Augusta May Have To Admit Its First Woman Member

[k-troop]

Originally Posted by limoric

Wow! I didn't know that. Wiki says the player becomes an honorary member. I've been doing some googling and it looks like a masters champion can play the course when they want, but they are not full members otherwise...

"Honorary" in that they share two member perks:  a jacket hanging in the locker room, and an invitation to attend the tournament every year.

[VMAN]

Originally Posted by k-troop

"Honorary" in that they share two member perks:  a jacket hanging in the locker room, and an invitation to attend the tournament every year.

And as I understand it that invitation also allows you access to play practice rounds when you want, given that you play with a member.  Which as a defending champion or past champion if fairly easy to do.

[LuciusWooding]

Originally Posted by burtonda

You aren't invited because of your substandard portfolio, social standing, power, and connections.  Even if a woman has these things she still doesn't get in.  That's the difference.

So you're saying it's OK to discriminate between social class and wealth, but it's any different to bring up gender? Keep in mind this sort of club respects old money, so I could win the lottery or build a business empire but they'll choose a southerner from a wealthy family anyway. I'm a purebred yankee and I doubt they'd take kindly to me.

You have no clue who I am. I could be a Wall Street investor, a politician, or a Kennedy for all you know. And it's not like there's a listed criteria for membership that excludes women; they exclude plenty of men who are perfectly qualified in terms of social standard, power, and connections, even if they do wish to join. There's no written rule against women; it's completely possible that few women apply for membership and fewer are likeable and qualified enough. It's also possible that women already have joined.

Membership isn't merit based. There isn't a checklist of traits for candidates that they need to possess; it's completely on the whims of the membership.

[VMAN]

Originally Posted by LuciusWooding

So you're saying it's OK to discriminate between social class and wealth, but it's any different to bring up gender? Keep in mind this sort of club respects old money, so I could win the lottery or build a business empire but they'll choose a southerner from a wealthy family anyway. I'm a purebred yankee and I doubt they'd take kindly to me.

You have no clue who I am. I could be a Wall Street investor, a politician, or a Kennedy for all you know. And it's not like there's a listed criteria for membership that excludes women; they exclude plenty of men who are perfectly qualified in terms of social standard, power, and connections, even if they do wish to join. There's no written rule against women; it's completely possible that few women apply for membership and fewer are likeable and qualified enough. It's also possible that women already have joined.

Membership isn't merit based. There isn't a checklist of traits for candidates that they need to possess; it's completely on the whims of the membership.

Except that no one applies for membership.  Applying or letting ANGC that you wish to gain acceptance is a sure fire way to not gain an invitation.  Ask Bill Gates...

[k-troop]

Originally Posted by LuciusWooding

So you're saying it's OK to discriminate between social class and wealth, but it's any different to bring up gender? Keep in mind this sort of club respects old money, so I could win the lottery or build a business empire but they'll choose a southerner from a wealthy family anyway. I'm a purebred yankee and I doubt they'd take kindly to me.

You have no clue who I am. I could be a Wall Street investor, a politician, or a Kennedy for all you know. And it's not like there's a listed criteria for membership that excludes women; they exclude plenty of men who are perfectly qualified in terms of social standard, power, and connections, even if they do wish to join. There's no written rule against women; it's completely possible that few women apply for membership and fewer are likeable and qualified enough. It's also possible that women already have joined.

Membership isn't merit based. There isn't a checklist of traits for candidates that they need to possess; it's completely on the whims of the membership.

Has anyone read Curt Sampson's "The Masters"?

Part of the lore of ANGC is the fact that their membership procedures are so shrouded.  Not even members know how or why they were invited; they simply recieve an invitation.  If they accept they are expected to mail in a check.  That's it.

In the book he tells a story of a man who was offered membership to the club, a membership for which he had neither applied nor lobbied.  He called someone on the membership committee and asked if he could pay the initiation in two or three installments, which is a perfectly reasonable request to make at almost any club.  Without a word or explanation, he received another letter stating that the membership committee had reconsidered, and his invitation was withdrawn.

These kinds of stories only make people want an invitation more.  A club which would be so selective and stubborn, even to snub someone accepted as "our own" on the slightest breach...well that just makes those who are "in" feel that much more "in".  We're talking levels of exclusivity so far beyond obnoxious wealth that it's hard to even imagine.

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by burtonda

We are talking about a major sports enterprise in the USA sanctioning an event at a private golf club & who they allow to be members of it.

