At last, though, “Golf in the Kingdom” is coming to the screen. It opens in New York on Friday in a version written and directed by Susan Streitfeld, who has never played golf in her life, and produced by Mindy Affrime, an independent producer who says that “Hollywood is a men’s club for guys who don’t need to work.” She made the movie not on a shoestring but on the discarded baling twine you use when you can’t afford a shoestring. The cast, which includes Mason Gamble as Murphy, David O’Hara as Shivas, and Malcolm McDowell as a crusty Scottish doctor who thinks the electric golf cart spells the end of civilization, worked for $100 a day.

Check out the full article.

For times and Information - http://www.mcmenamins.com

Saturday August 6th gather at Edgefield Pub Golf Course for a full day of festivities

• VIP golf tourney with Michael Murphy, private reception and an out-door screening at 8:30pm
• VIP packages available at $75.00 (with golf) and $50.00 (without golf) FOR RESERVATIONS 503-669-8610 (21 and over)
• Golf In The Kingdom and its fictional Burningbush course were major sources of inspiration for the par 3 Edgefield Pub Course

Meet and greet Michael Murphy and get your new movie tie-in edition of Golf In The Kingdom signed

The New Renaissance Bookshop Sunday August 7 from 3-4:30pm

1. Go to AMCTheatres.com.
2. In the Find Showtimes module (upper right), select New York for State and AMC Empire 25 for theatre
   
3. Select a showtime (July 29 – Aug 4) by clicking on the calendar icon
4. Select a time and purchase ticket

GOLF IN THE KINGDOM WORLD PREMIERE
OPENS IN NEW YORK CITY
TIMES SQUARE JULY 29TH AMC EMPIRE 25

1.5 million copies sold, 40 years since publication and 40 years of options and scripts developed by some of the biggest names in Hollywood, the movie version of the best selling golf novel of all time, Golf In The Kingdom, is finally having its world premiere.

Golf in the Kingdom was produced in the true tradition of the independent film…100% financed by private investors on a shoe-string budget and selfdistributed… a labour of love and good will, patience and perseverance by the creative talent on both sides of the camera.

Michael Murphy’s (co-founder of Esalen Institute) cult classic about golf and transformation drew a distinguished cast. David O’Hara plays the mysterious and enigmatic Scottish golf pro Shivas Irons and Mason Gamble plays the young American Michael Murphy, on his way to India in search of enlightenment.

Malcolm McDowell, Frances Fisher, Julian Sands, Joanne Whalley, Tony Curran and Jim Turner round out the illustrious cast. Susan Streitfeld wrote and directed with Mindy Affrime producing.

After successfully tackling their first book to film collaboration with Female Perversions, starring Tilda Swinton, Streitfeld and Affrime took on Golf in the Kingdom as their next challenge. “Daunting, ” says Streitfeld, “is the word to describe the thought of taking this fiercely loved book, a ‘bible’ to many golfers, and transforming it into a film.” “We promised Murphy that we would stay true to the core message of the book, and to his credit, he gave us free rein to explore,” adds Affrime. “He stayed involved throughout the entire process and I must say had a blast.”

The film was shot exclusively at the #1 rated golf resort in America, Bandon Dunes Golf Links on the majestic coast of Oregon. “It was the perfect environment to create the mystical golf links called Burningbush, it was real and surreal at the same time. Ordinary nature is compelling, awesome, and dramatic. One needs no special effects when such raw images are freely given,” says Streitfeld.

The movie opens in New York City, followed by Portland, Oregon and San Francisco one week later. The film will be released to select US cities throughout the Fall, 2011.

Golf in the Kingdom, the novel, is being re-released by Penguin books with a new forward and artwork in the end of June 2011 and Open Road Media is publishing the e-book, available on June 6, 2011. Golf Digest, a sponsor of the film has a 4 page advertorial in their August, 2011 magazine.

You can get your own Golf in the Kingdom bag for your next outing.

Mindy Affrime, producer of Golf In The Kingdom and The First Tee of Los Angeles invite you to a private advance screening of Golf In The Kingdom on Valentine’s Day, February 14th. The film will begin at 5:00 at the Landmark Theatre at 10850 West Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90064.

After the film, VIP guests are invited to join us at the Landmark’s Wine Bar to meet Mindy Affrime the producer, Susan Streitfeld, the director, and members of the cast including David O’Hara, Mason Gamble and Tony Curran, Frances Fisher, Julian Sands, Jim Turner, JoAnne Whalley, and Malcolm McDowell, as well as friends from the PGA & LPGA Tours. The Golf Channel analyst and UCLA Golf Hall of Fame member Kay Cockerill will be your host for the evening.

