For ages, golf has been touted as a serious game that requires immense focus. Yet, time and again, there comes a movie or series that adds a touch of humor, something like Happy Gilmore. Netflix attempted something similar in its latest golf series. And like in the past, the streaming platform was expecting excitement after sharing its teaser. However, golf fans had a different reaction.

“This summer, a legend returns. His name: Lonnie “THE HAWK” Hawkins,” Netflix wrote in an X post sharing the teaser.

The series’ name is The Hawk, which stars Will Ferrell as Hawkins. The character of Hawkins is a once-dominant golfer from 2004 who attempts a late-career comeback. His aim is to win a final major title to complete the Grand Slam. The project is scheduled to premiere on Netflix in summer 2026 and will run for 10 episodes.

According to the premise, Hawkins faces skepticism during his comeback. And to make things worse for him, it comes from those closest to him. His ex-wife Stacy and his son Lance, played by Molly Shannon and Jimmy Tatro, respectively, question his efforts.

Besides the three, the show also features Fortune Feimster as Hawkins’ caddie, Sam, and Luke Wilson as rival Golden Fisk. There are also additional appearances from Chris Parnell, Katelyn Tarver, and David Hornsby.

The teaser gives a quick look at Ferrell’s character. It features him in a bright pink golf t-shirt, a white visor labeled “Hawk,” and curly blond hair. Netflix released the clip around the time of the Players Championship. The idea might be to capitalize on fan excitement amid one of the biggest weeks on the PGA Tour calendar. But the response was completely opposite.

Golf fans slam teaser as early reactions pour in

The teaser quickly triggered a wave of criticism from golf fans on X. While some showed appreciation and excitement, many of them rejected the concept almost immediately after the clip was shared.

One fan bluntly wrote, “Holy fuc***g shit this looks terrible.” The comment addresses the awkwardness seen in the video. While Will Ferrell tried his best to make it funny, he didn’t have much to play with. The video included narration for a few seconds.

All that Ferrell got to say was, “Lonnie ‘The Hawk’ Hawkins. That’s me. I’m him. That’s who they are talking about. If you were wondering. The introductory video didn’t hit well with the audience. Reflecting on the same, another user wrote, “This hasn’t even showed a clip and it’s already failed hahahaha pass!”

While these comments were blunt and very straightforward, one user took a subtle approach. “I love Will and you guys too but you missed the boat on this one, big time. You have top talent here and this is what you come up with? Sad,” he wrote. He questioned the direction of the project despite the high-profile talent. Will Ferrell is a leading comedy actor, who rose via Saturday Night Live.

A recurring theme in the replies centered on comparisons to the cult golf comedy Happy Gilmore and Happy Gilmore 2. The films feature Adam Sandler and many real-life golf professionals, including John Daly, Scottie Scheffler, Jack Nicklaus, Nelly Korda, and others. While fans didn’t like Happy Gilmore 2 much, the first installment garnered a lot of praise. Thus, the comparison was obvious.

One commenter summed up that sentiment with a sarcastic question, “so an unfunny parody of Happy Gilmore right?” Others directed their criticism toward Will Ferrell himself. One user argued that the character felt too similar to roles he has played before. “Will Ferrell? How many times can he recycle the same character bit. Hard no,” the fan wrote.

These reactions reflect a wider divide among golf fans when comedic portrayals enter the sport’s space. Golf often carries a traditional image, especially around events tied to the PGA Tour. Therefore, some viewers appear wary of projects that lean heavily into parody. However, there is space for comedy in golf, as seen with Happy Gilmore, but the project has to be right. Sadly for Netflix, that was not the case with Lonnie “THE HAWK” Hawkins.