“People have been waiting for this,” said the Hall of Fame golfer Amy Alcott, who has played at Augusta National as a guest. “Nobody functions well with an ultimatum. I said it would happen when people least expect it.”

Even the issuing of a news release to announce the invitations to Ms. Rice and Ms. Moore was something of a surprise.

“I’m not sure they’ve changed their mind — that they had one position a few months ago and a different one today,” said Neal Pilson, a former president of CBS Sports. “Augusta, historically, has operated on its own timetable and most likely felt that the appropriate time to announce it would not be on anybody’s time schedule but their own. The fact that the media might be asking in April was one thing, but my guess is that the admission was separate from the tournament so that it would not appear that they were being pressured by the media to make an announcement.”

Women had been allowed to play at the club as guests of its 300-plus members. One does not apply to belong to Augusta National, whose members have included presidents (Dwight Eisenhower), leading businessmen and golf greats like Arnold Palmer. The club’s secretive selection process calls to mind the College of Cardinals meeting in conclave to choose a pope. Prospective members are identified by a small committee, and the vetting process can take several years, with those under scrutiny probably unaware they are being sized up for membership.

“We are fortunate to consider many qualified candidates for membership at Augusta National,” Mr. Payne, who took over as the chairman in 2006, said in a statement. “Consideration with regard to any candidate is deliberate, held in strict confidence and always takes place over an extended period of time. The process for Condoleezza and Darla was no different.”