#golfdiversity Archives • GolfStinks

The Dilemma of The Masters

April 8, 2015 | By Greg D'Andrea | 2 Comments

Augusta National is known for both it's beauty and discrimination. — Augusta National is known for both its beauty and discrimination.

For the past few days, people that don’t even play golf – that don’t even know how to hold a club – are coming up to me and saying things like, “Hey, it’s Masters week…aren’t you excited?” This is proof The Masters has transcended sports – it’s the closest thing golf has to the Super Bowl or Final Four, where even non-sports fans are vaguely aware of its existence.

But as the saying goes: “With great power comes great responsibility.” And I’m not so sure this tournament is putting golf’s best foot forward. While there’s good in The Masters, there’s also a dark side.

For starters, The Masters is, in fact, the best marketing tool the industry has to kick-off the golf season. Think about it: Just as the ground is thawing in the northern part of the world, here comes the most popular tournament of the year to help get the proverbial golf juices flowing.

In addition, the event is held at one of the most beautiful golf clubs in the world – Augusta National. When the tournament is held in early April, Georgia is already in the full bloom of spring – with magnolias and azaleas adding magnificent highlights to a lush, emerald-green grass backdrop (and if spring is late, they’ll just get the spray paint out…).

Of course, Augusta National is also the poster child for every single negative golf stereotype…like, ever. It didn’t allow African Americans until the 1990’s. It didn’t allow women until 2012 (and when finally doing so, it pulled off what can be called one of the biggest public relations stunts in golf by naming Condoleeza Rice as a member…who is both black and a woman).

And if having a membership of predominately white men doesn’t personify the golf stereotype enough, the invitation-only club features names that reek of money…Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to name just two. So the equation would look something like this: White + Rich + Men = Augusta. And if Augusta = Golf (as many would agree), then Golf = White + Rich + Men.

Thus, The Masters is a catch-22 for the golf industry. On the one hand, it’s the kick-start the game desperately needs at the beginning of each season. Yet on the other hand, the legendary course has a history in stark contrast to how the golf industry wants to grow – in particular to minorities and women.

Yet The Masters influences golfers all over the world. After all, Augusta National is easy on the eyes and beautiflul in both appearance and layout. Mere images of Amen Corner fill your head with blissful daydreams – of navigating those cushy fairways – every step so magical you’re truly concerned that soft spikes aren’t soft enough.

Oh what we golfers wouldn’t give to experience this oasis of a course that offers such contrast to our local munis. Why can’t your club look like this? Well, it can – you just wouldn’t be able to afford it anymore.

This is a cruel coincidence of The Masters – the notion that all of which inspires us each spring is very rarely (if ever) accessable to the average golfer. In fact, Augusta National has set such high grooming standards for itself that it must resort to camouflaging its blemishes just to maintain appearances.

All this has led to the “Augusta Effect” – the notion that golfers have come to expect impossibly high standards of their local course from what they see on their HDTV each spring. This, in turn, has ultimately led to higher greens fees throughout the game.

While still struggling to overcome recent economic woes, golfers and the golf industry alike are left trying to live up to expectations they can no longer afford. A catch-22 indeed. There’s a gigantic rift between what made golf what it is today and where it needs to go for tomorrow.

Despite this however, The Masters has ultimately bled into the American mainstream. It, for better or worse, has helped put golf on the map for the general public. For this, it will forever be synonymous with both the start of the golf season and the beauty this game has to offer.

It’s just too bad the host course has such an unsavory past.

Black Girls Can Golf

July 10, 2013 | By Greg D'Andrea | 1 Comment

We all know the USGA wants to grow the game of golf – especially when that growth includes women and minorities. But as I’ve mentioned before, that’s going to be a hard sell as long as venues like Augusta National (which are steeped in a history of racism, sexism and exclusivity) continue to be poster children for the game.

In essence, the stereotype of golf is it’s a white man’s game (Gentleman Only Ladies Forbidden). And that stereotype is pretty much a reality out on the links. We recently posted about the number of women that play golf – the statistic said 25% but that seemed awfully high to us (we figured more like 10% based on the frequency of seeing a female out on the course).

