I’ve always identified with Lennon Stella’s song “Golf On TV,” where the vocalist admits she doesn’t get why people view the sport from their sofas. To be completely candid, I’ve taken things a step further than the singer-songwriter, often declaring that I never really grasped why anyone would watch golf at all. However, I’m pleased to admit that Apple TV+‘s new series, Stick, is beginning to change my perspective.

The comedy features Owen Wilson as Pryce Cahill, a washed-up former professional golfer now employed at a sporting goods store, coping with the emotional and financial aftermath of his recent friendly divorce from Amber-Lynn (Judy Greer). During a visit to a golf range, Pryce discovers a teenager, Santi (Peter Dager), displaying remarkable accuracy and strength. Swiftly, Pryce devises a scheme to propel Santi into the professional golf arena, assuring Santi’s mother Elena (Mariana Treviño) a $100,000 check and a share of Santi’s winnings if they collaborate to launch the teen’s professional career. Accompanying them is Pryce’s old caddy, Mitts (Marc Maron), begrudgingly offering up his RV as a makeshift home for the group as they journey from one golf event to another.

Unsurprisingly, the show is about much more than just golf, as is the case with most sports comedies. Generally, the sport itself serves merely as a backdrop for comedic situations to unfold — take Netflix’s Running Point, for example, where basketball is rarely featured. In Stick, however, golf is so essential to the show’s identity that it’s nearly impossible to separate the comedy from its setting.

Even when the show stumbles and struggles to land a joke, it follows its own advice by adhering to “Grossweiner’s Law” — also the title of the show’s second episode — a principle implemented by Pryce to teach Santi about the power of short-term memory when you’re out on the green. Essentially, don’t let a mistake on the last hole hinder you on the next one. It’s evocative of Ted Lasso‘s “be a goldfish” mentality but it doesn’t feel cheap or derivative as one might expect.

Speaking of Ted Lasso, given its shared streaming service and genre, it’s inevitable that Stick will get comparisons to its Jason Sudeikis and Bill Lawrence predecessor. It’s not an entirely fair correlation, though, as the newcomer’s primary aim is to tell a found-family story within the golf world, not to find sports success as an underfunded underdog. To that end, Stick meets and exceeds its goals ten-fold; I can’t remember the last time I watched a show and cared this much about a ragtag group that becomes a family.

Truthfully, that only is the case because of the excellent writing when when it comes to establishing and then building upon the dynamics between the characters. It’s commonplace that when a show puts a lot of emphasis on one relationship — in this case, Pryce and Santi — the others suffer for it. In the case of this thoroughly enjoyable series, though, it’s completely the opposite. In fact, one of the show’s best pairs is Elena and Mitts, who have absolutely no reason to interact other than being in the general vicinity of each other throughout the show, and yet, creator and showrunner Jason Keller manages to make it a wholly understandable and hilarious relationship.

Similarly, Mitts and Zero (Lilli Kay), the”she/they” caddy the group picks up along the way — yes, the show does play up the pronouns bit but in a surprisingly wholesome and respectful manner — have a rapport that kept me laughing from the first moment to the last. You may initially enter thinking, “What could this middle aged man and Gen Z contrarion have in common?” but you will walk away wishing that each episode had more of their cynical meetups.

It’s not just these relationships that thrive, though. Every single dynamic is written as though it is the one that fans are tuning in for. It’s an exercise in great writing that each viewer can walk away saying a different dynamic is their favorite because there is not one clear and present winner — and that’s where Stick hits an ace. And for those golf novices out there, an ace is a fancy term for a hole-in-one. You too, like me, will quickly learn all the links lingo — and start googling the price of golf clubs — while watching this show, just wait.

Between shows like The Four Seasons and Abott Elementary, we’re in a media landscape where “chicken noodle soup” shows are needed now more than ever, and that is exactly what this show is. It’s rare that a true-blue family show comes around and impresses me — I’m of the mind that if you’re trying to please everyone, it usually ends up pleasing no one — but that is thankfully not the case here. I’m proud to say that Stick is as funny as it is wholesome, and as wholesome as it is endearing. This silly golf comedy is winner in every sense and a show you might just restart the moment the final credits roll.

Even if you are like me — green on the (golf) green — there is a high probability that you will find this show delightful, hilarious, and shockingly relatable. One can only hope Apple TV+ gives this gem of a series the second season it deserves and we get to see this group play another round.

The first two episodes of Stick premiere on Apple TV+ June 4. New episodes drop on Wednesdays.