A Funny Thing Happened on My Way to Golden Girls

In September 1990, Elma Roane drove to my house in Stonebridge, and we enjoyed a breakfast on the screened porch with my husband, Charlie. We left for Maryville, Green Meadow Country Club, to play in the Senior Women’s Amateur Tournament. This would be my first Senior Tournament—my 50th birthday occurred the previous July.

During this trip Tennessee Golden Girls Golf Group was born, though it had no name. Elma and I had plenty of time to talk out the details. She had had this idea and wanted to know what I thought. By the time we got back to Memphis, she had a good idea of how she wanted to proceed. She held a meeting in Nashville of girls from all over the state.

All of this came to fruition in October 1991, when the first Golden Girls Tournament was held.

I wanted to put in writing some of my memories of the 25 years that I have been a member of Golden Girls. They are all jumbled up, so I have decided to just write down things as I think of them and not worry about order.

• • I remember the year that there was a fire drill late at night. Everyone had to gather out in front of the Inn in various stages of undress. Turns out it was a malfunction of the alarm system, not a fire. Of course, I got blamed for calling a meeting at that late hour.
  • In the first couple of years, the Monday night party was held in Elma’s room. Since it was my room also, I had nowhere else to go to work on the scorecards. The cards were written out and the holes were dotted for handicaps by hand those first years. I remember the first year, there were 44 ladies drinking and having a good time, except me. I had some changes to go over on the cards, and I was trying to make new scorecards for those teams. However, all in all, it was lots of fun. I still see myself sitting on my bed with knees up, trying to write so someone could read the cards. (If you have seen my handwriting, you would understand.) Oh…the dots were in red. I also made two sets, so that meant, if changes had to be made…yep, two sets.
  • We stayed in hotels at the 172 exit of I-40 for the first seven or eight years and had to drive to the course each morning. This was hard on fellowship, but we made it happen. We had no idea just how convenient it would be once the Inn at Montgomery Bell State Park was refurbished. As our group got larger, we held our Monday night meeting at the VFW Hall instead of a hotel room. One year, Teal Saino thought she could jump up on the stage, but as she tried, she fell back and broke her arm. It slowed her down some, but she was back at Golden Girls the next year!
  • Joanne Spain wrote and arranged much of the music that we sing. She had such a good touch on the guitar and kept us all in tune (no small feat). The Colonial girls usually sang some of Joanne’s songs for part of the entertainment. Sometime later, Pat Mitchell put all the words in a songbook for us, and we still use these books. I keep thinking that Joanne will one day come down from Heaven and play the guitar for us, but it hasn’t happened yet. The words to her song “Wherever You Are” appear in the history book that you have all been given a copy.
  • I am told that one morning at the Waffle House, there were a lot of us trying to get breakfast and not be late for our tee times. The Waffle House was very crowded, and there were a few guys waiting in line for their breakfast. One said to the other, “What are all these women doing here?” The other replied, “I don’t know, but it sure ain’t no beauty contest.” Same to you, Mr. Redneck!
  • Elma and I played a lot of golf together. One tournament was partner best ball, gross and net. Our opponents were Kitty and Bee. Bee must have been older than 80 at the time. On Hole 15, we were walking to our balls because the fairways had been aerated and it was cart-path-only. Bee was dragging her three wood and just barely making her way. Kitty had hit a bad drive, so she said, “Play hard, Bee.” And Bee replied as she looked at Elma and me, “What does she think I have been doing all day?”
  • One morning when announcements were being made, a lady asked, “Do you have to count the stroke if your ball is within the Golden Girls mark on my putter?” She later told me that there was a gal on her team who thought that gimmee meant gimmee. You really have to be specific.

