Do you really need balls to play?

Today is the first day of the annual event we call AUGUSTA. As you all know, one Martha Burk has spearheaded a campaign to get Augusta to let in women as members. Here's a press release from NOW confiming the organizational support of Martha Burk & the National Council of Women's Organizations' campaign.

I also personally support this campaign. I also understand that it's quite confusing to the average person outside the movement or even someone well tuned to the movement, why this is important. On the surface, we look like we're just fighting for uber-rich white women's rights. And well, you're right. But it's not just that.

"In a survey last year of corporate executives who play golf, 43% of men but 63% of women said their "biggest business or sales deal was made while playing golf." And a similarly wider margin of women than men believe that "the way a person plays golf is very similar to how he/she conducts their business affairs." What does this say about the corporate leaders who are happy to discriminate against women on the links?" ~ from the NOW press release.

I think that all feminists who want to see the end to glass ceilings, glass walls, and finally get pay equity. I ask, if one key needed to climb the corporate ladder at Harvard, Motorola, Prudential, or IBM (all companies who have members at Augusta) is a key to a uber-fab golf course, then isn't keeping women out of Augusta hurting not just their ego & golf game, but also their career path? What kind of difference is it to stroll up to a co-worker, a client, or a potential employee and say:

a) What to join me at Augusta for a round of golf & dinner for the weekend? Bring the family, there are things for them to do too!

or

b) I'd like to discuss our partnership over a round of golf next week. Have you ever been to Augusta? Well, our CEO is a member and can get us in. So let me ask him and I'll get back to you.

Yes, this issue is an issue for the elite, but even the elite need freedom from discrimination. We never know when we might become that elite. Just as we never know when we might be that woman eeking thru life on welfare & food stamps, we must also fight for them. Middle class, working class, upper class, lower class - we're all women and as feminists, we have to stick together.

Martha Burk has been rallying the troops for years. I've met her on a few occasions and she's a terrific woman. She has been quoted lately that she'd kill for this kind of publicity when fighting for abortion rights, welfare, or anything else someone thinks a feisty feminist should be working on. When someone asks if Martha Burk should be working on something more important, ask why the media won't cover those more important things.