A second thought re ANGC

[Mike_Young]

Sometimes we overthink ANGC.  I was speaking to another poster here yesterday and this came up:

Suppose you were 28 years old and had just won the Grand slam.  You had a law degreee and no clients and you met an Investment banker who saw a play for more clients. You and the Investment banker start a golf club made of of maybe 100 of the wealthiest Americans.  The club is mainly a power club with golf available.  Actually then and now the majority of the members are not avid golfers.   

We sometimes consider clubs such as ANGC to be golfer's clubs.  It's not and that why sometimes things are done differently than if it were a golfer's club.  Even the present head of the club was never a big golfer.  It is what it is.

[John Connolly]

Interesting insight. How then, or perhaps who then, attends to course maintenance and hole changes? Surely the golf IQ at ANGC must be high enough to run the most important golf tournament on the planet and prepare the course in such a way that it always ranks top five on the same.

[Dave McCollum]

As usual, Mike, an interesting perspective.  However, the young lawyer was an incredible golfer and the “investment banker” was more of a stockbroker.  They sent out a mass mailing—10,000 as I recall—to attract members.  David Owen’s book, The Making of the Masters, clarifies and he had access to the archives.  Of course, this isn’t much of an argument against your premise which is a reasonable interpretation of how things evolved.  These founders desperately needed the Masters (original Augusta Invitational) to promote the club by attracting the best players and enough members with the support of the powers that be.

[JMEvensky]

   

We sometimes consider clubs such as ANGC to be golfer's clubs.  It's not and that why sometimes things are done differently than if it were a golfer's club.  Even the present head of the club was never a big golfer.  It is what it is.

I think this is kind of a recent development--maybe the last 20(?) years the pendulum has swung completely toward the Fortune 500 CEO type as member. Before,while the "corporate" members were certainly sought out,there were enough "golf" members to keep it a GOLF club.


Maybe the current club culture is a manifestation of the Southern good ole boys (not meant as pejorative) dying off and being replaced by a more national, buttoned down,corporate type membership.

[Mike_Young]

Interesting insight. How then, or perhaps who then, attends to course maintenance and hole changes? Surely the golf IQ at ANGC must be high enough to run the most important golf tournament on the planet and prepare the course in such a way that it always ranks top five on the same.

John,
I'm not saying it's not a top course or they don't have the knowledge and staff to to accomplish the task for being at the top.  I'm saying the average member doesn't think about the course the way the golfer who is into all of this would.  Therefore there may be trees where we would scoff etc but they run the best tournament in the world.  During the mid eighties we would be raking bunkers during the tourney and we would watch the ritual of cutting the cups each morning with several green jackets walking around the area and finally pointing out the specific spot for the cup cutter.  It was classic.   Just saying most of the members are not necessarily avid golfers.

[Zack Molnar]

Here is a list of all of the tournament committee members for the Masters, many of whom are ANGC members, the majority of the rest being connected to the USGA or R&A.


http://www.augusta.com/masters/story/news/2016-masters-tournament-committee-assignments


So, to run the masters they do not rely on strictly their own membership, but also outside insight. But, they do have Fred Ridley, Jeff Knox, and Michael Bollanack, who all have significant golf knowledge as members

[Mike_Young]

Here is a list of all of the tournament committee members for the Masters, many of whom are ANGC members, the majority of the rest being connected to the USGA or R&A.


http://www.augusta.com/masters/story/news/2016-masters-tournament-committee-assignments


So, to run the masters they do not rely on strictly their own membership, but also outside insight. But, they do have Fred Ridley, Jeff Knox, and Michael Bollanack, who all have significant golf knowledge as members

Where did I say the normal membership runs the Masters.  I'm saying it was set up with wealthy members as a business venture by Roberts and Jones.  Golf was the common denominator but many of the members were not avid golfers. And you rarely see members brought in for golfing skills.  It's a power club with many jock sniffers. 

[Jason Topp]

[quote author=Mike_Young link=topic=62864.msg1496554#msg1496554 date=1460763713

 And you rarely see members brought in for golfing skills.  It's a power club with many jock sniffers.



Not entirely true.  The two people I am aware of that have joined from my area are very good players who I doubt would have become members based on their business careers.

[John Connolly]

I don't think the membership makeup, and its average handicap and attendant golf IQ, would surprise many here. ANGC is understood by a great number. One need only to have seen Bill Gates play to understand what lies at the heart of the club.

[Mike_Young]

[quote author=Mike_Young link=topic=62864.msg1496554#msg1496554 date=1460763713

 And you rarely see members brought in for golfing skills.  It's a power club with many jock sniffers.



Not entirely true.  The two people I am aware of that have joined from my area are very good players who I doubt would have become members based on their business careers.

It's possible but the odds are it was who they met while they were playing golf. Also they do not join. Usually are  invited to become a member . I don't know of anyone that has ever asked to join

[Keith OHalloran]

[quote author=Mike_Young link=topic=62864.msg1496554#msg1496554 date=1460763713

 And you rarely see members brought in for golfing skills.  It's a power club with many jock sniffers.



Not entirely true.  The two people I am aware of that have joined from my area are very good players who I doubt would have become members based on their business careers.

