Condoleezza Rice, Darla Moore To Be First Female Members of Augusta National Golf Club

by Jonathan Gault on Mon, Aug 20, 2012 at 11:39AM

CBS refers to The Masters as "a tradition unlike any other."

One tradition at Augusta National Golf Club, however, will change when the club opens for a new season in October and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore become the first female members in the club's 79-year history.

Augusta National had long drawn criticism for its outdated policy on admitting women. The organization did not accept its first black member until 1990.

Club chairman Billy Payne said the admittance of Rice and Moore is "a joyous occasion." Women have been allowed to play the course as guests of members in the past, but Rice and Moore will face no restrictions when they become official members in October.

"These accomplished women share our passion for the game of golf, and both are well-known and respected by our membership," Payne said in a statement. "It will be a proud moment when we present Condoleezza and Darla their green jackets when the club opens this fall. This is a significant and positive time in our club's history and, on behalf of our membership, I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome them and all of our new members into the Augusta National family."

Photos via Facebook/We Support Darla Moore and Condoleezza Rice