Why aren’t more women playing? Could part of it be this “gentleman only” aspect to the game? Now consider the number of African-American females who play golf. We’re talking about a very low statistic indeed. So low, in fact, that Tiffany Mack Fitzgerald decided to do something about it.

Ms. Fitzgerald was in the corporate world for a decade and noticed “how many [business] opportunities were available to people who played golf.” She also noticed how very few golfers were black females. It was with this in mind that she founded BlackGirlsGolf.net, with the goal being to grow the game of golf to include more women and minorities.

But she also recognized that golf is its own worst enemy when it comes to keeping these women golfing for a lifetime. After all, the game is rather exclusive and unquestionably male dominated – which is a big turn-off for many women. And the fact that most golfers (in the U.S. anyway) are white males may not be the biggest draw for those who are neither white nor male.

Golf has been late to evolve. The exclusivity that once attracted people to the sport, is now one of the things that keeps new golfers from participating. It wasn’t until 1990 that Augusta National invited African-American’s into their club and it would take another 22 years before America’s most prestigious course would allow women. It’s time to shake things up. – Black Girls Golf website

Instead, what Ms. Fitzgerald wanted to create was a “low pressure” and “inviting environment” to introduce the game of golf to women – and more specifically, to black women. To this end, Ms. Fitzgerald began with her website and blog – where she was able to communicate her ethos. More recently, she’s partnered with a golf pro to provide group golf clinics in the Atlanta, Georgia area. These clinics have been so successful at retaining new golfers, she is now looking to expand outside Atlanta to grow the game to women and minorities across the United States.

“Some of these women were so new to the game, they didn’t even know which end of the club to hold,” said Ms. Fitzgerald in a recent phone interview. “But they were able to learn about this game in an inviting environment that made them want to keep playing.”

Unlike recent efforts from the powers that be in the golf industry, here is a grassroots organization that is not only introducing new people to the game, but also making them golfers for life. This is ultimately what the USGA needs to grow the game…but you couldn’t tell based on the so-called initiatives they have currently in place.

Rather, the golf industry needs organizations like this to grow along with it. From the Black Girls Golf website:

It has been our experience that when women have a positive introduction to golf they are more likely to become ‘golfers’. Women who are brand new to the sport tend to make golf clothing and equipment purchases within three to six months of their introduction to the game.

As Ms. Fitzgerald seeks partners to help grow her organization, she is extremely wise to point out the benefits to the industry as a whole should she become successful in her efforts. After all, we all know golf’s core demographics are white men ages 25-64. To which she quips:

When African-American women show up on a golf course we get a lot of attention. Guess who is looking at us….White men, between the ages of 25 and 64.

For more information or to connect with the Black Girls Golf organization, please see:
Website – http://www.blackgirlsgolf.net
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/BlackGirlsGolf.Net
Twitter – https://twitter.com/BlackGirlsGolf

Augusta National: The Good, Bad & Ugly

April 10, 2013 | By Greg D'Andrea | 3 Comments

"The — The Masters (by Torrey Wiley via Flickr | CC BY 2.0)

Augusta National Golf Club. The very name conjures up emotions deep within us. For some, those emotions might excite and inspire; while for others, they might sicken and disgust.

The Good
Augusta National is perhaps the epitome of golf courses. Despite not being in the birthplace of the game, the course is as symbolic as St. Andrews…perhaps more. We golfers daydream of walking its fairways; of turning Amen Corner; of being immersed in a golfer’s total paradise.

Of course, the club hosts The Masters every April – a tournament rich in history. Marking the start of the golf season for many, The Masters sends us images of Augusta in full spring bloom – lush green grass and floral (mainly magnolias and azaleas) bursting full of color. It’s no wonder there’s a huge marketing push surrounding the tournament – golfers of all levels yearn to go out and play after viewing just a few minutes of the action. Surely the golf industry as a whole benefits through the publicity of such an inspiringly beautiful course.