Accurate information: makes all the difference in the world.

Maybe that's what you're talking about, but the pic I posted was the protest back in 2002 led by Martha Burk. Which was about the constitution of the AGNC membership. Nothing inaccurate about what I said, regardless of how you try to parse it. It's pretty damn trivial no matter how you slice it.

[clubchamp]

Originally Posted by VMAN

And as I understand it that invitation also allows you access to play practice rounds when you want, given that you play with a member.  Which as a defending champion or past champion if fairly easy to do.

Correct

[saskriders]

It's disgusting that such a beautiful course has such a disgusting front office

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by Th3R00st3r

I didn't say it was right, just thought it was funny as I wasn't expecting it, bro.

Applause connotes approval.

Is that how you talk to your wife?

Originally Posted by limoric

I have 2 daughters and I think it's simple. Girls, Augusta is a private mens golf club, just like the Girlguides is a girls only club and your tree fort club in the backyard is girls only. Augusta has been gracious enough to allow the PGA tour to sanction an event on their course once per year. "What if a girl wanted to play in the tournament daddy?" Well she would need to qualify just like the men...

Now girls, how would you feel if daddy tried to play on the LPGA Tour?. "LOL!!! don't be silly daddy, that's a girls tour..."

"But daddy, why do you find it so funny to call a woman a bitch?  If some guy calls me a bitch should I laugh or should I kneecap him with a ball peen hammer?"

[BallStriker]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

Maybe that's what you're talking about, but the pic I posted was the protest back in 2002 led by Martha Burk.

My favorite memory of the Martha Burk protests was the guy in the tree behind the protesters with a sign that read "Iron my Shirt"  -- absolutely classic.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by BallStriker

My favorite memory of the Martha Burk protests was the guy in the tree behind the protesters with a sign that read "Iron my Shirt"  -- absolutely classic.

Scroll back through the thread. That picture's the one they're talking about.

[The Recreational Golfer]

Billy Payne faces questioning on the issue:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/05/sports/golf/uncomfortable-day-at-the-augusta-national-boys-club.html?ref=sports

[CProsser]

Why would they invite a woman?  It's a Men's club plain and simple.

[limoric]

Originally Posted by turtleback

"But daddy, why do you find it so funny to call a woman a bitch?  If some guy calls me a bitch should I laugh or should I kneecap him with a ball peen hammer?"

Well honey, it's called satire, although it's not right for someone to call you a bitch straight to your face, using the word in the context and setting the man chose can be funny, if you choose not to take his political protest personal. Just like when I say to you, "do you want a nuckle sadwich", I don't really mean I want to punch you in the face. The man does not likely feel that all women are bitches, just the ones who don't iron shirts. Ha, ha, ha daddy, you're so funny. See dear, that's satire and if you choose to laugh at something like this down the road, you just might find a man who doesn't think you're a bitch...

[limoric]

My wife also thought the picture was hilarious. She thought the guy was an idiot, but she laughed first...

[stogiesnbogies]

I am posting this here because apparently I am not considered "member enough" to start my own thread ....a policy dreadfully akin to the long standing discriminatory policies of Augusta National....where the PGA Tour violates its own stated policy of not participating in any club that discriminates...it's 2012 fellas time to get up to speed with inclusiveness and diversity...and these same clowns will bemoan the decline of interest in the game....completely tone deaf!

This NYTimes article says it all.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/05/sports/golf/uncomfortable-day-at-the-augusta-national-boys-club.html?ref=todayspaper

[MSchott]

Originally Posted by Chris Prosser

Why would they invite a woman?  It's a Men's club plain and simple.

No one knows that this is the case and it seems pretty clear that women are allowed on property and have played the course. Augusta does not say this. And does that make it OK if it's true that AGNC automatically invited the last 4-5 IBM CEO's to join as a sponsor courtesy and won't offer the same to the current CEO? Keep in mind that this is all speculation right now.

[Shindig]

No one knows that this is the case and it seems pretty clear that women are allowed on property and have played the course. Augusta does not say this. And does that make it OK if it's true that AGNC automatically invited the last 4-5 IBM CEO's to join as a sponsor courtesy and won't offer the same to the current CEO? Keep in mind that this is all speculation right now.

Asking out of ignorance: Has it been confirmed that Palmisano was invited? I think the three before him were listed on the leaked list a few years ago, but I think he was absent from it (even though he'd been CEO for a few years at that point).