The Golf Omnibus

As someone who's idea of a good day at golf is riding around in the cart with beer and nachos, I wondered if this particular PGW collection would hold my interest. But the golf stories rank among his very best, even for someone who doesn't know a bogie from a birdie. "The Coming of Gowf," "The Purification of Rodney Spelvin," and most others in this volume fall in the stack I read over and over. Ranging more widely, I find this applies to every sport Plum takes a pen to, from Rugger to Cricket. Another subject he has a sixth sense for is animals. I avoided for a long time the PGW Bestiary, but if the stories of Geofrey the cat (sp.?) or Ukridge and the dogs, or the cats re: Claude and Eustace's initiation, or for that matter, the ubiquitous broken-down steeds that broke gents with sporting blood are always putting a spot on--if these were the only stories Wodehouse ever wrote, those fortunate enough to find them would still be devouring the full repertoire. Fortunately, there seems to be a PGW renaissance, with everything being reprinted (such as this omnibus). So now my "best stories list" runs: Jeeves, Drones, Mulliner, animals, golf, but the list reads just as well from the bottom up.

Wodehouse loved the game, and it shows in his writing. While golfers with a sense of tradition will appreciate many of the sometimes-obscure references, one need not be a golfer to appreciate the elegance of these short stories. The Egnlish language is beautifully used here. I take this down every few years and read the stories as if for the first time. If these don't make you laugh, you've got a serious problem

As a lover of golf and a professional writer, I recommend this book to anyone, especially those who love the game.Forget that every plot is identical. Wodehouse's genius is in his phrasing, his irony and his outrageousness. He is a master of caricature and timing.Wait for that day of rain or snow, curl up by the window and lose yourself in the dreamy fantasy world of golf. You will simply laugh out loud.

Wow - This guy is a very concise and accurate writer. I was literally laughing as I read it and for several days afterward.It is a solid read with much punch to it.

If on the links you would deride a driving nor'easter as "Scots mist," if you admire beaus who embrace their girls with the interlocking grip, if you would chip into a rowboat and row across the bay to save a few strokes on "The Longest Hole," if you think "Those in Peril on the Tee" is a wonderful story title, if you love stalwart heroes wielding mashie niblicks and cleeks and who can't abide tennis players, if you want to know the origin of many golf expressions, including "The Pro" or want to know how best to rhyme "putter" in a paean to the king (see "The Coming of Gowf"), if you think a best ball match would be an efficient way to sort out star-crossed lovers, get this book! All these are memories from when I read it 20 years ago. Thank heaven Wodehouse lived to be 95 and write so many classic stories and books!