Manderville, a MN Golf Hall of Famer, was instrumental in desegregating Theodore Wirth Golf Club
Posted on 13 June, 2024On Thursday, June 13, Superintendent Al Bangoura, Martha Arradondo, and Shauntel Manderville gathered at the Eddie Manderville Chalet in Theodore Wirth Park with Manderville family and friends to dedicate new building signage and highlight Manderville’s legacy as an accomplished golfer and a champion of desegregation and teaching the sport to people of color.
Manderville’s legacy and achievements
For more than 60 years Eddie was affiliated with the Theodore Wirth Golf Club. He was instrumental in desegregating the Men’s Association at Theodore Wirth Golf Club after being denied access to the clubhouse and was credited with integrating the Theodore Wirth Golf Club at a time when Black golfers were precluded from membership at Twin Cities golf clubs.
One of the new interpretive pieces describes Edward “Fast Eddie” Manderville as a golf enthusiast and trailblazer who believed in the potential for golf to serve as a unifying force, transcending racial and societal barriers. He dedicated six decades to the game, became a golf legend in Minnesota and was recognized nationally. His legacy continues to inspire and guide efforts toward a more inclusive sporting world.
Manderville’s golf achievements included the 1983 MPGA Senior Public Links Championship, the 1986 U.S. Senior Open, and 1998 MGA Senior Tour. He had 11 holes-in-one, including back-to-back Aces at the 7th and 8th holes at the Wirth Par 3 Course in 2013. In May, Manderville was inducted into the Minnesota Golf Hall of Fame.
Renaming the Chalet, honoring a legacy
At the event, MPRB Superintendent Bangoura thanked Arradondo, the Manderville family and park board commissioners and acknowledged the importance of the building name. “It is important to recognize the significance of renaming this building the Eddie Manderville Chalet in Theodore Wirth Park, to know who he is and who he inspired. He proved things were possible and he opened doors for black and brown golfers,” said Bangoura.
Arradondo submitted nomination letters in 2021 to name The Chalet at Theodore Wirth Park after Eddie Manderville to honor his many contributions. Manderville was a longtime friend and golf mentor of Arradondo, and he helped Arradondo organize the Black Women on Course (BWOC) 13 years ago.
Arradondo championed the name change and in December 2023 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) commissioners unanimously approved the clubhouse name Eddie Manderville Chalet in Theodore Wirth Park.
Since then, park staff have been working with Arradondo, Manderville’s daughter Shauntel Manderville and writer Travis Lee on two interpretive interior framed displays that highlight the legacy of Eddie Manderville and other African Americans who have contributed to the game.
Shauntel Manderville expressed her family’s appreciation and honor that the chalet is named after their father. “My dad was dedicated to golf and to the community. Theodore Wirth Golf Course was a special place for him, and he worked hard at what he did and for what he believed in. It’s an honor for me and my family that the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is acknowledging him in this way,” said Manderville.
Arradondo shared how Manderville is a legend in his Northside community and in the local and national golf community for his role in integrating the sport and his contributions at the Wirth golf course. She expressed her admiration for Manderville’s passion for the sport and the influence he had when teaching or playing the game. “Eddie’s love for golf was infectious no matter your age, or skill level. He always made the game fun and easy,” said Arradondo.
New interpretive displays and signage
In addition to the interior displays, the Eddie Manderville Chalet at Theodore Wirth Park features an engraved cast plaque at the building entrance and the roadside entrance sign has been updated with the new name.
The second new interpretive piece inside the chalet highlights that African Americans have participated in the sport of golf and made significant contributions since the late 1800s. From the invention of the golf tee to breaking barriers in competitions and designing and opening golf course to being national golf legends, African Americans have broken records, shattered stereotypes, and opened doors for future generations.