# A Mixed Threesome explained — Golf Stories

> Chapter companion for Golf Stories by P. G. Wodehouse.

## What happens

The Oldest Member tells the story of Mortimer Sturgis, a thirty-eight-year-old man who takes up golf for the first time and becomes utterly obsessed, neglecting his fiancée Betty Weston. Betty, who had been content with Mortimer, finds herself drawn to his best friend, the explorer Eddie Denton. The chapter follows Mortimer's rapid descent into golf mania and the emotional strain it places on his relationship with Betty.

## Themes in this chapter

### Obsession and Devotion

Mortimer Sturgis's sudden and all-consuming obsession with golf after his first lesson, leading to neglect of his personal relationships and a loss of proportion.

### Love and Marriage

The strain on Mortimer and Betty's engagement as his golf mania drives a wedge between them, and Betty's growing attraction to Eddie Denton.

### Humor and Absurdity

The comedic depiction of Mortimer's golf obsession, including his late-night phone calls about putting solutions and his collection of clubs and golf literature.

## Character check-ins

### Mortimer Sturgis

A carefree man of thirty-eight who takes up golf for the first time and becomes completely obsessed, neglecting his fiancée Betty.

### Betty Weston

Mortimer's fiancée, a vivid and ardent girl who finds herself drawn to Eddie Denton as Mortimer's golf obsession grows.

### Edgar Denton

Mortimer's best friend, an explorer just returned from Central Africa, who becomes a romantic interest for Betty.

### The Sage

The Oldest Member, who narrates the story of Mortimer Sturgis and reflects on the dangers of taking up golf late in life.

## Key lines

> Golf, like measles, should be caught young, for, if postponed to riper years, the results may be serious.

It's best to learn golf as a child; if you start later in life, the obsession can be overwhelming.

_The Oldest Member's opening reflection on the dangers of taking up golf late._

> Mortimer Sturgis gave himself up without a struggle to an orgy of golf such as I have never witnessed in any man.

Mortimer Sturgis completely surrendered to an intense binge of golf, unlike anything I've ever seen.

_Describes Mortimer's immediate and extreme immersion in golf._

> She, poor child, stared down the years into a bleak future, in which she saw herself parted forever from the man she loved, and the golf-widow of another for whom... she could feel nothing warmer than respect.

Betty foresaw a sad future where she would lose Mortimer to golf and be stuck with a man she only respected, not loved.

_Betty's despair as Mortimer's obsession alienates her._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/golf_stories_se/chapters/a-mixed-threesome
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/golf_stories_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/golf_stories_se/chapters