Augusta National vs Martha Burke
Executive Summary Augusta National Country Club, host of the Annual Masters Golf Tournament, is currently being pressured by the National Council of Women’s Organizations to add a Woman to it’s currently all male club. Chairman of Augusta National, Hootie Johnson, has publicly responded to Martha Burk, Chairwoman of the NCWO, that the clubs actions will not be influenced by pressure from an outside organization. ... Burk intends to continue her efforts by pressuring any sponsor, member, or player that has any ties with Augusta National or the Masters tournament. Augusta National will announce that women will be invited to join at some time in the future. The marketing plan is designed to enable Augusta National to make this decision when they feel the time is right. One objective of this plan is to remove this issue from the public spotlight so that Augusta National can make their decisions without public criticism. Other objectives of the plan are to maintain good public reputations for the individual members of Augusta National, and to show that the actions of the club are legal and not unlike those of other private clubs and organizations. ... Analysis of the Marketing Situation Augusta National is probably the most exclusive and prestigious golf club in America if not the World. Currently Augusta National is in a sticky situation with respect to its membership makeup. Chairwoman of the National Council of Women’s Organizations, Martha Burk has written letters to Hootie Johnson, chairman of Augusta National and several other members, pressuring the club to admit women as members. Augusta National has never invited a woman for membership in its 69 years of existence. Hootie responded that Augusta would not be bullied into admitting women. ... Augusta National is well known for it’s resistance to change, and after Hootie’s response to Martha Burk it is going to be hard to back down now. It apparently does not matter to the members of Augusta how they look to the rest of the world so long as the rest of the world is on the outside looking in.