The Bad
Make no mistake, the course really is in pretty good shape. But Augusta groundskeepers are working with smoke and mirrors too. For example, the course spent half a million on an underground vacuum system that removes excess water. And according to a post here, Augusta National…

“…reportedly dyes ponds blue or black to hide algae bloom, spray paints grass to make it look more green in years when the newly planted ryegrass isn’t flourishing and even refrigerates, or warms, the azaleas so that they’ll be in perfect bloom for the second weekend in April. Rumors have it that this year [referring to 2012] Hollywood set designers have been brought in to Augusta to hide damage caused by the lawn chemical weed killer Imprelis that was found last year to kill trees as a side effect.”

Due to this addiction of perfect grooming (which apparently involves some degree of deception), we have something called the “Augusta Effect.” The notion that every course should strive to be as impeccably maintained as Augusta National – and anything less is less than perfect. This notion has led to other courses overseeding to keep greener longer; led to more pesticide use within the industry; and ultimately led to courses going belly-up – all in an effort to meet the expectations of average hacks everywhere, who have come to expect conditions like those they view on TV.

The Ugly
Unlike the cradle of golf in Scotland, Augusta is no Mecca – You will not find golfers on a pilgrimage to these links like they flock to St. Andrews. This is, of course, because we are not allowed to play there. Augusta National Golf Club, hallowed as it may be, also represents everything that is wrong with golf. It is the very root of negative golf stereotypes: closed-doored, sexist and filthy rich.

Sure, the club recently allowed its first female members, but that gesture made for good PR more than anything else. So the USGA and PGA Tour are faced with a conundrum: On the one hand, Augusta National helps stoke the golf economy every spring. But on the other hand, the club flies in the face of what the governing bodies of golf want to do – which is to grow the game beyond the average white male. They want to reach more women and minorities. They want to reach more inner-city youth. But should Augusta really be their poster child? That’s a tough sell.

For years I believed Augusta National Golf Club represented everything a golf course should be: Lush, beautiful and steeped in tradition – It really did make me want to go out and play. To be sure, seeing images of the course this week will inspire me once again. But over the years, I’ve come to realize the industry is using the Augusta legacy as a marketing tool – a facade, which exists mainly to excite the imagination.

Nowadays my inspiration doesn’t come from Augusta, but rather from the beginning of a new golf season – the excitement of getting out there and playing again after a long, cold winter and the thought of hanging out with good friends while enjoying the game we love. And, I guess, the possibility of finally hitting that elusive hole-in-one.

So my advice to you is to enjoy the tournament; the competition; the phenomenal golf. But take all the pomp and circumstance with a grain of salt. After all – most of us golf in the real world; not in fantasy land.

The Breaking of Golf’s Color Barrier

January 17, 2011 | By Chris Chirico | Leave a Comment

Breaking down racial barriers. Isn’t that what it was all about for Martin Luther King? So in celebration of Martin Luther King Day, why not take a look at the PGA Tour’s breaker of the color barrier?

Contrary to what many believe, know, or understand, the PGA color barrier was broken long before Tiger Woods ever hit the scene. Over 35 years earlier to be a bit more specific.

In 1961, Charlie Sifford became the first African-American to receive full PGA Tour status (In 1928, Dewy Brown was the first African-American to play in PGA Tour events, but was not given full status until the mid 1960’s). But it wasn’t until after nine years of playing in qualifiers and non-PGA Tour events, even winning one, that he was given full status. Sifford went on to win two events in his career, plus a Senior Tour victory.

But here we are, 50 years later, and almost no progress has been made on the tour, especially when compared to the other major sports in the United States.

Since the most famous sports color barrier of all was broken by Jackie Robinson in 1947, the result is that currently 1 in every 10 MLB players is African-American. The NFL color barrier was broken in the 1940’s, and currently 65% of the NFL’s players are African-American. In 1950, the NBA’s color barrier was broken and currently 82% of the league is African-American. Even in the NHL, whose color barrier was broken (albeit incredibly briefly) in 1958, about 5% of the league is African-American.

But the PGA continues to lag. Of all current PGA Tour players, only one, Tiger Woods, is African-American…and he is actually bi-racial. So where is the breakdown? Why has no progress been made? Has it actually taken a step backward? These are all questions for another time. But I will say, it’s tough to blame the PGA. Between organizations like The First Tee, among others, the PGA has certainly attempted to expand their brand, as well as the sport itself, among the African-American community.