It's possible but the odds are it was who they met while they were playing golf. Also they do not join. Usually are  invited to become a member . I don't know of anyone that has ever asked to join

What happens after you are invited to become a member? We can not say that they joined? Did this come out in the pamphlet right after calling the creek, a tributary of Rae's Creek?

[BHoover]

If you are invited to join ANGC, and you say yes, is your invitation revoked?

Mind...blown.

[Keith OHalloran]

If you are invited to join ANGC, and you say yes, is your invitation revoked?

Mind...blown.

Honestly, I know a few guys that are terrible at golf, but titans of industry. These poor guys were Invited to become members at ANGC and both responded by saying " I would love to join". Each has been relegated to only seeing the course as a patron while standing by the tributary of Rae's Creek. You never, and I mean never use the word join.

[Mike Schott]

 



Honestly, I know a few guys that are terrible at golf, but titans of industry. These poor guys were Invited to become members at ANGC and both responded by saying " I would love to join". Each has been relegated to only seeing the course as a patron while standing by the tributary of Rae's Creek. You never, and I mean never use the word join.



I love The Masters and ANGC but the thought process that leads to this is why the general public has a poor impression of private clubs. Same with not allowing the word rough among other idiocies. Holy crap, can you be more out of touch with the rest of the world?

[John Connolly]

If you are invited to join ANGC, and you say yes, is your invitation revoked?

Mind...blown.

Honestly, I know a few guys that are terrible at golf, but titans of industry. These poor guys were Invited to become members at ANGC and both responded by saying " I would love to join". Each has been relegated to only seeing the course as a patron while standing by the tributary of Rae's Creek. You never, and I mean never use the word join.

I'm calling bull on that. A "titan" that ANGC wants, gets invited and lets the word "join" slip in his/her acceptance of such invite, gets banned? That scenario does not pass the smell test.

[Mike_Young]

If you are invited to join ANGC, and you say yes, is your invitation revoked?

Mind...blown.

Honestly, I know a few guys that are terrible at golf, but titans of industry. These poor guys were Invited to become members at ANGC and both responded by saying " I would love to join". Each has been relegated to only seeing the course as a patron while standing by the tributary of Rae's Creek. You never, and I mean never use the word join.

I'm calling bull on that. A "titan" that ANGC wants, gets invited and lets the word "join" slip in his/her acceptance of such invite, gets banned? That scenario does not pass the smell test.

+1

[Will MacEwen]

Pretty sure there was an article in it in Golf Digest.

You don't join Augusta. You are invited.

Can't believe people can't appreciate the distinction.

[John Kirk]

If they had responded by saying, "That would be awesome", would they now be members of the club?

Couldn't resist.

[John Connolly]

Pretty sure there was an article in it in Golf Digest.

You don't join Augusta. You are invited.

Can't believe people can't appreciate the distinction.

Will,
No one struggles with the distinction. All realize you don't ask to join. You don't have a "buddy sponsor you." But that's not the story being told. The story out there is that once you get the invite, if you utter the word "join" when you gleefully accept, they revoke the invite. That's hogwash.

[Kalen Braley]

Considering how Anal ANGC is about a lot of other small things...

Using the word join wouldn't surprise me on bit...

[Jason Topp]

[quote author=Mike_Young link=topic=62864.msg1496554#msg1496554 date=1460763713

 And you rarely see members brought in for golfing skills.  It's a power club with many jock sniffers.



Not entirely true.  The two people I am aware of that have joined from my area are very good players who I doubt would have become members based on their business careers.

It's possible but the odds are it was who they met while they were playing golf. Also they do not join. Usually are  invited to become a member . I don't know of anyone that has ever asked to join

I have no idea what you are discussing here.  They were invited to be members and now are members.  Whatever semantics are appropriate apply.

[Will MacEwen]

[quote author=Mike_Young link=topic=62864.msg1496554#msg1496554 date=1460763713

 And you rarely see members brought in for golfing skills.  It's a power club with many jock sniffers.



Not entirely true.  The two people I am aware of that have joined from my area are very good players who I doubt would have become members based on their business careers.

It's possible but the odds are it was who they met while they were playing golf. Also they do not join. Usually are  invited to become a member . I don't know of anyone that has ever asked to join

I have no idea what you are discussing here.  They were invited to be members and now are members.  Whatever semantics are appropriate apply.

Kudos to them for not dropping the j-word.

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

[quote author=Mike_Young link=topic=62864.msg1496554#msg1496554 date=1460763713

 And you rarely see members brought in for golfing skills.  It's a power club with many jock sniffers.



Not entirely true.  The two people I am aware of that have joined from my area are very good players who I doubt would have become members based on their business careers.

It's possible but the odds are it was who they met while they were playing golf. Also they do not join. Usually are  invited to become a member . I don't know of anyone that has ever asked to join

I believe the story on Jerry Rich was he played Augusta and afterwards asked how he could go about joining, and was politely told no one "asks" and was essentially black balled. So he decided to build his own private course.

[Carl Rogers]

Whether it was ever a Member's Club at some point in time, long ago past, it is now an International Course for the top golfers in the world for one week each year.
What I find interesting is a certain clinging to traditions for the "patrons" typified by the pimento cheese sandwich for a 1960 price.

[Kalen Braley]

I find it ironic or whatever, that despite their cheap food prices...they are in the top 5 for highest prices on Tour for entry into the tournament.

The whole "anti-gouging" thing doesn't seem to ring true....