# William Bates — Golf Stories character guide

> William Bates in Golf Stories by P. G. Wodehouse.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** William, young Bates, Bates, wretched William Bates

**First appearance:** 0000-archibald-s-benefit

## Snapshot

A young golfer whose game and romantic prospects are so tangled that the Oldest Member must untie them with a story.

## Who they are

William Bates belongs to the restless younger generation of the club, the sort of anxious player whose handicap and love life rise and fall together. His particular trouble is the suspicion that his golf is being watched and judged by someone whose good opinion he cannot afford to lose, which turns every round into a quiet ordeal. He matters because his predicament gives the Oldest Member a fresh excuse to spin one of his cautionary tales about the game's cruel sense of humour.

## Relationships

### [Jane Packard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/golf_stories_se/characters/jane_packard)

_rivalry_

Jane and William are bitter rivals, likely competing for status, love, or power within the golfing social circle.

### [Rodney Fails](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/golf_stories_se/characters/rodney_fails)

_rivalry_

Rodney and William are intense rivals, possibly competing for Jane Packard's affection or for dominance in the golfing community.

### [Jane Packard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/golf_stories_se/characters/jane_packard)

_rivalry_

Jane and William are bitter rivals, likely competing for status, love, or power within the golfing social circle.

### [Jane Packard](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/golf_stories_se/characters/jane_packard)

_rivalry_

Jane and William are bitter rivals, likely competing for status, love, or power within the golfing social circle.

### [Rodney Fails](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/golf_stories_se/characters/rodney_fails)

_rivalry_

Rodney and William are intense rivals, possibly competing for Jane Packard's affection or for dominance in the golfing community.

### [Rodney Fails](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/golf_stories_se/characters/rodney_fails)

_rivalry_

Rodney and William are intense rivals, possibly competing for Jane Packard's affection or for dominance in the golfing community.

## In the story

### [Rodney Fails to Qualify](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/golf_stories_se/chapters/rodney-fails-to-qualify)

A supportive golfer who encourages Jane; his presence steadies her more than Rodney's.

### [Jane Gets Off the Fairway](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/golf_stories_se/chapters/jane-gets-off-the-fairway)

William surprises Jane with a trip to a golf course for their anniversary, but a miscommunication causes Jane to think he has left her.

### [The Purification of Rodney Spelvin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/golf_stories_se/chapters/the-purification-of-rodney-spelvin)

Jane's husband, a golfer who joins the scheme to confront Rodney Spelvin, but ends up misunderstanding the situation.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/golf_stories_se/characters/william_bates
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/golf_stories_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/golf_stories_se/characters