Why We Should Pay Attention To Women in Golf
…I know what you’re thinking. “This doesn’t belong on a golf blog! Did I stumble upon some weird ACLU blog?” Nope, because today the golf community has taken a huge and public stance on women’s rights and the role for women in the golf community as Augusta National admitted their first ever female members (two, in fact!) this Monday morning.
A little context for those of you that are still not convinced that this is important: 24% of golfers are women, which accounts for a little over 6 million participants in the sport each year. This is a few too many women to ignore their influence on one of America’s favorite pastimes. In fact, the Wall Street Journal published an article in 2010 entitled, “How Women Will Save the Golf Industry,” in which they detailed the important role that women have played, and will continue to play, in funding the consistently down-turning golf industry (www.ngf.org). The vice-president of the National Golf Foundation admits the desire of golf courses around the country to increase their female patrons, but cites that women often feel uncomfortable on these courses because of increased rules and regulations against them: many courses prevent women from obtaining tee times before 2pm, have no women’s golf league (nor any female pros), and pathetically unequal locker rooms for female players, in addition to a lack of “women’s accessories” in the pro shop. When you put all of these elements together, the message is clear: “you’re welcome to golf here, but you’ll be a second-class citizen while you do it.”
Interestingly enough, the golf industry is trying to change this on a national level. From increasing the number of LPGA-sponsored collegiate teams to broadcasting the LPGA on more national media outlets, it is clear that golf experts are trying to solicit that “final frontier” that is the female golf market. As Greg Nathan, VP of the National Golf Association, puts it, “When women are made to feel welcomed and comfortable, […] their play will go up.”
Personally, although I’m not very good at golf, I’ve always felt a bit of a snub from the private courses in my hometown. It’s difficult to state your excitement for a sport that seriously impairs your ability to play it with any regularity (for those of us who, like me, work busily during the week, Saturday mornings are often my only free time, and I’m unable to tee off before the early afternoon). For this reason alone, I was thrilled today to see that Augusta National announced this morning that they were awarding their first memberships to two females today – South Carolina business woman Darla Moore and former US Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice.
That these women were allowed entry into the club thrills me for three reasons:
1) In April of this year, the president of IBM (Virginia Rometty) was denied entry into the club, even after her company spent millions of dollars as a sponsor. Typically, membership is a guarentee after such a hefty sponsorship, but Rometty was denied solely on the grounds that she is a woman. This smells of such prejudice that it makes me sick, as clearly it would never be allowed to take place against a man.
2) Augusta National has a history of being a little bit prejudiced against almost everybody. The first African-American player was admitted only in 1990 (yes, friends, when we were alive!), and the club has taken heat over the years for their discriminatory policies.
3) Legally, they are a private entity, but that doesn’t make them immune to ethics. Augusta National has for years defended their policies with a simple point to US Law, claiming that they are a private organization and, much like the Girl Scouts or the Junior League, they can decide who to admit (and not admit). What’s more difficult to pinpoint, however, is where the line between the Girl Scouts and Augusta National falls. Clearly, allowing girls and boys to be a part of different scouting organizations works fine, but preventing African Americans and women from being a part of Augusta National doesn’t meet the same guidelines, and as even the golf industry admits, is unethical. As Justice Potter Stewart said of pornography in 1964, “I know it when I see it,” and so do we know injustice when we see it, and we should speak out and boycott those organizations.
As far as I’m concerned, I haven’t watched the Masters in a few years. This year will be my first, and I’m excited for April 2013 already.
Posted on August 22, 2012, in Uncategorized and tagged augusta, current, fans, female, feminist, finally, golf, IBM, lpga, masters, membership, news, recent, rice, tiger, tour, women, woods. Bookmark the permalink. 7 Comments.
Bravo for this article. As a woman golfer myself living in a house full of male golfers, I completely agree with the perspective given in this article. I am not a great golfer – and I don’t claim to be…but it has always bothered me that my husband and his buddies who are equally lousy golfers (like me) can play anytime they want and I have restrictions put on my tee times. And If I wanted to join my husband in a round of golf on a Saturday, he has to wait and play in the afternoon because of me. That is completely archaic! Don’t tell me it is about slow play. I have played many rounds stuck behind plodding male foursomes who have ignored me when I requested to play through. This old boy mentality is a ridiculously outdated by-product of golf. Women are judges. Women are doctors. Women own their own businesses. Women are on on equal playing field with men on all levels. But NOT on the golf course? This is offensive to me!
Great post!
Thank you for this article! It was eloquently planned and expressed! As a woman golfer, I can completely empathize with the difficulties that women have faced throughout the years in the sport of golf. As mentioned in the article and in the comments, women have long been restricted in their tee times and even in their ability to play alone at a course. These restrictions completely discourage women from a sport that is based on honesty, integrity, and friendly competition. The exclusion of women from courses or the severe restrictions placed on their freedoms at the course certainly are not “friendly” by any means. The exclusion of women from courses or the severe restrictions placed on their freedoms at the course certainly do not reflect the honest truth that women possess a dedicated, competitive nature just as much as men do.
Undoubtedly, there are people who say that because golf is a past time that it should be able to be spent in the presence of those with who one desires to pass that time. However, those very same people would be denying women the ability to satisfy their desires at all by excluding them from the club. If men would still like to have their alone time, the certainly can find that in the locker room or the lounge part of their locker room and can then enjoy the strengths that women bring to the sport on the actual course!
I am incredibly excited that Augusta has now decided to serve as an advocate for women everywhere. May all people continue to receive the respect that they deserve!
A little bit??? SO PREJUDICED. But this is fantastic, this is awesome, Empeetee, I LOVE it. And will reblog soon.
Also, I think it’s actually too little, too late but better than nothing. They should be inviting a new woman to join every month if they want to come even close to catching up with life. They could be leaders in this. They could, but they aren’t. Thank you especially for including the details about tee times, etc. Very interesting and very important — I don’t think this is true in Montana, but since we represent some miniscule percentage of the population, my experience may not really be relevant here. xoxx
Reblogged this on The Color Lime and commented:
My best friend takes the microphone to comment on the golf world. LOVE IT:
Augusta Nationals’s problem is that they want to stay spoiled, elitist snobs forever (and before you ask, no, I don’t have some left-wing agenda). Wasn’t it Lee Trevino who used to put his spikes on in his car out in the parking lot before rounds because he couldn’t stand the attitude coming from these folks? Listen to what Gary McCord has to say about dealing with them prior to his famous “bikini-waxing the greens” comment got him black-listed from the telecasts. Condoleezza, do you really WANT to join?
I had heard about this and was talking with kristin about it the other day. I must say though, I’m less than thrilled. While I love golf and would love to have the opportunity to play there–I think this club received some serious bullying to let women into it and I don’t think that’s right. I believe a club should be able to let whomever they want into it. If I want to own an all-women’s golf club, for example, I shouldn’t be forced into letting men in as well. There’s something to be said for the camaraderie and culture fostered in all female/all male clubs–that has nothing to do with sexism. I understand and respect that sometimes men appreciate male-only company–just like women sometimes appreciate female-only company.