Happy Gilmore 2 doesn’t hit Netflix until Friday, but hype and nostalgia around the sequel to the hit 1996 movie starring Adam Sandler has already—somewhat unexpectedly—created a new high-priced sports collectible.
Callaway released a limited-edition Odyssey-branded hockey stick putter (a replica of what Sandler’s character uses in the new film) on July 11 that quickly sold out, despite its $500 price tag.
“There was a reasonably limited number that we thought would last us,” Callaway VP of global marketing Nick McInally told Front Office Sports. “Our aim was to be out of that stock by November. We were out of that stock by 10 a.m. on release day.”
Callaway also released Happy Gilmore golf balls for $60 a dozen, but it was the hockey stick putter—complete with a tube sock headcover—that went viral on social media, and an expensive resale market instantly emerged. Listings on eBay skyrocketed to $3,000 at one point shortly after the launch. As of Monday, the market had settled, with most listings at or around $1,000, which is double the product’s retail value.
Callaway sold the hockey stick putter online, and Dick’s Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy had in-store inventory as well (which lasted only about 48 hours).
There is good news for any Happy Gilmore fans who missed out on the initial batch: More inventory is being released Friday, coinciding with the new movie’s premiere. “We expect that to go pretty quickly as well,” McInally said. “And then based on how that happens, we’ll then decide if we’re gonna create any more.”
Just Tap It In
In the original movie, Happy Gilmore was given an Odyssey putter-turned-hockey stick by his mentor, Chubbs Peterson. In 1996, Odyssey Sports was an independent company. The next year, Callaway purchased the putter maker for $130 million.
For the sequel, Happy Gilmore 2 producers reached out to Callaway about a year ago to discuss reviving the iconic movie prop. Sandler was “involved heavily” in the creation of the new-and-improved hockey stick putter for the sequel, McInally said. “We wanted to create—if you were going to have a hockey stick putter, what would be the best hockey stick putter that actually you could go and use and it would improve your game?”
And while the collectible version of the hockey stick putter is functional for recreational use, it’s not a conforming club for tournament play, since both sides of the club face are flat, which is not allowed, per the rules of golf. Don’t tell that to Happy Gilmore, though.
