Jim Lewis:
IF is a very accomodating word in golf and anywhere else, isn't it?
IF Shoal Creek were located in Philadelphia..., IF Shoal Creek were located in Massachusetts...., IF Shoal Creek were located anywhere else....for that matter!
Shoal Creek is located where Shoal Creek is located, period.
Gary Smith:
Go ahead and call anything you want chickenshit that resulted from that remark by that racist dude from Shoal Creek. I know what happened at Aronomink in the aftermath of that remark by that guy with the instant policy change of the PGA and the USGA.
Aronomink had no problem admitting blacks or minorities into their club, they just weren't going to have the process shoved down their throats by something that resulted from that remark to prevent a firestorm of controversy caused by that guy so they chose to drop the PGA at a considerable lose to themsleves financially. They offered to put blacks or minorities into the membership process---just like anybody else!!, but no, that wasn't good enough for the PGA--it had to be done instantly so they could all avoid the firestorm of controversy that resulted from that guy's remark! Aronomink did the principled thing under the circumstances by dropping the tournament instead of caving in to a dictated policy like that and then they admitted minorities in the membership process they use for everyone else!
I couldn't care less if Shoal Creek G.C. was in Alabama, New York, Massachusetts or California. I have no real idea what that guy from Shoal Creek really thinks of Blacks and minorities, all I know is what he said and it's fairly logical to assume that what he said is what he thinks.
Next you'll probably try to convince me that what he said in the end resulted in being a better thing for America and American golf courses. Maybe you can stretch it to include that the ensuing history actually makes him an upstanding and fair-minded American! That would be clever logic indeed!
I don't give a damn what state the man lived in, he will always be a racist jerk to me. I'm not trying to campaign one way or another for the membership policies of golf clubs in America but what was the Shoal Creek incident was the aftermath of what that guy said. Whatever he thought and whereever he lived he should have kept his goddamn mouth shut!