“Happy Gilmore 2,” which stars Adam Sandler, was filmed at several locations across New Jersey, including Ideal Beach in Middletown. The recently released Netflix film reflects the streaming platform’s growing commitment to New Jersey and the Two River area. Photo Courtesy Netflix 
Center, Director Kyle Newacheck and Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore with crew members on the set of “Happy Gilmore 2.” Photo Courtesy Netflix
By Sunayana Prabhu
MONMOUTH COUNTY – “Happy Gilmore 2,” the long-awaited sequel to Adam Sandler’s iconic golf comedy, was released on Netflix July 25, and Monmouth County played a significant role in bringing the blockbuster to life.
From scenic Ideal Beach in North Middletown to the headquarters of area vendors in Freehold and Marlboro, the production tapped into the county’s landscapes, labor force and small businesses to help create the movie. “The result,” production officials announced in a news release July 29, is that “Happy Gilmore 2 is #1 on the Netflix Top Movie list, with 46.7 million views in its first three days,” an achievement the studio claims is the platform’s biggest U.S. opening weekend to date.
One of the film’s most memorable training montages was shot at Ideal Beach, by Hudson Avenue and Bayside Parkway, where Happy Gilmore, played by Adam Sandler, is shown working on his swing against the backdrop of the Raritan Bay.
The impact goes beyond residents’ bragging rights. The film injected significant revenue into the region, with hundreds of local vendors engaged for everything from equipment and set rentals to catering and transport.
According to Netflix officials, more than 400 crew members were hired for the project, including area residents, and nearly 3,000 extras were cast. Among them were actors in the area registered through New York-based background casting company Grant Wilfley Casting.
Freehold-based ACTION AC and Prop Rentals, LLC played a major behind-the-scenes role. The company has been primarily servicing the New York film industry since 2009. “It has been such a pleasure to finally have the opportunity to provide our unique services to filmmakers on this side of the bridges and tunnels, in our home state of New Jersey,” said Elena Gonzalez, managing director of ACTION AC and Prop Rentals, in the release. “Working with the outstanding Art Department of ‘Happy Gilmore 2,’ helmed by veteran decorator George DeTitta, was an absolute honor. We are all huge Adam Sandler fans and were thrilled to find out he and Netflix had partnered up to produce the sequel to his iconic ‘Happy Gilmore’ completely in the state of New Jersey!”
Other Monmouth County businesses also got on the call sheet. Spot-on Weather, LLC, a Marlboro-based weather services company, provided critical forecasting during the shoot. Its team helped navigate filming challenges across 45 different New Jersey locations.
For residents and fans of the franchise, the film offers a unique chance to see familiar places onscreen. The movie’s golf scenes, of course, were central, but it was Ideal Beach that delivered the emotional and visual punch of Gilmore’s transformation.
Besides Ideal Beach, Farmview Golf Center at Hackettstown can be seen in the movie as Big Charley’s Mini Golf and Rockleigh Golf Course at Rockleigh is scripted as the municipal golf course; Essex Golf Center in Roseland was the location for a driving range. The town hall in Verona served as the exterior of a courthouse, Hackensack Performing Arts Center was used as a theater, and the Life Time Health Club at Florham Park was a gym depicted in the movie.
“Location scouts drive around Jersey to find locations that fit the creative needs of the script and fit the creative vision,” a Netflix’s spokesperson explained. “ ‘Gilmore’ – as an example – a lot of its story takes place over golf courses, so we spend a lot of time finding local golf courses that would be open to a film crew.”
“Happy Gilmore 2” is just one piece of Netflix’s growing commitment to New Jersey, with five recent productions completed here and 12 more on the way, the spokesperson confirmed. In addition to “Happy Gilmore 2,” the four recent Netflix productions filmed in New Jersey include “Whisper Man,” “Office Romance,” “The Rip” and “A House of Dynamite.”
The deeply local production of “Happy Gilmore 2” foreshadows the impact filming mainstream Hollywood productions in the area will have as the $1 billion Netflix studio takes shape on the Oceanport and Eatontown sections of the former Fort Monmouth. The studio broke ground in May and will eventually open up 12 sound stages, among other buildings, for film production.
“As the birthplace of the motion picture industry,” Gonzalez said, referring to New Jersey, “it seems only natural that everyone is coming back to where moviemaking all began.”
“With powerhouse studios like Netflix paving the way with their new Monmouth County studios in development, we are anxious and excited to see where we go from here.”
Film crews tend to use the same vendors from project to project, but new vendors or actors can register on local databases, including at njproductionguide.com/vendor-listing and productionhub.com/directory .
While New Jersey continues to grow as a filming destination, Monmouth County is steadily claiming its space in Hollywood. According to the New Jersey Motion Picture & Television Commission (NJMPTVC), as of Aug. 1, 43 communities across the state have earned the “Film Ready Community” designation. That includes towns like Little Silver, which just completed the Film Ready New Jersey certification, part of the most recent cohort of 19 municipalities and two counties added this year. The certification allows municipalities to learn about and establish a network of helpful services within their towns to support production crews in maintaining a smooth filming schedule. A Film Ready town stays prepared for crews, which helps film units stay on time, on budget and provides a streamlined experience on location while creating opportunities for host-town businesses.
Whether it is the locations, talent, workforce or even golf courses, Monmouth County is getting busier filming, and this is only the beginning of the cinematic ride.
The article originally appeared in the August 7 – 13, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
