Augusta National, arguably the most famous and exclusive golf course in the entire world, has accepted its first two female members. Former Secretary of State Condoleeaza Rice and current vice president of Rainwater, Inc. Darla Moore will be officially outfitted with their own green jackets this fall, ending the decades long controversy of why the club had never offered membership to a woman.
Augusta is most famous for holding the annual golf tournament, The Masters, each April. It’s rumored to have roughly three hundred members, the majority of whom are CEOs and high end business executives, but the official list has never been open to the public.
Here’s part of Chairman Billy Payne’s statement on the new members, courtesy of USA Today…
"These accomplished women share our passion for the game of golf and both are well known and respected by our membership. It will be a proud moment when we present Condoleezza and Darla their Green Jackets when the Club opens this fall.”
Given the breakdown of not only who plays golf but who runs Fortune 500 companies, it’s not a surprise men would greatly outnumber women at Augusta National, but it is an embarrassment that not one single woman was ever given membership until these two. Here’s to hoping they’ll prove to be the first pair of many capable and deserving members, both men and women, who come in the next decade.
