Even golf aficionados probably were not aware this is “Francis Ouimet Week’’ in Phoenix as deemed by Mayor Phil Gordon in conjunction with the premiere of “The Greatest Game Ever Played.’’

Chances are the mayor’s declaration is more about pomp than circumstance, as many of the movie’s cast and principals were in his city Sunday night for the local debut of golf’s latest flick. Along those lines, numerous members of the Arizona golf industry were invited to critique the movie at the Camelback Esplanade theatres.

So what was the reaction to “The Greatest Game Ever Played’’? Well, even though the Bill Paxton-directed film starring someone named Shia Labeouf as Ouimet was quite entertaining from a technical standpoint, it was closer to a bogey than a birdie.

Granted, I’m no Craig Outhier, the Tribune movie critic whose reviews are usually right down the center of the fairway when it comes to accuracy. But I have seen the vast majority of movies based on the game of golf -- perhaps all 10 or 12 of them -- so I can compare The Greatest to, say, “Tin Cup’’ or “The Legend of Bagger Vance.’’

Apparently, my opinion of this Walt Disney Pictures-produced film was not shared by all, as the other three in our foursome Sunday night all rated it higher. The movie was based on Mark Frost’s book of the same title and positioned along similar storylines that have produced other successful Disney box-office winners like “Remember the Titans,’’ “The Rookie,’’ and “Miracle.’’

The Greatest is the story of Francis Ouimet, an immigrant kid who rises to win the 1913 U.S. Open against the likes of the legendary Harry Vardon, the only player to ever win the British Open six times.

Along the way, Ouimet overcomes his iron-clad father, the snobbery of the game and Vardon.

We met -- which is how you phonetically pronounce Ouimet -- Paxton during a party prior to the screening. Paxton knew one member of our foursome of amateur critics from their past days at Whispering Palms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

“It’s a movie that (golfers) will appreciate, and women will love,’’ said Paxton, who is better known as an actor for his roles in such films as “Apollo 13,’’ “Tombstone,’’ and Weird Science.’’

We also met Frost, whose previous claim to fame came as a writer for the hit TV series “Hill Street Blues.’’ Frost said the movie was a “time machine’’ dating back to the days when “the athlete was a role model, which is not always the case in America these days.’’

Both Paxton and Frost were center-cut with their explanations of what to expect. Now, the question became, did the chemistry of the actors and plot/subplots in The Greatest work in a way that left people as moved as they were after watching “The Rookie’’?

Well, one of our foursome did cry -- and clap! -- at the conclusion. But the best comment came from the other female member of the foursome, who said of The Greatest: “If it came down to buying a movie ticket or renting the DVD, I’d wait for the rental.’’

The biggest hurdle the movie will have to overcome is that, if you’re not a golfer, it’s hard to relate.

That, and Lebeouf didn’t look like a golfer who had the game to win the U.S. Open, as the swing was even less athletic than Jim Caviezel’s attempt at imitating Bobby Jones in “Stroke of Genius.’’ It’s just hard to imagine someone with a swing worse than Matt Damon’s (“Legend of Bagger Vance’’) winning the national championship.

Because I knew the ending, that Ouimet would ultimately prevail in a playoff over Vardon and Edward Ray at the Country Club in Brookline, Mass., there needed to be more development of characters and plot, and there wasn’t

In fact, had it not been for Ouimet’s 10-year-old caddie Eddie Lowery (Josh Flitter), the film would have been a double bogey. But Eddie, who was a dead ringer for the Spanky character in the old “Our Gang’’ series, manages to get off some entertaining one-liners during the heat of the Open. Stephan Dillane (“The Hours,’’ “Angels in America‘’) also does a very stand-up job as Vardon, but like the rest of the supporting cast is a victim of being underdeveloped.

The best part of the movie were the technological advancements in the way golf shots were visually portrayed. Uncharted ground was found via computerized camera angles that began down in the rough, or were viewed as the ball rocketed through the trees. At one point, the viewer even goes inside the ball -- Be the ball! -- to witness the vibrations of the rubber bands as they are struck and stretched to the max.

Which got me thinking: Why don’t the networks try this stuff when they’re at the Masters or U.S. Open? Then again, a golf-ball cam probably is years away.