8/10, S2 8, S3 7.5.

Netflix has done a great job with their sports documentaries, and their golf series is no exception. 2022 was an excellent year to start following golf, and the episodes are packed with emotion and suspense. Golf is a sport that translates incredibly well to television, and the stakes are high - one poor shot can be catastrophic and ruin any chance of winning. In contrast, a tennis match is often long and grueling, and a single mistake may not determine the outcome. Like Formula One, the intensity of golf lies in the knowledge that one misstep can knock a player out of the running for the win.

Like Drive to Survive and Break Point, there is a lot of information we already know (rules, etc) but it's explained quickly. These shows are aimed at general sports fans, and in that aspect, they're great. Even if you're already familiar with golf and its players, it's still fascinating to gain an intimate look into the athletes' thoughts and emotions - and perhaps even more so for more casual fans who may not have seen this side of the sport before.

If ur new to golf this will be a very interesting series, meeting the golfers, exploring personalities, etc. If you've followed golf for the last 2 years this will provide limited access to the PGA world that you didn't already know. LIV golf controversy is heavily portrayed. The most interesting aspect has to be mental turmoil of Bruce Koepka. Golf being a one man sport where if u don't play well you don't get paid provides an insightful view to the personalities, sometimes even the wives. But again if you follow PGA it's par for the course in golfspeak; LIV socks, PGA is king and BTW Rory is the golden child.

It's really a gift to have such an inside look into these players lives. Who knew Tony Finau was such a family man? The emotion and heart of that man really touched me in a wonderful way.

Joel Dahmen is a Washington state player so we love him up here. His humility and talent go hand in hand as a welcoming gift to us all. I will be rooting for him even harder after this series.

Come for the rivalries but stay for the emotion and dedication of these players. It's a well shot and edited documentary.

I would've loved to see more LIV tour rivalry stuff. There's some juicy bits there that could be squeezed for the audience more.

Overall, I loved this season and I hope there's much more.

As a keen golfer, I was really looking forward to this behind the scenes documentary series. Do t get me wrong, I did enjoy the insight into what it's like to be a pga tour pro, particularly the varying abilities and expectations. What I didn't like was the heavily biased anti LIV golf message. All the LIV players are portrayed as greedy, unprincipled, and shallow, whilst those who reject the advances of LIV are saintly, loyal, morally superior, and caring for the community. I have no horse in this race personally but I do respect individuals right to choose, and think political and cultural differences are far too complicated to be solved on the golf course or sports field. I do hope there is another series that doesn't focus on the Political arguments and LIV rivalry so much, and more on the tour and the individuals involved. I would also welcome input from more globally well known golf journalists and commentators rather than the frankly boring comments from Sean Foley and Amanda Renner.