Annual Augusta National He-Man Woman Haters Club Masters Dilemma

Gotta believe it's a boon to the city/county/state in taxes relative to the expense of the security. I would think the local governments take in a huge portion of their accommodations/sales taxes that week, what with all the visitors. Wasn't it Linda Ronstadt who sang, "Augusta Georgia is just no place to be"?

 

So do the citizens of Augusta.

But I would agree that the club probably pays the city/county/state/somebody for traffic control.

 

Zag, there are plenty of discriminatory golf clubs in this country, including at least two which have courses as good or better than Augusta (Cypress Point and Pine Valley). Those two do not hold major or PGA tournaments. When you hold a sports event open to the public, the public is going to scrutinize you and criticize you.

 

If you want to argue in favor of Augusta National, fine, but this "they have a right to do this ..." argument is silly.

Just because you have the right to do something, doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.

 

I don't think I've been arguing "in favor of" the National ... and, clearly, just because you have the right to do something doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. On the other hand, as the years go by I see the issue of ANGC's male-only membership as of lesser and lesser import. Would it hurt 'em to have female members? Of course not. If they asked me to join (fat chance there), would I? I might. If they did so on the condition that I vow to NEVER accept a female member? Then, no, I wouldn't do that.

 

I wasn't really aiming that at you. Clearly ANGC has the legal right to exclude women if it wants, but we don't have to buy in, either.

I was aiming more at the folks who claim RIGHTS all the time as if you are required to be an asshole and exercise all your Founding Father-given rights whenever you can.

 

It has been brought up on here a few times, but really the one thing that is in "our" control is the fawning tributes from media members. Wright Thompson a few years back wrote a flowery piece about how wonderful the place was for him and his dad to connect. You see stuff every year along those same lines.

The members are the members. They can do what they want. The writers that embrace what they're doing -- and again, a lot of them do it so they can play on Monday -- and act like it's this little slice of heaven are the ones sticking their head in the sand.

 

True. But if you really cared, you'd chastise them in mid-August or late November, too, and not just when there are hundreds of TV cameras around.

 

Used to be 20 (print) and 20 (non-print) ... was when I did it. And I am skeptical that ANGC gives a rat's rear what you've written as regards your eligibility for the drawing. The cost-benefit ratio of such an effort seems way out of what, to me.

 

Maybe if the women were better at accepting cunnilingus the membership would be more favorably disposed to letting them in. / cross thread.

 

The club has denied credentials to people to cover the event because of what has been written. It's the rare entity that forces people to apply for credentials by name rather than simply by media affiliation. It keeps tabs for that.

And you think they don't use the tee times as a carrot? Please.

If there are 20-40 players, that means over the past 10 years there have been at least 200 media people co-opted into the culture. You don't think that's a significant portion of the coverage group?