Women were never outright banned from playing at Augusta National Golf Club; instead, for many decades they were excluded from membership and formal inclusion in its flagship events.

What “allowed to play” really means

  • As guests: Women have long been able to play Augusta as guests or spouses of male members, including on the Sunday before Masters week when the course is opened to caddies and family.
  • As members: The club did not admit its first female members until August 20, 2012 , when Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore were invited to join.

When women started competing there

  • The Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA), a high‑profile amateur event for women, began in 2019 , and those players use the course around the same time as the Masters.
  • So while women had technically “played” as guests long before, 2012 marks when they were formally allowed in as members, and 2019 marks the first major women‑specific competition hosted by the club.

Quick comparison table

Aspect| When women were allowed| Notes
---|---|---
Play as guests / spouses| Long before 2012| Including pre‑Masters Sunday play. 13
Full membership status| August 20, 2012| Rice and Moore first female members. 35
First women’s competition at Augusta| April 2019 (ANWA)| Top women amateurs compete on the course. 3

In short: women were always allowed to play at Augusta as guests, but 2012 is the key date for formal inclusion as members, and 2019 is when women first got a major competitive event of their own at the club.