Stick review: Owen Wilson's golfer charms, but is this the ‘new Ted Lasso'?

Times

3 days ago

Stick, shtick and plenty of heart. Apple TV+ is hoping this feelgood sports comedy is the new Ted Lasso, and although it might not be everyone's (tin) cup of tea, there's a lot to like about this show.
Let's start with the stick; that's a golf club if you hadn't already guessed, and although there's plenty of green-side chat and birdies, the good news is you don't need to like or understand the sport to enjoy the show (although it probably helps).
Our story centres on an ageing former golf pro, Pryce Cahill (Owen Wilson). He was once the next big thing on tour before spectacularly crashing and burning. Twenty or so years later, he's still haunted by his failure, unsuccessfully trying to save his marriage to Amber-Linn (Judy Greer), drinking a lot and working in a golf shop recommending overpriced clubs to make as much commission as possible. Pryce just can't catch a break — that is, until he spots the troubled teenager Santi Wheeler (Peter Dager) hitting colossal drives after sneaking on to the local range and sees the potential to make him a star.
Like most things in Pryce's life, this isn't going to be easy, and Santi (for reasons that will become clear as the show goes on) is incredibly resistant to help with his golf and taking this big risk. However, when his mother, Elena (Mariana Treviño), realises this could be a chance to make enough money for the family to change their lives, she reluctantly agrees to go on tour in a crowded camper van owned and driven by Pryce's old caddy, Mitts (Marc Maron).
So begins a very pleasing journey of discovery: a mentor who's all-in on a long shot and his cantankerous mate; a mother who knows what she wants and a hot-headed raw talent with a lot of baggage — what could possibly go wrong?
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That leads me to the elephant in the room, the shtick. Many people like Wilson's thing. That mild Texas drawl, loveable loser, laid-back demeanour and anything-goes easy charm. And well, some don't. I'm in the former camp and therefore the prospect of ten episodes of a Wilson-powered vehicle fills my heart with happiness — but for those who wish they'd never seen You, Me and Dupree or Wedding Crashers, to use the golfing parlance, now's the time to pick up and head for the 19th hole.
And so if you're not put off by golf or Wilson, let us talk about the real star of the show: the heart. Whereas 'cooler' comedy tends to focus on the edgy and the anxiety-provoking, this is a show happy to settle in with its feelings, and there are plenty of them. From the rage against the machine relationship between youngsters Santi and the equally disenfranchised country club waitress Zero (Lilli Kay) and the quirky dynamic between middle-aged Elena and Mitts, there's a lot going on. And that's before we throw in Pryce's complicated relationships with everyone, which drive the story along at a pace.
Like Ted Lasso, this is a story that is unafraid to take its flawed characters on an emotionally charged comedic flight over fairway and rough, through the woods and into bunkers, before leaving them all a putt at happiness. If you're looking for a new comedy, it's worth a shot.★★★★☆
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