Augusta National – Now in the Game!

By Cynthia Good

It took a while. Too long, many say. But at least they did it!

Augusta National Golf Club has officially changed its male-only membership policy, after 80 years. The home of the Masters, the most popular golf championship, welcomed its first two female members this week – former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina business woman Darla Moore. Club Chairman Billy Payne called it a “joyous occasion.”

Hopefully the many other male-only clubs across the country are watching and will follow suit. Even Payne admits, “This is a significant and positive time in our club’s history.” For that reason communications head, Steve Ethun, tells Little PINK Book the club broke its long-standing policy to keep membership details and policy decisions, private. He said this decision was years in the making.

It was a full decade ago Martha Burk, as head of the National Council of Women’s Organizations, lobbied hard to get the club to change the gender practice. But the club’s then Chairman, Hootie Johnson, said they’d never admit women “at the point of a bayonet.”

Controversy arose again this past spring when the CEO of one of the club’s biggest sponsors, IBM, was not invited to become a member. Unlike previous IBM leaders, Virginia Rometty happened to be a woman. As it stands, she’s still not a member.

We asked. But Augusta National won’t say if or when that will happen. I think they’ll come around. At the end of the day, admitting women is the right business decision, where 46 percent of U.S. employees are now women. Doing so will improve Augusta National’s reputation and their financials. The amazing byproduct? More women will be encouraged to participate in the sport.