Augusta National is considered one of the most exclusive golf clubs in the world. In the heart of Georgia, on a magnific 350-acre estate, the club was conceived by tycoon Clifford Roberts and golfer Robert “Bobby” Jones as a gathering place for millionaires looking for a special place to play golf and escape the world.
Since then, membership in Augusta National has been offered by invitation only. Some of its most famous members are Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and Peyton Manning. With its marked heritage of exclusivity, it was not until 1990 that the club allowed the incorporation of members of African-American origin, as happened with Ron Townsend. And only in 2012 were women considered members. Six of them are known to be famous and influential. Condoleezza Rice, Darla Moore, Virginia Rometty, Diana Murphy, Ana Patricia Botín, and Heidi Ueberroth are part of this select sextet. Here we invite you to get to know them a little more through their golf links.
1. Condoleezza Rice
In 2012, Condoleezza Rice was honored to be one of the first two women invited to join Augusta National in 2012. She was a former United States Secretary of State during the George W. Bush administration. She began playing golf the following summer after taking office as Secretary of State. Her first lessons were taken in Washington DC, at Andrews Air Force Base. She has an index close to 10 and dreams of playing a single digit.
2. Darla Moore
Darla Moore also joined Augusta National in 2012. She is the former president and a partner of the private investment firm Rainwater Inc. According to Fortune magazine, she is known as “the toughest girl in business.” She acknowledges that she doesn’t play much and admits that her “golf game needs work.” Her index is over 30.
3. Virginia Rometty
The third woman to be invited as an Augusta National member was Virginia “Ginni” Rometty. She succeeded in 2014, just a few years after being named CEO of IBM in 2012. Like Moore, her index is over 30, and she acknowledges that she must work hard and find more time to play golf.
4. Diana Murphy
Unlike her predecessors, Diana Murphy comes from the world of golf. She is an excellent promoter of inclusion and innovation in golf. She was the fourth female Augusta National member, something that occurred in 2018. She served as president of the United States Golf Association for two terms.
5. Ana Patricia Botín
The Spanish Ana Patricia Botín was the fifth woman to join the Augusta National and the first European woman to get that place. She is number one in the Santander Group and has dreamed of being a professional golfer since she was little. “My aunt’s entry into Augusta is something exceptional. There are very few women members, and it is a pride that she is one of them and the first Spanish,” said Javier Ballesteros, son of the multiple Masters champion, Severiano Ballesteros, and Carmen Botín, Ana Patricia’s sister.
6. Heidi Ueberroth
The sixth woman on our list is Heidi Ueberroth. She is the daughter of the famous Peter Ueberroth, former Major League Baseball commissioner and co-chairman of Pebble Beach Co, owner of Pebble Beach Golf Links. She is the former NBA International president with an index rating of 11.6 and can hit drives up to 280 yards.
