'Caddyshack' now part of college curriculum

At Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., students are being offered a course this semester entitled, ‘Caddyshack 101: Lessons From The Coolest Sports Movie Ever Made.’

The course may be offered at Faber College, too, but I’ll have to check with Bluto Blutarsky.

Imagine, getting college course credit for studying, ‘Caddyshack.’

Who’s the dean of Lynn University? Al Czervik?

I know a ton of guys who practically have masters degrees in the movie’s dialogue and they didn’t have to get off their couch.

You know the guys. They’re always saying stuff like, “Do you know what the Lama says? Gunga galunga…gunga, gunga-lagunga. So we finish the 18th and he’s gonna stiff me. And I say, ‘Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know.’ And he says, ‘Oh, there won’t be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness.’

“So I got that goin’ for me, which is nice.”

Lines from ‘Caddyshack’ have become part of the golf lexicon. An overused part. In fact, it may be against the rules in a captain’s choice event to play 18 holes without someone throwing in at least one “Be the ball” reference. Enough with the Ty Webb stuff, guys.

Don’t get me wrong. I loved the movie the first time I saw and it and the 23rd time I saw it. I still love it.

I’d take the course if they offered it online. But, as Judge Smails reminded Danny Noonan in the movie, “The world needs ditch diggers, too.”

The course is being taught by Ted Curtis, an assistant professor for sports management at Lynn University. It’s part of what’s called a ‘Dialogues of Innovation’ curriculum and, while I’m not exactly sure what that means, it darn well beats studying ‘Beowulf.’

The idea is to use the film as a basis for studying and discussing everything from social-class stereotyping (“Some people just don’t belong”) to the importance of civility and etiquette (“Pool and a pond…Pond would be good for you”) to animal rights (“I have to learn to think like an animal and, whenever possible, to look like one. I’ve gotta get inside this guy’s pelt and crawl around for a few days”).

That’s sounds a little high-minded for a movie where Al Czervik breaks wind, Spaulding Smails picks his nose and Judge Smails asks Danny Noonan “How about a Fresca?”

But at Lynn University, they take an innovative approach to sports management education. They had a course last year on viewing life through the New York Yankees. They’ve used the Super Bowl, Final Four, X Games and other major events as part of the educational process.

If studying ‘Caddyshack’ makes young people a little smarter, what’s the harm in that?

Let’s get to it.

As Judge Smails would say, “Chop, chop.”