Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

Personally, I don't think that the government should be legislating who and how like-minded people can organize for their own personal purposes. What business is it of the government to regulate such things so long as no one is being hurt or negatively influenced by the actions of the few?

I believe that the members of Augusta National Golf Club, or any other club with membership limitations based on gender, religious preference, political leaning, hobby, or about any other criteria, should be able to establish their own criteria for membership...so long as their activities don't harm or negatively affect others in any way.

It seems to me that this conservative-leaning forum ought to be loudly defending the rights of the Augusta members. That doesn't seem to be the current bent, so I might ask, why not?

Not saying that Augusta National Golf Club should be forced to open its doors to women. It seemed to be a point of contention with golf making it to the 2016 Olympics that it be seen as a sport that is inclusive to different people. http://ethicist.blogs.nytimes.com/20...%20burk&st=cse


"As of April, when the Masters again returned to Augusta, the club still had no women, a fact that should worry the golf-besotted I.O.C., which trumpets its determination 'to enhance women’s participation in sport at all levels.'" from above linked NY Times article

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

This is a very rich man's club mainly comprised of CEOs. Would like to see some females in it who belong there like the CEO of IBM. If and when we get a female President should she not be allowed to be a member of such a prestigious and highly influential club as the Augusta National Country Club?

Perhaps she would join the exclusive all female The Acorn Club in Philadelphia. Or the Belizean Grove club and mingle with the likes of Judge Sonia Sotomayor. How about the Soho Club? If it is good enough for Bernie Madoff along with Bill and Hillary Clinton, I'd think it would be good enough for the first female POTUS.

Originally Posted by zcaveman

Strange, when I quoted this note I got more than " Would like to see some females in it who belong there like the CEO of IBM." (I think you added this after the post)

Now you have made it political.

I did not realize that POTUS was a member of the Augusta County Club and I hope he/she has more important things to do that to attend four days of golf with his/her special security teams paid for by us. He/she can watch it on TV like the rest of us.

As for the IBM and any other company that appoints a female as CEO, I doubt that Augusta is at the top of their concerns.

I doubt if the POTUS (Barack Obama) is a member of the Augusta National Country Club but I would expect that Mitt Romney could be. Romney has the kind of background you would find in the Membership of this Country Club. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney

Why do women always think they have to be in men's clubs? I don't want men in my women's clubs. It always seems that it is the women who want to join men's clubs and not the other way around. We can't even have all men's or all women's colleges anymore because the women complained. Good grief!!!

As much as I might PERSONALLY disagree with it, so long as you don't cross certain lines, you have a right to be as sexist as you want.

If Augusta was receiving federal funds for something, or tax breaks, or if public business was being conducted there, you might have an argument to force them to open their membership. But what's private is PRIVATE and they have that right.

...just as I have the First Ammendment right to state my opinion that their policy is Neanderthal-like.

This issue is just a continuation of liberals bashing of white men, in this case rich white men. It is an attempt to decimate the so called good boy network, which in this day and age doesn't even exist. If you have paid much atention to the movies coming out of liberal Hollywood you more often see depictions of white guys being greedy, stupid and in many cases cluless. Those depictions are intentional and carry the liberal agenda.

There is much to be said for "tradition" We are losing some very valuable traditions in this country. It seems to me to be arrogant to make such demands on otherwise legal and ethical groups or organizations.

There are a great number of women CEO's to suggestion that white men are holding women back is ridiculous

Augusta Club's membership does not represent criteria of men's, women's, black's, brown's golf's participation in America. It only represents the membership of their specific club.

The IOC would look at the broad picture of golf in America and my guess it is more diverse than many other countries in the world.

The current wave of concern for the club not having women is an old chestnut that bubbles to the top and then dies away. This time it has become overblown because Obama decided to use it as a campaign pawn.......pure unadulterated BS!

btk

i won't try to play golf at augusta if they won't try to watch me exercise at Curves i love tradition and everyone needs someplace to feel special. why don't the women CEOs start their own exclusive place? i'm for that!

Originally Posted by djplong

...If Augusta was receiving federal funds for something, or tax breaks...

The way Augusta National and The Masters tournament co-exist is an interesting story. A guy that used to work for me was a CPA with Arthur Anderson in a prior life and told the story.

All the cash--in the case of The Masters quite a lot of cash--comes into the coffers of the Tournament. The money is used for a variety of things like improving the course, changing holes, rebuilding greens, re-doing the locker rooms where the players dress, etc. The club and the tournament are separate accounting entities, but obviously one goes a long way towards the funding of the other.

There is always quite a little financial legerdemain by the accountants to justify to the IRS that all the money spent on the course and physical facilities is really for the benefit of the tournament and not the members (who use the same facilities and course for all but the 5-6 days a year when the tournament is run). They're usually very successful, the result being that Augusta National was a very inexpensive club to belong to. Even "back in the day" the initiation fee and annual costs for a member to belong to Augusta was a small fraction of what it cost to belong to the typical suburban country club at the time.

There is one fly in the ointment though...getting invited to actually be a member of Augusta National. It is a very select club of southern gentlemen and those favored with an invitation to become a member are selected by just a handful of the longtime, senior members. It used to be just two guys who approved members--the famous golfer Bobby Jones and Cliff Roberts, who founded and developed the club. After Jones died, for years it was Cliff Roberts alone who decided who would or wouldn't be a member. In some cases, if a member didn't act as he was expected to, he was abruptly told by Mr. Roberts that the contents of his locker was being shipped to his office, thank you very much. Since the late 90's, club chairmen "Hootie" Johnson and now Billy Payne presumably make the membership decisions. The members, notwithstanding their reputation or power outside the club gates have little to say about who belongs or how the club is run.

