Rannulph Junuh, a promising young golfer who loses his swing after he experiences the harrowing frontlines of war. Once considered Savannah's greatest sportsman and favourite celebrity, Junuh had won the heart of the town's prettiest heiress, Adele Inver Gordon. But when he returned from war, he was a defeated man, giving up both golf and Adele for the sake of alcohol.
When Junuh is given a chance to redeem himself by competing in a celebrity golf tournament, he must first regain his self-respect. It will take a miracle, in the form of a mysterious caddy named Bagger Vance, for Junuh to get his game back as well as his life.