Back in 1987, then-City Attorney Louise Renne sued the Olympic Club, forcing the exclusive San Francisco golf establishment to make a decision: A) Allow women and minorities to join up, or; B) Cede the three holes of its course on public land and begin playing a 15-hole course.
The club pursued the former option.
Fences between the City Attorney's office and golf club have apparently been mended. So much so that City Attorney Dennis Herrera is now in the running to be club president.
After two years serving in an at-large position on the Olympic Club's board, Herrera and his fellow aspirants will soon duke it out for the slots of president, vice-president, treasurer, or secretary.
A decade ago, Herrera's suit targeting state laws against same-sex marriage was heralded as a continuation of San Francisco courtroom civil rights activism of the sort teed off by the Olympic Club suit.
Now same-sex marriage is legal and Herrera is poised to lead the Olympic Club, too. Renne, for one, says this is a sign of progress.
When asked if she would be up to join the Olympic Club, however, her answer was rapid and unambiguous: "No, no, no. Are you kidding me?
"My golf game," she continues with a hint of a chuckle, "is not so good."
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