The Masters, Augusta National & Women
First of all, lets define this subject. This about a golf club in the US named Augusta National. At Augusta National a golf tournament takes place each year by the name of The Masters. Golfers from all around the world compete in this tournament and many consider it to be the most important in all of golf. Augusta National was founded some 69 years ago. In 1990 they admitted their first black member. They currently have no female members, nor have they in the past. It should be noted that they do allow females to play the course as guests and spouses. There are golf clubs in the US that do not allow women on the grounds, at all.
Recently, a group that works towards the advancement of women's rights has confronted the membership at Augusta National and asked them to admitt a female member. The clubs response was that while they may admitt a female in the future now is not the time that they will do that. Furthermore, they wrote that they will not be bullied into membership decisions by anyone. The women's group then threatened to boycot the sponsors of the golf tournament and has talked about the idea of picketing the tournament. The Masters response to the pressure on their sponsors (3 TV sponsors) was to release their sponsors from their contracts and then televise the tournament without commercials (they do have the financial means to do this) At this time the womens group now says they will go to the sponsors of individual golfers i.e. American Express & Nike sponsor Tiger Woods and ask them to pull their sponsorship if their particular golfer plays in the Masters.
Now it seems to me that as long as a group does not cause finanial or physical harm to someone they ought to be aloud to do what they want. If the KKK kills some black people and the main reason they exsist as a group is to kill black people then they should be banned. But if some Southern Gentelmen want to hold a golf tournament, one week a year, and the rest of the time they want to have an all male membership, that should not be a problem. What I do think is a problem is a group telling companies they will work to harm their bottom line if someone that represents them plays in a golf tournament. Especially when that tournament has given 15 million dollars to chairity since 1998. The tournament has insisted over the years that even though they are the most watched tv golf event each year, their tv sponsors are not to be charged above standard advertising rates. These are not bad people running this club. Their chairman led a university in the southern part of the US to enroll black students when that was considered taboo. They give millions to chairity each year.
We need some people to step back and think a bit. Will making a women a member be better for the world than forcing a legal group to do something against their wishes??
MH