Women At Augusta?

I might get flamed to a crisp here, but I'm wondering what y'all's opinions are about the Augusta golf club allowing only men as members.

My personal opinion is that this is a perfect example of the feminist double standard. Sure, women are allowed to form all the women-only clubs they want, but let guys try it and woo boy! Front page headlines! Freedom of association in the private sector people. I haven't heard any men lining up to gripe in magazines, newspapers, and on TV about the no-men-allowed Monterey golf club. Women are allowed on the previously men-only major golf tournaments, there is no national male-only golf tournament anymore, but yet women have their own major tournaments where no men are allowed. Double standard?

I like the feminist writer (can't remember her name) who said of this mess "If this is all the feminist movement has left to complain about, stick a fork in us. We're done."

I am a feminist, but as the quote suggests, i feel there are much more pressing issues of female opression taking place in the world. Besides which, it's only golf!!!

Yeah I don't get that. First of all I don't get why anyone would care enough to make an all-men or all-women's golf club. If anyone can explain to me why these guys want to keep the women out, I'd love to know. Seriously. Anyway if for whatever reason they want to do it, I guess I have to support them. Since I believe in equal treatment and personal freedom, forcing these guys to allow women in would go counter to my principles. Sorta like now I support the KKK's right to free speech even though I hope they all get attacked by rabid Chihuahuas.

I know a gym in my old hometown called "Lifestyles for Women" and that doesn't bother me. I don't feel moral outrage at them excluding men, and I would respect their right to do so even if I desperately wanted to join that gym, which I never did. Whether the women there had something against men or not never even crossed my mind. I always just figured they didn't want guys coming there and trying to make it into a dating scene.

Even if the golf guys are actually prejudiced against women (which they probably are) I don't believe that others have the right to force them to behave. No one should be able to force their own moral beliefs on others or to arbitrarily determine what is right and what is wrong. I enjoy the ability to hang out with my friends and tell anyone I don't like to bug off, so I guess this is the same idea, even if they're doing it for a pretty dumb reason in my opinion.

One interesting thought, what are their hiring practices like? Private clubs are perfectly legal, and rightfully so, but employment discrimination is an entirely different beast. If they are breaking the law here, anyone who's bugged by the no women rule might be able to get some legal revenge.