But with February almost upon us, Black History Month would likely be a good time to spread the name of the PGA’s first man to break the color barrier. If not to help promote the game and the tour, then to help more people learn about one of the most important historical figures in golf’s modern era – Charlie Sifford.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Male-Only Golf Clubs: Sexist Bastards or Constitutional Right?

September 30, 2009 | By Greg D'Andrea | 20 Comments

(photo by — Have golf courses like Augusta National been hiding behind the constitution for too long? (*photo by Roger Sayles / CC BY-ND 2.0)*

I wrote in a blog post the other day that golf is a “gentleman’s game.” My reference was rather tongue-in-cheek, but for some courses this is a literal truth. One would think men-only golf courses are in contradiction to what the USGA wants the game to become, yet it’s hard to squash the constitutional rights of a privatized club. I’m clearly not the first to discuss this topic (most prominent in recent memory being the continuing controversy between Hootie and Martha), but I thought I’d give the fire a stoking.

“We aren’t closed-door, wives and girlfriends can come out and have lunch. Really, the only thing they [women] can’t do is play the golf course.” – PGA professional Scott Walter (Bear Creek Golf Club, Denver Colorado).

Funny, I thought it used to be the only thing women couldn’t do in the United States was vote, and we amended the Constitution to change that about 90 years ago.

Bear Creek is one of about a dozen clubs in the U.S. that don’t allow women to play golf there. Others, such as Augusta National, don’t allow women members, while many more make it hard or undesirable for women to join (should note that while there are no women members at Augusta, a woman may be “invited” to play the course – especially a woman of notoriety, such as an LPGA player).

A course that is off-limits to women (both as members and players) is Southern Dunes in Phoenix, which has been the subject of a couple articles – one from travelgolf.com contributor Chris Baldwin. A few years ago, Mr. Baldwin had the opportunity to play Southern Dunes and subsequently penned the article “Defending the Undefendable: Men-Only Golf Clubs.” In the assessment of his experience there, Mr. Baldwin relegated the membership to “a bunch of golf nerds, through and through.”

Wrote Mr. Baldwin: “Let them be nerds! Women have their gyms where no men are allowed in to gawk at them in their stretch Spandex. They have Oprah. And any single or stay-at-home dad can tell you how open those playground clubs really are. Why can’t a bunch of golf nerds have their own club?” I find it amusing that just because these guys are a bunch of nerds, we should overlook the fact that women can’t play their course. And what nerds are members there? Here’s a few: Former NFL defensive tackle Dan Saleaumua, former Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer and former Mets catcher Todd Hundley. Yep, those guys epitomize the word “nerd” in my book!

Mr. Baldwin suggests that while clearly a stereotype, women may actually induce a slower pace-of-play on the course. Too funny. He should read this related post at Real Women Golf. (I should note that Mr. Baldwin ultimately said he would never join a men-only club, claiming the guys there seem to take their golf game too seriously for his liking).

But here’s the thing; Imagine you were on a quest to play Golf Digest’s Top 100 courses (which has been accomplished multiple times by various men). If you are a woman, you can’t do it. Is that fair? Up until the 1990’s, if you were an African American man you couldn’t play the top 100 either (and you may still be discouraged at some clubs today). That’s just sad. Meanwhile, the USGA is concerned the sport is not attracting enough minorities and women. Hello?

To play devil’s advocate for a second, this is a free country and private clubs should be able to exclude whoever they want, right? That got me wondering if there were any women-only golf clubs out there. Turns out there is one in North America…but it’s not in the United States. In Canada, there’s The Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto – and it’s nearly 10-years older than Augusta National! But even these ladies have softened a bit, as they now allow a limited number of men to become “guest card holders.”

As a public golf course connoisseur, it’s hard for me to imagine excluding anyone from playing on any course – if you know the etiquette of the game, I say tee-off. But I also understand the appeal of private memberships – I mean, your dues are paying for some type of exclusivity, right? But does that really have to exclude a gender? If you want male camaraderie, why can’t your foursome be men-only? Or does it really kill the afternoon to see a group of women playing a few fairways over?