Mahjong in Bermuda Run: Building Friendships One Tile at a Time
f you stop by Mulligans at Bermuda Run West on a Monday or Friday afternoon, you might hear the cheerful clatter of tiles, laughter, and friendly chatter filling the room. That sound belongs to a group of women who have turned a timeless game into a cherished community tradition.
Mahjong, a game with roots that stretch back centuries, has found a special home here in Bermuda Run thanks to the passion and persistence of two remarkable women, Michelle Jones and Phoebe Parker.
Michelle’s story begins with a simple post on Nextdoor that sparked a movement, while Phoebe’s journey traces back to California, where she first fell in love with the game’s charm and complexity. Together, their shared enthusiasm has helped connect players from across the area, creating a space where friendships flourish, laughter flows, and minds stay sharp.
Here are their stories, in their own words, two women who have helped turn a simple game into something much more meaningful.
Michelle Jones
My husband and I relocated back to Winston Salem in October 2020, we were thrilled to be back home. We left in 2003 when our oldest daughter Jenny was starting her senior year at UNCW, our youngest daughter Emily was off to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York, my husband had retired, and I closed my gift shop. We first moved to Charleston, South Carolina and then five years later moved to Florida.
I am an avid tennis player and while we were in Florida I played USTA tennis and strangely enough through tennis is where I learned to play mahjong. My tennis team was a fun group of ladies that played tennis and mahjong and I instantly fell in love with it. Mahjong was more than just a pastime, it was a wonderful way to have fun, challenge the mind, and most importantly, connect with others.
When we settled back in Winston Salem, I missed that sense of camaraderie. So, in early 2021, I decided to take a chance. I posted on Nextdoor asking if anyone might be interested in playing mahjong. Honestly, I did not think I would get a response since I knew no one in Bermuda Run that played, but to my delight, eight people replied.
We met for the first time at Maddie Cakes, and that gathering marked the beginning of what would become the Friday Mahjong Group. We played at my house for the first time and then at other players homes, but as our numbers grew, we moved to larger spaces, first Oak Valley, then Mulligans at Bermuda Run West, where the group still meets every Friday.
Not long after, one of our members, Phoebe Parker then, started a Monday group to accommodate even more players. Since I often played tennis on Fridays, I reached out to Phoebe and now play on Mondays.
For those unfamiliar, mahjong is a bit like playing cards but with tiles. Each player builds hands based on combinations listed on a special card issued annually by the National Mahjong League, now in its eighty eighth year. The game features three suits, Bams, Cracks, and Dots, along with Flowers, Dragons, and Jokers. It is so much fun.
What started as a simple post on Nextdoor has turned into something truly special, a vibrant community of friends who gather weekly to laugh, learn, and play. In many ways, mahjong has brought us all a little closer, one tile at a time.
I am an avid tennis player and while we were in Florida I played USTA tennis and strangely enough through tennis is where I learned to play mahjong. My tennis team was a fun group of ladies that played tennis and mahjong and I instantly fell in love with it. Mahjong was more than just a pastime, it was a wonderful way to have fun, challenge the mind, and most importantly, connect with others.
When we settled back in Winston Salem, I missed that sense of camaraderie. So, in early 2021, I decided to take a chance. I posted on Nextdoor asking if anyone might be interested in playing mahjong. Honestly, I did not think I would get a response since I knew no one in Bermuda Run that played, but to my delight, eight people replied.
We met for the first time at Maddie Cakes, and that gathering marked the beginning of what would become the Friday Mahjong Group. We played at my house for the first time and then at other players homes, but as our numbers grew, we moved to larger spaces, first Oak Valley, then Mulligans at Bermuda Run West, where the group still meets every Friday.
Not long after, one of our members, Phoebe Parker then, started a Monday group to accommodate even more players. Since I often played tennis on Fridays, I reached out to Phoebe and now play on Mondays.
For those unfamiliar, mahjong is a bit like playing cards but with tiles. Each player builds hands based on combinations listed on a special card issued annually by the National Mahjong League, now in its eighty eighth year. The game features three suits, Bams, Cracks, and Dots, along with Flowers, Dragons, and Jokers. It is so much fun.
What started as a simple post on Nextdoor has turned into something truly special, a vibrant community of friends who gather weekly to laugh, learn, and play. In many ways, mahjong has brought us all a little closer, one tile at a time.
Phoebe Parker
When I moved from Los Angeles to the Santa Ynez Valley outside of Santa Barbara, California in 2002 I joined a Ladies Hiking Club that had a membership of over fifty marvelous women. Several of these ladies played a game called Mah Jong. “What is that,” I asked. I saw and was absolutely enchanted with the history and nuances of the game.
I found two other hikers that were interested in learning, and a member of my Ladies Auxiliary Group supporting Solvang Friendship House, a facility that provides care for Dementia and Alzheimer’s folks. I had an instructor waiting for me to build a new group of ardent players. As with many groups we started playing in each other’s homes on a weekly basis. My goal was to create enough players to join Game Day for Friendship House, a fundraiser that was currently comprised of bridge players. As our group grew, arrangements were made to host this weekly event at a clubhouse of the local Mobile Home Park. The bridge players on one side of the room and MJ players on the other (MJ players make noise with their tiles). It was a grand success and everyone loved it. We celebrated holidays, birthdays, and anything else that came to mind.
