To the Editor:
In response to Kenan Yount's Nov. 19 column, "A Misguided Battle," regarding the ongoing controversy of Augusta National's membership guidelines, I have to say that while I certainly sympathize with a great deal of his position, I think his basic argument is flawed. The rights of Augusta National as a private institution for free association are not at issue. Few would try to deny that a private club has the right to select its own members on whatever basis it sees fit. But in hosting the Masters, a sporting event of great prestige and influence, Augusta National assumes a higher standard. When one of the three biggest golf tournaments in the world is held at a club that excludes a significant portion of the population, it sends a bad message. This is especially the case in golf, which is a sport, though I love it dearly, that still bears the remnants of white male elitism in many places.
Are Martha Burk and the National Council of Women's Organizations making a bigger issue of this than is really warranted? Probably. Is she uninformed? Anyone who knows anything about golf can't help but laugh at her suggestion that the Masters simply move to another course. But none of this is really relevant. Other all-male golf clubs exist and shall continue to exist. That does not bother me, and if it bothers you, simply do not associate with those clubs. But when a private club hosts a very public tournament, it opens itself up to legitimate public criticism and subjects itself to broader societal standards. Augusta National is completely within its rights to take the stand it does. And Martha Burk is right to criticize the club and all associated with the Masters for that stand.