President Obama believes that women should be admitted to the all-male Augusta National Golf Club, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters today.

"His personal opinion is that women should be admitted," Carney said of the president. "It's obviously up to the club to decide. But his personal opinion is that women should be admitted to the club."

The prestigious Georgia club, which opened in 1933 and is home to the Masters, has never had a female member, although women can play as guests of members. This year's Masters presents a  particular challenge to the all-male membership policy. Tournament sponsor IBM has a new,  female CEO, Virginia Rometty.

Carney did not know whether the president, an avid golfer, would ever agree to play at a course that discriminated against women, but reiterated that Obama "believes Augusta should admit women."

"We are …  long past the time when women should be excluded from anything," Carney said.