The Short Game

Documentaries about child prodigies can be fascinating but often descend into horror movies as we are invited into the world of tyrannical, sadistic parents and precocious, joyless children destined for a lifetime of therapy.

Fortunately, The Short Game is uplifting and pleasant to watch. The cinematography is beautiful with some wonderful shots of the golf courses drenched in dusky sunlight. The children involved are sweet, charming and quirky. They all have their own eccentricities and generally seem well balanced despite their almost God-given talents. The parents, with one or two exceptions, seem loving and supportive and there were many heart-warming moments.

I do feel however, that it was a mistake to focus on 9 different players for a single film. Had it been a mini-series it might have worked out better, but it felt like they were unable to give enough introspect into the featured children in just 100 minutes. Allan, Zama, Amari and Jed were particularly intriguing characters and I would have liked to learn more about their backgrounds and personalities. The clips of Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus added very little and actually made it feel more like a cheesy feelgood piece than a no-holds barred documentary.

Another Netflix success, The Short Game is a documentary that follows eight 7- and 8-year-old golfers from around the world as they prepare for and compete in the World Golf Championships at Pinehurst, NC.

These five boys and three girls are prodigies who are delightful to watch as they deal with the demands of year-round training, expectant parents, and the stresses of competition.

As we see, it is not just athletic talent that makes these kids so accomplished. They all have strong support systems. More importantly, they all have a passion for the game. Their passion is what makes this film so enjoyable. And passion is a factor that every competitor must deal with, as defeat is inevitable.

These players display a lot of poise. Each one has big plans for the future. It will be fun to discover in later years if their plans are realized.

I recommend this film for golf enthusiasts, sports lovers, and anyone who enjoys stories of achievement and challenge. I found their stories moving.

As an aside, I noted in the end credits that Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake were listed among the producers.

I saw this film at South by Southwest and was so charmed I cant wait to see it again. I have recommended it to anyone how has kids, plays golf or just loves a good real life story. The young stars of the movie carry it alone, but the story of their lives, hard work, friendships and families make it personal and easy to relate to. These are 7 year old children from all over the world, each with a different life story who come together in serious competition, with talent beyond imagining and aspirations to be the next Tiger Woods, Gary Player or Jack Nicholson....even the girls! You will laugh with them, cry for them and root for them all, but alas not everyone can win. So you will have to watch it yourself to see. You wont be sorry.

Update: August 20, 2023 - One of the kids was 8-yr-old Alexa Pano, today on her 19th birthday she won her first LPGA tournament in Northern Ireland. Seems the documentary did predict a few successes.

I am a golfer. Have been for about 55 years. Until I came across this documentary film on Netflix streaming movies I had no idea this yearly competition existed, top 7 and 8-yr-old golfers from all over the world competing for 3 days, 9 shortened holes each day, for "world champion" golfer in their age and gender division.

The way this film is set up, they spend a few minutes of dedicated time on each of several golfers who are profiled in the film. Each is shown in his or her own home area, like Woodlands, TX, or Paris, France, or South Africa, or China. We see one or more family members, sometimes a golf coach, or a fitness coach, some of their practice time, and the kids themselves get to explain why they play golf and how it fits into their overall lives.

One of the more interesting ones is Allen Kournikova, half-brother of the former tennis pro Anna Kournikova. He has already won many age-group tournaments and has as a goal, of course, the number one golfer in the world. (However, by 2023 it seems that he might have hit his ceiling.)

Another is Amari Avery, the girl from California with parallels to Tiger Woods, and even calls herself "Tigress". Her dad claims he has been brainwashing her since she was 3 to become the best golfer in the world, or as he states it "The next greatest golfer in the world." As of 2023 she has progressed a lot, she is a top college golfer but will she achieve greatness? The jury is still out.

It often isn't pretty as some of these parents seem too invested in whether the kid wins or loses. There isn't much "it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game." As a parent myself, and a person who was never pushed as a child, I am concerned what the effect might be on these kids as they grow up, trying to handle pressure to win all the time.

But overall the positives strongly outweigh the negatives in this film, we see excerpts of the 3 days of competition, plus some funny "free time" activities. One humorous one was the Chinese family having dinner in the Chinese restaurant in N. Carolina. They comment (translated) that the Chinese food there doesn't taste much like their food back home. The boy, the young golfer, says "it is a little bit better".

Now I just find myself wondering what will became of these kids over the next 12 to 15 years. As a long-time golf fan I have seen many, many young "can't miss" golfers who never made it as a pro, their potential as kids never materialized the way it was predicted.

A couple of interesting executive producers of the film are Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel. I played their course last November just outside Memphis, TN.

My family saw this film over the weekend and loved it! All the way down to our 5 year old daughter. This is a documentary that plays more like a movie. You will be cheering, clapping, crying, cringing, laughing, etc... it gives you all the emotions that you want after seeing a film. The camera work is amazing as well as the storyline. It will truly have you on the edge of your seat. Forget about the animated movies your children want to see, take them to this and they will walk away from it with a type of value and knowledge that they would have never of had before. I can't say enough terrific things about this film! Truly spectacular in every sense!