• To show you how we grew those first few years: There were 44 members (11 teams) the first year. After five years, there were 31 members who received five-year pins. In 1996, 31 more players received five-year pins (total 62 in six years). In 1997, 26 more five-year pins were distributed (total 88 in seven years). At this point, 16 members had played all seven years.
• Oh, yes, 1998. That was the year! The Tennessee Volunteers won the NCAA National Championship in football, The Lady Vols won the NCAA National Championship in basketball and…Judye James’ team won The Tennessee Golden Girls Golf Tournament. I am afraid I must add an asterisk to this win. Our team was first after the first day.
• My team consisted of three 80 year olds and me. The C player, Ida Lee Holman, and D player, Sarah Wilhite, kept parring the par 3s with two strokes. The B player was Sidney Toddy, who had had both hips replaced. Rain was predicted for the next day. My team met and did our best rendition of a rain dance. The next morning, it was raining! Elma let the players vote whether they wanted to play in the rain. You know there were four no votes for sure. That’s okay. I still have the winner’s plaque on my wall.
• There have been two “Holes-in-One” that I remember—Joan Williams had one in 1994, and Donna Wathen had one in 1998. You girls can keep trying. We still have awards for this.
• In 1999, there was a “hot dogs and cokes” award for the team with the highest score. I will not name names, but I am sure those ladies remember. We did away with that award. It was not popular.

• 

  We have had many really great entertainers. Minnie Pearl came once—well a local lady who did a great impression of Minnie Pearl came—and she kept us in stitches. The Gallatin girls brought “Sister Act” to the Golden Girls and lip synced several songs from the movie. Another year the Gallatin girls dressed as golf balls. It was hilarious. When I showed my grandson, Charlie, the pictures, he said, “Look, Mawsy, those ladies ate a bunch of golf balls.” Out of the mouths of babes.

• In 2006, a younger group from Gallatin made us laugh until our stomachs hurt. They sang and danced in their bikinis (I use the word loosely). Mighty fine entertainment.
• From the beginning of the tournament, we played a two best ball format. In 2003, we altered the format to read: “Everyone hits a tee shot and goes to the best ball. Everyone plays their own ball from there. Each person’s drive is used once on each side.”
• In 2016 we altered the format again to say that “everyone’s drive must be used twice, on any of the 18 holes.” Golden Girls has tried to accommodate all who want to play, and this change helps everyone.
• Some of you may know Felicia Bone. If you don’t remember her name, you might remember that she always brought her team a Ziploc full of her specially made “dill snacks” on both days.
• You may have seen the golf quilt that hangs at the entry to the Inn. Mary Gunn either made this quilt or had it made, which is kinda the logo for Golden Girls. Patsy Houghton is now updating it every year.

The credit for our organization goes to the membership. Yes, there are a few of us who got it off the ground, but it would not have survived had it not been for all the ladies who have played through the years. Everyone has always been eager and willing to volunteer their time and talents to help.

There was a time when we had as many as 300 members. There was a time when people would run to the downtown post office at one minute after midnight to get their entry postmarked on the day that they were eligible to mail theirs in. We have played as many as 140 ladies, and participation is based on first-come, first-play.

There have been many people who work for the Inn who have helped us and made our jobs easier. I’ll bet they don’t let other groups get away with some of the things we do! Elma worked with them first and got the groundwork all set. Since then, it has just been to revise and accept changes as they happened.

Epilogue

I am sure there are many amusing stories that I have forgotten. What stays in their place are the wonderful feelings I get when I think of Golden Girls. Stepping down as president does not change that. You don’t do something you love for 25 years and not have it make a special place in your heart. I will always remember all of you, and that includes all the gals who have played through the years. I may not be able to put all names with faces, but I know you. Considering it took three years for Elma to talk me into taking this job, I didn’t think I wanted to be bossing little old ladies around. After about the second year, I found that I liked it!

I want to thank all the girls who have volunteered to serve in any capacity. Some not even holding office, just asking for something that they could do. Things change—things have to change. It has taken me three years (note to how many years it took Elma to get me to run) to adjust to the fact that I won’t be president of Golden Girls any more.

Thanks to all of you for supporting me, listening to me (sometimes), and helping me. I wish all of you the best of everything.

You have my phone number and email address, so let me hear from you. If you go through Rocky Top, give me a ring.

You are the best!

Judye James