TICKETS
Golf In The Kingdom Exclusive Screening only…………………..$25
Golf In The Kingdom Shivas Irons VIP Package…………………..$75
Includes: Exclusive screening with preferred seating VIP after-party (cast/crew Q&A, silent auction) One daily ticket to the 2011 Northern Trust Open

All ticket sales benefit The First Tee of Los Angeles. A non-profit junior golf program committed to bringing golf and life skills to youth of all back grounds.
To purchase tickets go to www.thefirstteela.org or call 213-680-8002.

Please join us for what the San Francisco Chronicle calls, “A masterpiece on the mysticism of golf.”

You can download a pdf excerpt here!

A fantastic article from Golf & Leisure on George Stefanapoulos, executive producer of Golf in the Kingdom the movie.

Download the pdf of this article.

From Christopher Monger- Award winning Writer/Director-

“I grew up firm in the belief that cinema had taken its place among the other arts, that it was a medium as potent as any other. However, in the last few decades I’ve seen almost a total erosion of what film can do.  Now it’s used primarily as a kinetic medium to provide thrills.  ‘Art films’ have become wordy dramas, judged merely on the written words and their performance.  Werner Herzog (largely reduced to making documentaries) is one of the few survivors of a golden age when images were deemed as potent – or more potent than simplistic narrative.

That’s all by way of saying how enjoyable and thrilling it was to see GOLF IN THE KINGDOM and once again see the ambition of what film can achieve. I hope you are very proud of this film – its beautiful and profound and poetic – and that’s everything.”

“There are no words to express my deepest gratitude for the work of Michael Murphy and the honor of being present at the Los Angeles screening of this MASTER piece. My friend Scott Thompson, with whom I just spoke said:……It kinda seeps into your mind, your brain and it has this quality of a movie like a play…..so well put by a dear friend of mine.

The sounds…….the setting…….the Scottish accent…….and the true LOVE of the game…the spirit of the game shining through….as we revere this grand ole game….I sat there in the third row…..being immersed into a virtuosic performance…..FEEL your inner body….OH BOY….did I feel it….

From the writings of Fred Shoemaker, Doc Parent, Timothy Gallwey, Deepak Chopra and Michael Murphy….this is the crowning piece of where the future of Golf is headed….to it’s very origin….enjoying the walk with great friends….inhaling the splendor of nature….and PLAYING the game with curious artistic creativity……instinctively…..visualizing the flight of the ball and allowing our brilliant physical beings be the receiver of true gravity…….the amazing cosmic energy that is there for those of us that are open to receive it.”

Michael, Mindy and Susan thank you from the deepest core of my heart for a gift of a lifetime.

From John Ashworth- Golf Innovator and Designer

Hello Michael,

“I LOVED it!!…I was watching with a very critical eye in terms of artistic expression and interpretation and the execution exceeded my expectations by a long shot. Shivas was brilliant and Michael was vulnerable and the cast was amazing…the lighting and cinematography was beautiful and surreal…and the cameo of Mr. Murphy was exceptional……….Bravo!!!…..I’m inspired.”

From Nathan Le Grand- Tennis Pro-

“It was a beautiful story/meditation on screen. So many of the images were incredible…many images were surreal, yet seemed to be anchored in hard physical reality. The unfolding of the story with multiple jumps forward and backward was strong. I enjoyed the performances and the cast of characters….Shivas – wow: big contrast to O’Hara’s character on ‘The Tudors’.

If I’m not mistaken Gamble seems to be a Golfer and one with a beautiful swing. Being a pro tennis player…I totally related to your story. Tennis holds some of the same intrinsic qualities of being in the moment, I call it the POCKET: the blending and merging of the physical-mental-spiritual. I wish great success for your film and continued success to you both for your long-standing dedication to film art.”

From Randy St. John- General Manager/COO Wilshire Country Club

Had the privilege of seeing GITK last night and was reminded why it is one of my favorite books, golf or other. Great job creating the spirit and admonishing all of us that it was meant for walkin’. Beautiful cinematography, excellent cast, and enough golf to make we want to pick up my Mackenzie Walker and go play a few in last moments of dusk.

Can a Famous, Mystical Golf Book Come to Life on Screen?
by John Paul Newport

A couple of weeks ago this column looked at Hollywood’s struggle to make big, commercially successful golf movies. Many readers wrote in declaring their affection for several films I didn’t mention, in particular “The Greatest Game Ever Played,” about Francis Ouimet’s implausible victory at the 1913 U.S. Open. I agree: this was a fine golf movie, based on Mark Frost’s even better book of the same name. But sadly the film’s appeal didn’t seem to extend much beyond members of the golf tribe. It grossed just $15 million at the domestic box office—not much more than the $12 million pulled in by “Caddyshack II,” possibly the worst sequel to any movie in any genre ever made. “Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius,” another movie that many Golf Journal readers said they liked, sold only $2.7 million in tickets at U.S. theaters. Read full article »