Someone here made the point that there seems to be a blowup over membership almost every year about Masters time. Then after the winner is given his green jacket, the whole hubub blows over and life goes on. The few guys who run the club know that, of course. And like all the other years, you're not likely to hear any public response from the club chairman, because they know it'll all blow over in just a few days. It happens every year.

Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

The way Augusta National and The Masters tournament co-exist is an interesting story. A guy that used to work for me was a CPA with Arthur Anderson in a prior life and told the story.

All the cash--in the case of The Masters quite a lot of cash--comes into the coffers of the Tournament. The money is used for a variety of things like improving the course, changing holes, rebuilding greens, re-doing the locker rooms where the players dress, etc. The club and the tournament are separate accounting entities, but obviously one goes a long way towards the funding of the other.

There is always quite a little financial legerdemain by the accountants to justify to the IRS that all the money spent on the course and physical facilities is really for the benefit of the tournament and not the members (who use the same facilities and course for all but the 5-6 days a year when the tournament is run). They're usually very successful, the result being that Augusta National was a very inexpensive club to belong to. Even "back in the day" the initiation fee and annual costs for a member to belong to Augusta was a small fraction of what it cost to belong to the typical suburban country club at the time.

There is one fly in the ointment though...getting invited to actually be a member of Augusta National. It is a very select club of southern gentlemen and those favored with an invitation to become a member are selected by just a handful of the longtime, senior members. It used to be just two guys who approved members--the famous golfer Bobby Jones and Cliff Roberts, who founded and developed the club. After Jones died, for years it was Cliff Roberts alone who decided who would or wouldn't be a member. In some cases, if a member didn't act as he was expected to, he was abruptly told by Mr. Roberts that the contents of his locker was being shipped to his office, thank you very much. Since the late 90's, club chairmen "Hootie" Johnson and now Billy Payne presumably make the membership decisions. The members, notwithstanding their reputation or power outside the club gates have little to say about who belongs or how the club is run.

Someone here made the point that there seems to be a blowup over membership almost every year about Masters time. Then after the winner is given his green jacket, the whole hubub blows over and life goes on. The few guys who run the club know that, of course. And like all the other years, you're not likely to hear any public response from the club chairman, because they know it'll all blow over in just a few days. It happens every year.

Not sure this will blow over that quickly Villages Kahuna mainly because this is an election year. A lot of politicians seem to be getting into the controversy--President Barack Obama, the Gingrichs, John McCain, Mitt Romney. Pressure builds for Augusta golf club to bend ban on women | Reuters http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/augu...ional-16074896 http://www.good.is/post/masters-of-d...in+RSS+Feed%29 http://www.alaskadispatch.com/articl...-become-member

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

Not sure this will blow over that quickly Villages Kahuna mainly because this is an election year. A lot of politicians seem to be getting into the controversy--President Barack Obama, the Gingrichs, John McCain, Mitt Romney. Pressure builds for Augusta golf club to bend ban on women | Reuters Augusta National Golf Club to Admit First Woman? | Video - ABC News Masters of Disaster: Augusta National's Got A Gender Problem - Business - GOOD Augusta National Golf Club, host of the Masters, won't let IBM female exec become a member | Alaska Dispatch

Maybe if these politicians would spend more time worrying about the budget and the needs of America instead of some picayune item that will blow after the Masters tournament we would be better off.

Originally Posted by chachacha

i won't try to play golf at augusta if they won't try to watch me exercise at Curves i love tradition and everyone needs someplace to feel special. why don't the women CEOs start their own exclusive place? i'm for that!

Actually Chachacha, women can play at Augusta and frequently do as guests. They just aren't invited to join and be members of the club.

Augusta National Golf Club

if it does not blow over as it usually does it will be because Obama and his followers may have determined like the race card to pander votes the gender card has potential as well.

Tradition, like it or not is steeped in core values. And yes some of them needed to be addressed to bring equality in some aspects of life.

As some would say to beat the drum of the issue at Augusta is in the category of picking fly specks out of the pepper....unless your name is Obama and you want to create an electorate impacting issue....which of course he will do.

I try to always look for a positive when looking at non performers, like Obama. In his case the only positive I see is his consistency of self promotion is, thank GOD so very predictable. One can spot an issue he will be on the podium for the minute it breaks in the media.

Augusta will be yesterday's news in a day or two....unless the politicians keep fanning the flame. But then they can only fan effectively for so long...eventually fading to old news just like the Trevon flames.

btk

Originally Posted by billethkid

if it does not blow over as it usually does it will be because Obama and his followers may have determined like the race card to pander votes the gender card has potential as well.

Tradition, like it or not is steeped in core values. And yes some of them needed to be addressed to bring equality in some aspects of life.

As some would say to beat the drum of the issue at Augusta is in the category of picking fly specks out of the pepper....unless your name is Obama and you want to create an electorate impacting issue....which of course he will do.

I try to always look for a positive when looking at non performers, like Obama. In his case the only positive I see is his consistency of self promotion is, thank GOD so very predictable. One can spot an issue he will be on the podium for the minute it breaks in the media.

Augusta will be yesterday's news in a day or two....unless the politicians keep fanning the flame. But then they can only fan effectively for so long...eventually fading to old news just like the Trevon flames.

btk

It is Mitt Romney, the Gingrichs, and John McCain who voiced their concern about the Augusta National Country Club ALONG with President Barack Obama.

You keep playing the political party card and IT does not work in this instance.

since Obama gets face time several times a day on the media he is the only one I have seen. If the others are doing it, of course my comments apply to them.

btk