Back to the past at Augusta: women still outsiders

For feminist leaders, this debate has never been focused on the right of women to play rounds of golf on a particular course, however legendary and photogenic. Rather, it's about the acceptance of women at the highest levels of corporate leadership – the informal old-boy network of CEOs, financiers and other powerbrokers whose camaraderie is reinforced on the links and in the grill room.

"It's the old clubhouse door with the sign that says, 'No girls allowed,'" said Kathy Spiller, executive editor of the feminist Ms. magazine.

Beyond question, American women have made huge strides since the feminist movement of the 1960s. Women now make up close to half the enrollment in US law and medical schools, up from less than 25 percent a few decades ago, and three women sit on the Supreme Court.

Yet in Congress, women hold less than 17 percent of the seats – 73 of 435 in the House and 17 of 100 in the Senate. Only a tiny percentage of major American corporations have women as CEOs.

"What you're seeing with Augusta – women have not broken the glass ceiling in corporate America," said Terry O'Neill, president of the National Organization for Women, a leading feminist organization. "These companies do this because they don't have enough women on their boards."

O'Neill expressed empathy with Rometty, who has not spoken publicly about the Augusta controversy.

"We should all be cheering that this remarkable woman has risen to the top, and yet here she has this embarrassing situation to face," O'Neill said. "It's not fair to her."

It's a tricky debate for many of those caught up in it. Payne, for example, was grilled by reporters about the male-only membership only moments after stressing Augusta National's interest in enticing more young people – presumably girls as well as boys – to play golf.

Among the reporters at Payne's news conference Wednesday was New York Times golf writer Karen Crouse, who later told the website GOLF.com, "If it were left to me ... I'd probably not come cover this event again until there is a woman member."

Contacted by The Associated Press, Times sports editor Joe Sexton said Crouse's comments were "completely inappropriate and she has been spoken to."

Even for Obama, who's both an avid golfer and staunch backer of women's rights, questions of gender equity have arisen. According to Mark Knoller of CBS News – who keeps close track of such matters – Obama has included women among his playing partners only twice in 93 rounds of golf since taking office.

Lisa Maatz, of the university women's association, said she worked with Martha Burk on the Augusta protest campaign 10 years ago and was now experiencing deja vu as calls mounted for Rometty to be offered membership.

"There's definitely a sense of 'Here we go again,'" Maatz said. "I hope the leadership of the club is thinking, this isn't going away ... Do it and be done with it, and look forward to next year when you won't have to talk about it."

RECOMMENDED: 12 women who should be members at Augusta

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