Fast forward to 2020. As for all of us, life changes. Covid had reared its ugly head and so many wonderful social events in our lives disappeared. I made the decision to leave California and move to Michigan where I had family when a dear friend said, “Why don’t you come visit North Carolina and take a look around down here and our winters are mild.” I did and the rest is history. I moved in the spring of 2021.
My friend hosted lunch for me to meet some of the neighbors, and I met a lady who introduced me to a Mah Jong group. When one of the players passed away it left only three of us and we played at Mulligans which gave us visibility and generated interest in others about the game. I was more than willing to spend time teaching anyone who expressed interest. About the same time I heard that there was a group playing on Fridays so I stopped in one day and introduced myself. It just so happened they were short a player that day and being a true MJ player, I had my card in the car. Again, the rest is history.
Speaking of my card, American Mah Jong is different from that played in other parts of the world. America has an official Mah Jong League Organization located in New York. They established and are there to clarify the Rules of Play. In April of each year a new card is issued that reflects legal hands to play. There are fifty five different combinations that create hands and variations of some of those hands. Think about that, every year every player must adjust mentally to a whole new set of legitimate hands they can play. Mental acuity, it is the ultimate test. We learn them, and when we have them set in our minds, they change. It is a marvelous challenge and we all look forward to seeing what is next.
Our groups are made up of women of different ages, who live in different areas in and around Bermuda Run and come from states across the United States. Single, married. Children, grandchildren, great grandchildren. None of us are strangers for long and yes, we do try to solve the problems of the world. We laugh at ourselves when we make silly decisions as we play but there is always the next game. You do not have a partner in MJ; you play for yourself. Normal play lasts two to three hours and you often play with different people each week. As ladies come in, they sit at an available seat. Play requires concentration but at the same time is relaxing and fun with conversations finding their way in between.
Mulligans is the optimum place for play. Everything we want is there. Tables, drinks, food, and restroom facilities. Weather permitting, we can play outside on the deck. Parking is convenient.
I think if you queried players about playing Mah Jong, some would tell you they are addicted to the game, they love the challenge and the comradeship, knowing that they have a day to spend time with friends. I personally feel it is an honorable and genteel game where each player is respectful of others. Errors in play are not made an issue because we all make them. There has always been an unspoken rule of civility.
I found two other hikers that were interested in learning, and a member of my Ladies Auxiliary Group supporting Solvang Friendship House, a facility that provides care for Dementia and Alzheimer’s folks. I had an instructor waiting for me to build a new group of ardent players. As with many groups we started playing in each other’s homes on a weekly basis. My goal was to create enough players to join Game Day for Friendship House, a fundraiser that was currently comprised of bridge players. As our group grew, arrangements were made to host this weekly event at a clubhouse of the local Mobile Home Park. The bridge players on one side of the room and MJ players on the other (MJ players make noise with their tiles). It was a grand success and everyone loved it. We celebrated holidays, birthdays, and anything else that came to mind.
Fast forward to 2020. As for all of us, life changes. Covid had reared its ugly head and so many wonderful social events in our lives disappeared. I made the decision to leave California and move to Michigan where I had family when a dear friend said, “Why don’t you come visit North Carolina and take a look around down here and our winters are mild.” I did and the rest is history. I moved in the spring of 2021.
My friend hosted lunch for me to meet some of the neighbors, and I met a lady who introduced me to a Mah Jong group. When one of the players passed away it left only three of us and we played at Mulligans which gave us visibility and generated interest in others about the game. I was more than willing to spend time teaching anyone who expressed interest. About the same time I heard that there was a group playing on Fridays so I stopped in one day and introduced myself. It just so happened they were short a player that day and being a true MJ player, I had my card in the car. Again, the rest is history.
Speaking of my card, American Mah Jong is different from that played in other parts of the world. America has an official Mah Jong League Organization located in New York. They established and are there to clarify the Rules of Play. In April of each year a new card is issued that reflects legal hands to play. There are fifty five different combinations that create hands and variations of some of those hands. Think about that, every year every player must adjust mentally to a whole new set of legitimate hands they can play. Mental acuity, it is the ultimate test. We learn them, and when we have them set in our minds, they change. It is a marvelous challenge and we all look forward to seeing what is next.
Our groups are made up of women of different ages, who live in different areas in and around Bermuda Run and come from states across the United States. Single, married. Children, grandchildren, great grandchildren. None of us are strangers for long and yes, we do try to solve the problems of the world. We laugh at ourselves when we make silly decisions as we play but there is always the next game. You do not have a partner in MJ; you play for yourself. Normal play lasts two to three hours and you often play with different people each week. As ladies come in, they sit at an available seat. Play requires concentration but at the same time is relaxing and fun with conversations finding their way in between.
Mulligans is the optimum place for play. Everything we want is there. Tables, drinks, food, and restroom facilities. Weather permitting, we can play outside on the deck. Parking is convenient.
I think if you queried players about playing Mah Jong, some would tell you they are addicted to the game, they love the challenge and the comradeship, knowing that they have a day to spend time with friends. I personally feel it is an honorable and genteel game where each player is respectful of others. Errors in play are not made an issue because we all make them. There has always been an unspoken rule of civility.