U.S. President Barack Obama says he believes women should be allowed into the Augusta National Golf Club.

White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters Friday that although the issue “is up to the club to decide,” President Obama’s personal opinion is that “women should be admitted.”

The Augusta National Golf Club, which hosts the annual Master's golf tournament, limited its membership to white men only when it was founded in 1933 and admitted its first African American in 1990. However, the club's restrictive policy is still in place for women.

The issue took on greater significance after Virginia Rometty became chief executive officer of the club’s long-standing sponsor, IBM, in January.

All eyes are on whether the female CEO will be granted membership, as her male predecessors were all admitted into the club.