Augusta National welcomes first female members

[LarryN]

With Condolezza, they get a two-fer:

Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Golf Tournament, has invited Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore to join the club in green jackets this October.

This historic change comes on the heels of controversy at Masters 2012, where IBM CEO Virginia Rometty was not offered membership to the club, despite all four of IBM's previous (male) heads being welcomed in. At the tournament, Rometty wore a pink jacket.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jtes/two-wom...tional-golf-cl

[Norman]

With Condolezza, they get a two-fer:



http://www.buzzfeed.com/jtes/two-wom...tional-golf-cl

Or perhaps a three-fer.

[Eastside Terp]

Or perhaps a three-fer.

now, now .......

Good for Condi .......

[regularguy]

I wonder if Rice even wants to be a member. She lives in California, and the cost of being of member of Augusta is probably pricey.

She's a classy person, and I would expect her to tell those rich redneck bigots what they can do with their tokenism.

[Eastside Terp]

I wonder if Rice even wants to be a member. She lives in California, and the cost of being of member of Augusta is probably pricey.

She's a classy person, and I would expect her to tell those rich redneck bigots what they can do with their tokenism.

very few members are locals ......

not certain how it works there but do know some other prestigious clubs that vary their membership cost based on where you live .......

according to wiki, its really doesn't cost all that much to belong there (relatively speaking).....

I guess the millions they get from the Masters helps cover expenses ......

Augusta National Golf Club has about 300 members at any given time. Membership is strictly by invitation; there is no application process. In 2004, USA Today published a list of all the current members. Membership is believed to cost between $10,000 and $30,000 and annual dues were estimated in 2009 to be less than $10,000 per year.

[Smokey 1]

I wonder if Rice even wants to be a member. She lives in California, and the cost of being of member of Augusta is probably pricey.

She's a classy person, and I would expect her to tell those rich redneck bigots what they can do with their tokenism.

Oh, I see. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. And all seasoned with a little or your own bigotry complete with racial slurs and insults. Typical of your ilk.

[regularguy]

Oh, I see. Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

I don't follow you. Private clubs can discriminate if they wish. But why would any self-respecting woman want to be a member of a club that has made it crystal clear over the years that they don't want women members?

And all seasoned with a little or your own bigotry complete with racial slurs and insults. Typical of your ilk.

Calling someone a redneck is now considered a "racist slur"? There goes Jeff Foxworthy's whole comedy act.

[jonsensback]

I don't follow you. Private clubs can discriminate if they wish. But why would any self-respecting woman want to be a member of a club that has made it crystal clear over the years that they don't want women members? Calling someone a redneck is now considered a "racist slur"? There goes Jeff Foxworthy's whole comedy act. :rolleyes:

And to complete the circle, Chris Rock and countless other black comics on the other bigot buzz word extreme.

So in your mind, a black that was forced to ride in the back of the bus all their lifes has no self respect they rode in the front when allowed?

Rosa Parks should be ashamed in her grave

[gps29070]

But why would any self-respecting woman want to be a member of a club that has made it crystal clear over the years that they don't want women members?

Going back 50 years, why would any african-american want to attend a white school when it was made crystal clear that they weren't wanted?

[regularguy]

So in your mind, a black that was forced to ride in the back of the bus all their lifes has no self respect they rode in the front when allowed?

Rosa Parks should be ashamed in her grave

An expensive private country club is the same thing as riding on a city bus?

Would Rosa Parks have joined a racist private club - say, the White Citizens' Council - if they had invited her?

[regularguy]

Going back 50 years, why would any african-american want to attend a white school when it was made crystal clear that they weren't wanted?

An all-white and racially-hostile private school? They probably wouldn't want to attend. (If you're referring to attending a public school, that's another matter entirely.)

[gps29070]

It's not a different thing. It's called breaking down doors to open up opportunity to everyone.

Why would african-americans want to play MLB baseball? MLB was a private organization made up of all whites in 1946.

[regularguy]

Why would african-americans want to play MLB baseball? MLB was a private organization made up of all whites in 1946.

MLB is not a private club. MLB is a private business that pays high salaries to its employees.

Wanting to be eligible for a high-paying job is not at all the same as wanting to join a private club (especially one that costs a substantial amount to be a member).

[jonsensback]

MLB is not a private club. MLB is a private business that pays high salaries to its employees.

Wanting to be eligible for a high-paying job is not at all the same as wanting to join a private club (especially one that costs a substantial amount to be a member).

That and riding the bus is exactly the same.

Something they were not allowed to do for whatever reason and obviously someone had a problem with females not being allowed or it wouldn't be an issue.

Just like a seat on a bus or a MLB team member.

FYI, Augusta is actually cheaper than several country clubs in Maryland who allowed persons of color and both genders for decades.

[regularguy]

That and riding the bus is exactly the same.

Something they were not allowed to do for whatever reason and obviously someone had a problem with females not being allowed or it wouldn't be an issue.

Just like a seat on a bus or a MLB team member.

So the ability to join a private club, the ability to ride on public transportation, and ability to get a job for which you are qualified.. are "exactly the same"?

Are you proposing that civil rights laws be amended to outlaw discrimination by private clubs? Or do you instead propose that the laws be amended to repeal protections as to public accommodations and employment?

[gps29070]

MLB is not a private club. MLB is a private business that pays high salaries to its employees.

Augusta National is a private business that pays high salaries to their employees also.

You asked the question why a woman would want to be a member of Augusta National. I gave you the answer, and you seem not to like it.

Augusta National did the right thing here, although a bit late.

[regularguy]

Augusta National is a private business that pays high salaries to their employees also.

I wasn't aware that Augusta discriminated against women when hiring employees.

Question: Would you want to join a private club whose members emphatically didn't want "your kind" to join (whatever "kind" that might be)? If the answer is no, might it be accurate to say you have too much self-respect to associate yourself with that organization?

[Omaha Beach]

I wasn't aware that Augusta discriminated against women when hiring employees.

Question: Would you want to join a private club whose members emphatically didn't want "your kind" to join (whatever "kind" that might be)? If the answer is no, might it be accurate to say you have too much self-respect to associate yourself with that organization?

I wonder if you are even intelligent enough to realize the circular argument you are engaged in? Augusta is racist and misogynist for not allowing blacks and women in but when they do invite women and blacks to join they should refuse. Huh? Of course your left wing beef is that if blacks and women do join you can no longer huff and puff and pout about Augusta discriminating against blacks and women. Pathetic!

[zenwalk]

It's the same litmus test the Repubs use to choose their candidates. It's the same litmus test Israel uses for sanitized arab/Israelis and we even pay them money to do it. Why work ourselves into a selective rage over a few golfers?

[regularguy]

I wonder if you are even intelligent enough...

Let's at least try to be civil.

... to realize the circular argument you are engaged in? Augusta is racist and misogynist for not allowing blacks and women in but when they do invite women and blacks to join they should refuse. Huh? Of course your left wing beef is that if blacks and women do join you can no longer huff and puff and pout about Augusta discriminating against blacks and women. Pathetic!

Uh, please point out where I "huffed and puffed" about Augusta. All I said was that Condalezza Rice was a classy and serious-minded lady, and I would have expected her to turn down the invitation from a private club to be a "token" member. Not that she's a bad person if she joins... just that I would have expected her not to.