Augusta National Tears Down its Sex Barrier! Will Men at Lingerie Parties be Next?

First a Monkees reunion. Then Paul Ryan says he likes Rage Against the Machine.

Now comes The Most Startling News of of the past month: The Good Ol’ Boys Golf Club of All-Time – Augusta National, in Georgia – has just announced that it will overturn its lifelong ban on women members.

Somewhere out there, pigs are flying.

Augusta National (which opened in 1932) has approximately 300 members – until 1990 all were white, almost-all overweight, but always-always-all men.  Until today.

Shrugging off scathing criticism year after year after year, Augusta – home of the Masters Tournament – finally saw the light (or caved in to pressure?) and will now accept female members for the first time in its history.

The club has just invited former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore (formerly the highest-paid woman in banking) to become the first female members, and both accepted.  The reaction was swift and (at least publicly) universally positive:

Augusta National chairman Billy Payne, in a statement:  ”This is a joyous occasion. These accomplished women share our passion for the game of golf and both are well known and respected by our membership. It will be a proud moment when we present Condoleezza and Darla their green jackets when the club opens this fall.”

Former head National Organization of Women, Martha Burk: ”Oh my God. We won.  It’s about 10 years too late for the boys to come into the 20th century, never mind the 21st century. But it’s a milestone for women in business.”

Tiger Woods:  ”The decision by the Augusta National membership is important to golf. The Club continues to demonstrate its commitment to impacting the game in positive ways.  I would like to congratulate both new members, especially my friend Condi Rice.”

3-time Masters champion Gary Player, via twitter: “Great news.  Augusta National admits its first female members in 80 years: Condoleezza Rice Darla Moore.”

P.G.A. Commissioner Tim Finchem: ”At a time when women represent one of the fastest growing segments in both playing and following the game of golf, this sends a positive and inclusive message for our sport.”

Condaleezza Rice: ”I have long admired the important role Augusta National has played in the traditions and history of golf.”

Darla Moore:  ”I am fortunate to have many friends who are members at Augusta National, so to be asked to join them as a member represents a very happy and important occasion in my life.

The issue of female membership has been hotly-debated for decades, most recently this Masters’ year when Virginia Rometty became CEO of IBM, one of the Masters’ corporate sponsors.  But once again the issue came and went, while supporters of the ban on women continued to cite the legal right of private organizations to choose their own members – just like the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, private religious schools, fraternities, sororities and the Black Muslims.

One would suspect that (privately at least) there are many men – and not only Masters members – who are extremely unhappy with this development, seeing this as a breach of one the last private places for men to hang out together without women.  Perhaps they will now crash a few lingerie home-parties.

Read our recent Both Sides Now article in which we have a bit of fun with the debate:

Banning Women from Golf Clubs? Yeah it’s Still an Issue.  Pro vs Con

Comment Below

Share and Enjoy