‘HAPPY GILMORE 2’ ON NETFLIX
  
According to AI, 1980’s “Caddyshack,” starring Rodney Dangerfield, Chevy Chase, and Bill Murray, is considered by many to be the quintessential golf comedy, with Adam Sandler’s 1996 “Happy Gilmore” highly rated. The robot is probably right in this instance.
  
Almost thirty years later, Sandler returns as the short-tempered eponymous hockey-obsessed golfer in Netflix’s “Happy Gilmore 2.” A lot of the original cast returns, with a notable exception of not another fistfight between Happy and Bob Barker.

The film leans so heavily into flashbacks and the numerous original cast members on hand that there is no need to watch the 1996 version to have a grasp on what unfolds. All you need to know is that Happy is still plagued with anger management issues at the core of his wacky persona.
  
Glory days on the course are gone. An incident during a 2014 tournament resulted in an errant golf ball turning lights-out for Happy’s beloved bride Virginia (Julie Bowen). He’s now an alcoholic with a minimum wage job stocking a grocery store. The house the family once owned went into foreclosure.
  
The Gilmore household consists of four rowdy sons and lone daughter Vienna (Sunny Sandler), a talented dancer who’s been accepted into an elite Paris ballet school with a hefty price tag of $300,000 for tuition.
  
Once at the top of his game, Happy ditched his clubs and vowed never to return to the game. Working at a supermarket does not afford Happy the ability to finance Vienna’s education. He will have to unretire, which is not as simple as one might think, with his practice run a total misfire.
  
The eventual outcome is predictable, but there is plenty of hilarity with Happy’s continuing antics, along with tapping a busboy to be his unorthodox caddy (Bad Bunny), who provides a lot of comic relief on the course.
  
Arch rival from the first film, Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald), is released from an insane asylum and fights Happy in a cemetery before they team up to take on a mutual enemy. 
  
Cameo appearances come from golf legends like Lee Trevino (also in the original film), Nick Faldo, and Fred Couples. Infamous golf pro John Daly lives in Happy’s garage. Jack Nicklaus orders ice tea and lemonade, apparently not knowing the combination drink is named for golf icon Arnold Palmer. 
  
“Happy Gilmore” remains a cult classic comedy. The sequel may not quite measure up to the same exalted status, but fans of Adam Sandler and the original should be satisfied overall. Amidst all the fun and insanity, Sandler’s likeable flawed character’s comeback is worth rooting for. 

US OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT FAN WEEK
  
The last leg of the Grand Slam tennis tournaments concludes with the US Open getting under way on Sunday, August 24th, but fans get to enjoy a plethora of free admission events on the grounds of New York’s Flushing Meadows beginning the week before. 
  
On Monday, Aug. 18, the main attraction will be the opportunity to enjoy the Arthur Ashe Stadium experience for a pre-US Open Singles Men draw to watch top players practice throughout Fan Week from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Registration for the free Fan Access Pass is required for admission.
  
Running all day, the Louis Armstrong Stadium and the Grandstand allow fans to get an up-close look at their favorite players and the tournament’s biggest stars as they prepare for the US Open Singles Main Draw. 
  
On Courts 4-17, the US Open Qualifying Tournament will once again feature 128 men and 128 women competing for one of the final 16 spots in the Singles Main Draw. The Qualifying Tournament, running all day is free to the public. 
  
The US Open Mixed Doubles Championship has been reimagined for this year for a blockbuster lineup where entrants include nine of the world’s top-ten women and nine of the world’s top-ten women. American teams consist Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton.
 
The competition takes place during the fan week on Tuesday, August 19th and Wednesday, August 20th, with $1 million in prize money being awarded to the winning team. Moving this event to the fan week schedule allows it take center stage during the tournament. 
  
On Thursday night, August 21st, the Stars of the Open presented by Chase returns to bring together an electrifying mix of legends and top players on the court to dazzle fans with their incredible skills. 
 
This special event is expected to showcase the talents of Coco Gauff (who won her first major title here two years ago); former World No. 1 players Andre Agassi and Venus Williams; 2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick, also World No. 1 player; and the mercurial legend John McEnroe.
  
While participants are subject to change, teenage phenom Joao Fonseca will make his Stars of the Open debut. 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro will once again participate. 
US Paralympian Casey Ratzlaff and Dana Mathewson, first American woman to win a Major wheelchair tennis title, will also debut.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.