The Clicking of Cuthbert
The Clicking of Cuthbert is a short book by P. G. Wodehouse that collects ten funny golf-themed stories. It first appeared in the United Kingdom in 1922 as The Clicking of Cuthbert and, in the United States in 1924, under the title Golf Without Tears. The stories were originally published between 1919 and 1922 in magazines.
Most of the stories are told by the Oldest Member, a familiar Wodehouse golf character, who serves as the narrator. In the UK editions the tales are usually set in England, while the US editions place them in America. The stories mix golf with romance, social humor, and light satire, showing how golf brings out people’s better and sillier sides.
The book contains a variety of plots, all centered on golf and how it affects friendships, loves, and pride. Characters include ambitious or ordinary lovers, boastful players, difficult golfers, and witty writers, all getting into amusing situations on and off the course. The old club world—its clubs, rules, rivalries, and quirks—provides the backdrop for misunderstandings, clever schemes, and happy or funny endings.
Two things stay constant: golf matters a lot to the people in these stories, and the Oldest Member often uses a tale about another golfer to teach a humorous lesson. The collection shows Wodehouse’s talent for blending sport, romance, and social satire into light, easy-to-read humor.
The Clicking of Cuthbert has appeared in many formats and editions over the years. The UK Strand Magazine and US magazines published illustrations for several stories, and the book has been reprinted in numerous anthologies and collections of Wodehouse’s golf stories. In 1924, three stories from the collection were filmed as part of a series titled The Clicking of Cuthbert, with Peter Hoddon in the title role. A radio series later adapted some of the Oldest Member tales, and the stories continue to influence golf-themed humor, including later stage and book adaptations.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 15:56 (CET).