February 9 — The Country Club, site of the 1999 Ryder Cup, turned down the membership application of Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, according to the Boston Globe.
The tony private club in Brookline, Mass., rejected Patrick and his wife, Diane, according to the Globe, which obtained an “uncorrected proof” of Patrick’s upcoming memoir, “A Reason to Believe.” Patrick, who won election in 2006 as the first African-American governor of the state, said the club “blackballed” him, according to the Globe.
In the book, as the Globe detailed, Patrick discloses that he came close to resigning shortly after his first election (voters reelected him in 2010) because of his wife’s depression. He also talks about his rise from poverty from Chicago’s South Side, his unabashed support for progressive causes, and his friendship with President Barack Obama.
It is unclear when The Country Club refused Patrick’s bid for membership or what the reason was for the rejection. Patrick’s press secretary referred questions about the topic to the book’s publisher, Random House. Random House and The Country Club’s general manager, David Chag, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
The famed Brookline venue is one of the oldest country clubs in the United States. It has hosted several USGA events, including the 1913 U.S. Open, won famously by Francis Ouimet, an unknown amateur at the time. The club also staged the 1963 and 1988 U.S. Opens as well as the ’99 Ryder Cup, in which Justin Leonard holed a 45-foot putt on the 17th green to earn victory for the U.S.
(Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. Check her out on the Waggle Room, Boston Golf Examiner, and National Golf Examiner websites. You may also follow Kay on Twitter.)
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