As Remembered By:  Irene Menghini

TAMS Secretary, 1967& 1968, Couples' Tournaments Initiator

As told to Nancy Hettich & Barbara Brueggeman and documented by Nancy Hettich, June 2011

In 1966 Irene and Jim moved into Tam O'Shanter from Longview, Washington, where they were avid, experienced golfers. They immediately jumped into all golf and social activities in their new community, quickly meeting other new residents.  In early days the women's handicaps were done by hand, a job Irene took on for several years.  It was a time-consuming task as there were many women golfers who turned out for Tuesday and Wednesday morning golf.

The Menghinis had greatly enjoyed two couples' tournaments in Longview and decided to introduce the formats to their new neighbors.  In 1969 “Couples Golf" was proposed to Pro Ted Wurtz, who was wary of the plan.  The format was "Scotch Ball," each twosome playing alternate shots using a single ball.  The first event was spouses playing together, but from then on names were drawn for partners, providing a great opportunity for new residents to make new friends on Sunday afternoons.  At the Longview club there had been many low-handicap female golfers, while at TOS most of the women golfers were beginners.  Ted had suspected the high-handicap women would be intimidated by playing with men other than their own husbands.  However, whether or not the women were intimidated, the Couples Golf events attracted full fields from the beginning.  Scores from each event were carried forward and male and female winners were honored at the end of each year.  These formats continued at TOS until the late 1970s.

The "Man-Tam" tournament was another event in which Menghinis had participated in Longview, where there had been exchanges with Vancouver, Olympia and Wenatchee clubs.  In 1970 the first Man-Tam was held at TOS, which consisted of two days of golf with spouses playing as partners, with dinner and dancing - all for $25 per couple.  As there was no restaurant service, each couple brought their own food to grill, along with side dishes and beverages.  For many years the Man-Tam was referred to as "Divorce Golf," with some resident lawyers offering to open booths on the course.

When the Men's Invitational tournament began, Irene was a volunteer scorekeeper.  For several years TOS women acted as scorekeepers for each foursome, help that lasted a very few years.  Irene recalls a situation in which the guest partner of the TOS member was seen by a scorekeeper to break off a tree twig that had interfered with his practice shot.  He played the hole, announcing a score not reflective of the penalty shot.  When told by the scorekeeper that he had to declare a two-shot penalty, he and his TOS partner denied the rule and refused.  Some holes later, the twosome approached her, saying they had decided to accept the penalty - which proved costly to them.  Without the penalty, the team would have reaped an additional $600 in winnings.

Irene acted as TAMS Secretary during 1967 and 1968 and has many wonderful memories of Tam O'Shanter life including participation with Jim in the first Couples' Bridge group, which began with fifteen-to-twenty couples meeting in members' homes.   Although Menghinis left TOS in 1994, Couples Golf and the Man-Tam tournament continues to remain a highlight of the Tam O'Shanter golf scene.