The Heart of a Goof

The original story titles and publication dates were as follows: The Oldest Member tells a young man at the club that a "goof" is someone who is unskilled at golf and becomes overly dejected because of this.

The Oldest Member sees Ferdinand talking to Barbara Medway, who is about to leave for the summer to Marvis Bay.

At Marvis Bay, Ferdinand is amazed by his success against the other golfers, including the lawyer Mr Tuttle, Barbara's uncle.

Mr Tuttle employs a young man and relatively skilled golfer named George Parsloe, whom he invites to Marvis Bay to beat and humble Ferdinand.

A young man tells the Oldest Member that two rich golfers at the club wagered money on who would win their match.

At his home in Goldenville, Long Island, his English butler Blizzard informs him that Gladstone Bott, another American millionaire, wants to speak with him on the telephone.

While a young man at the club must wait for his wife while she telephones her dress-maker, the Oldest Member tells him another story about American millionaire Bradbury Fisher.

Bradbury employs a dignified English butler named Hildebrand Vosper, who previously worked in the prestigious household of a duke.

However, Bradbury becomes nervous when he learns that his wife's disapproving mother, Mrs Lora Smith Maplebury, is coming.

Bradbury claims he saw a football game, but Mrs Fisher knows this is a lie, having read that the stadium inauguration was postponed.

Chester complains to the Oldest Member about The Wrecking Crew, a slow foursome that don't let other golfers pass them.

The Oldest Member suggests that Chester pretend he was good friends with Crispin, who is away in India, to make Felicia like him.

A member of the Wrecking Crew called the First Grave-Digger hits his ball while Chester is bending to make a shot.

The Oldest Member remarks that someone can become arrogant if they become good at golf too quickly, and tells the related story of Wallace Chesney.

During the club's July competition, many spectators watch as Wallace plays a match against Peter Willard, an untalented but amiable player.

Her opinion of him improves after he smokes a pipe, in an attempt to get better at golf by imitating Ted Ray, though this alarms his mother.

Jane Packard and William Bates are not officially engaged, but they grew up together and there is a sort of understanding between them that they will get married someday.

At the course, The Oldest Member sees Jane with a romantic-looking young man named Rodney Spelvin who has come to stay for a while at a house nearby.

Later, the Oldest Member warns William that Jane is romantic and may be drawn away by a fascinating stranger like Rodney.

Standing on the boat, Jane tries to hit the drifting ball, sending water spraying over Rodney, irritating him.

The Oldest Member is inspired by white violets in the club secretary's buttonhole to tell another story about William, Jane, and Rodney.

She sees little Braid Vardon holding William's spare mashie incorrectly and realizes that she has been neglecting her son's golf education.

A female neighbour mentions to Jane that Rodney tells every girl he meets that they are the model for his novel's heroine.

Jane invited William's sister Anastatia, an expert golfer and talented teacher, to visit and help teach their son golf.

After seeing a film in which the heroine goes at night to the apartments of a libertine to beg him to spare her sister, Jane plans to secretly go to Rodney and tell him to leave Anastatia alone.

[4] In The Saturday Evening Post (US), May Wilson Preston illustrated "High Stakes" and "The Purification of Rodney Spelvin".

[6] In Red Book, Gustavus C. Widney illustrated "The Heaart of a Goof", "The Plus Fours", and "The Awakening of Rollo Podmarsh".

[10] "High Stakes" and "The Awakening of Rollo Podmarsh" were included in The Most of P. G. Wodehouse, a collection published in 1960 by Simon and Schuster, New York.

[12] "The Heart of a Goof", "High Stakes", "Chester Forgets Himself", "The Awakening of Rollo Podmarsh", and "Rodney Fails to Qualify" were featured in Fore!, a 1983 collection of Wodehouse's golf stories edited by D. R.

The radio series included "The Heart of a Goof", "Chester Forgets Himself", "The Magic Plus Fours", "The Awakening of Rollo Podmarsh", "Rodney Fails to Qualify", and "Jane Goes Off the Fairway".