worst_shot_ever
I leave big divots
I've chimed in on these threads previously, so I won't get too deep in it this time. In a nutshell, a very small one at that, I think the point JB raised earlier -- that no one would care if the Masters weren't played at Augusta -- is exactly what makes Augusta different than other private clubs with restrictive membership lists. In other words, its members have assiduously thrust the club into the public eye. It is among the most historic, prominent, and prized golf tracks in the entire world. The membership benefits exceedingly from the massive public attention they earnestly solicit each year for their venue, both financially and socially. Thus, there is no substitute for Augusta, and accordingly, the fact that women are de facto excluded from the membership rolls strikes me as different, and more distasteful, than similar exclusions at other private clubs. Put another way, sure I agree us men deserve a place to hang out free from the bother of dealing with the opposite sex, just as women deserve the same; but that interest gives way when the course that is being monopolized is a core piece of the heritage of golf, as Augusta National inarguably is. At least it's an intellectually honest and rational distinction to draw, I think.