Jack Kelly, an affable young clerk at David Waters' New York shipping company, is so obsessed with golf that he frequently misses work to spend more time on the links. When Jack's elderly father, Pa Kelly, who is a laborer at the company, is fired by Waters for breaking a container, an angry Jack decides to quit, but before he leaves, uses his excellent golf swing to lob a ball through a small glass window. Instead of being angry, Waters, a poor player who dreams of being a champion and is as obsessed with the game as Jack, is so amazed by his superior skills, that he asks for his help to improve his swing. Jack complies, thus securing his and Pa's jobs, and soon is tutoring Waters two mornings a week. A short time later, the grateful Waters invites Jack to accompany him to the exclusive Oakmont Country Club for a two week vacation, which concerns Pa, who worries that Jack's head will be turned by his new surroundings, and the expensive clothes that Waters has purchased for him. At the country club, Jack is immediately smitten by fellow guest Allie Monte. Posing as Waters' nephew, Jack quickly impresses everyone with his superior golfing skills, including Allie, who loves golf and envies Jack's "spoon," his favorite club. Jack's skills, both on the course and with the female guests, incur the jealousy of the snooty Eustace Tewksbury and course champion Harry Johnson, who hope to put Jack in his place in an upcoming tournament. With the aid of his spoon, Jack wins the nine-hole tournament, then annoys Eustace and Harry even more when he goes on to finish the final nine holes and breaks the course record. During a party in celebration of the tournament, Jack is horrified when Pa arrives to take him home because it is the final day of his vacation. Jack hurts his father by refusing to return home with him and insisting that he wants to keep his new life by marrying a wealthy woman. Pa tries to tell Jack that he would regret marrying a woman he did not love, but Jack refuses to listen to him. His words also concern Waters, who advises Pa to return home. Later that night, when Jack goes to Allie's room to ask her to marry him, she reveals that her father has lost all his money and that she must marry Harry, who is wealthy. At a house party the next day, realizing that he truly loves Allie and cannot stand the thought of her marrying someone else, Jack lies that he is richer than Harry and convinces her to marry him. After they elope and check into another expensive hotel, Jack agonizes over the price of their room but continues to go along with Allie’s talk about where they will travel and what they will buy. After Allie shyly undresses in the dark and gets into bed, Jack is so ashamed of his lies that he finally admits to her that he is poor and that Waters is not his uncle but his boss. After they argue over his lies, Jack leaves, promising to make money for her, then has his most prized possession delivered to her, his spoon. Moments later, when Harry and Waters arrive at the hotel room, Allie, who lied about being penniless and is Waters’ niece, refuses to obtain an annulment because Jack did not marry her for her money and truly loves her. Some time later, Jack, who has become a professional golfer, is vying to win a $10,000 prize in an upstate tournament. On the final hole, as he is attempting a difficult shot to get onto the green, Allie has his spoon delivered to him, enabling him to win the tournament and a reconciliation kiss from her. As Waters cheers on the sidelines, telling people Jack is his nephew, Pa reminds him that Jack is his son.