Released originally in the U.K. under the title The Clicking of Cuthbert, Golf Without Tears is a collection of ten short stories narrated by the Oldest Member. Yet again, I was fortunate to lay my hands on an original 1924 first U.S. edition of the book from George H. Duran & Company, that I enjoyed with the appropriate mix of joy and reverence befitting the occasion.

Despite having read some of the stories in Fore!, a curated collection of golf stories, it was still fun to revisit Vincent Jopp in The Heel of Achilles, Mortimer Sturgis in A Mixed Threesome and its sequel, Sundered Hearts. I also discovered that Plum had subtly modified the stories to adapt them to the U.S. – for instance, Marvis Bay Golf and Country Club is Manhooset Golf and Country Club in Ordeal By Golf, Ralph Bingham & Arthur Jukes are Rollo Bingham & Otis Jukes, Majestic Hotel in Royal Square is Hotel Astor in Times Square in The Long Hole.

Perfectly enjoyable Wodehousian fun even for golf novices.