Golf club votes against men and women playing at same time

A lady member of Cottrell Park Golf Club in Cardiff has revealed how she is "no longer allowed to play competitive golf in the men's slot" on a Saturday morning.

Lowri Roberts, 37, posted the agenda from an extraordinary general meeting on May 1 on Twitter, where she said the following proposals were rejected:

1) To organise competitions on a gender-neutral basis and not have separate competitions for men and women; 2) To allow men and women to play at the same time, in slots that were traditionally reserved for one or the other.

Cottrell Park Members’ Association (CPMA) chairman Andy Mogridge has since said the organisation was not discriminating against women.

The rules at the club mean Saturday morning slots between 7.30am and 11am were reserved for men on the course which holds the men's competition (though any full member can play outside these times).

Cottrell Park has two 18-hole courses and, as a woman, if Ms Roberts, an 18-handicapper, wanted to play on a Saturday morning she would have to play on an alternative course, among visitors and societies, which she describes as “an environment not conducive to competitive golf”.

She considers this arrangement discriminatory because she does not have the same level of choice as male members.

The issue of gender equality in golf clubs has frequently proved controversial in recent years, with some of Britain's most prestigious clubs only recently admitting women, and others appearing reluctant to allow women full access to all areas of their premises.

Scotland's famous Muirfield course forfeited the right to hold the Open Championship in 2016 after its members voted against allowing women to join. It returned to the rota the following year after a second vote overturned that decision.
 

Mr Mogridge said Cottrell Park's issue dates back to when the club first opened in the 1990s.

The 51-year-old from Cardiff Bay said: “We’ve got probably about 50 lady members of which we have 15 full-time members. The remaining are mid-week members.

“Lowri Roberts is a full-time member and works full-time so is unable to take part in the competition on a Thursday.

“When the course first opened there were two courses – an 18-hole and nine-hole. There were not enough lady members to justify a ‘Ladies Day’ so a concession was granted to allow ladies to play with the men on a Saturday during the men’s competition tee times.

“They were not, however, allowed to enter the men’s competition, merely submit a supplementary card. The men have never been allowed to play within the ladies’ tee slots.

“Earlier this year, post the AGM, this concession was re-instated pending an investigation as to whether the concession had been withdrawn or not. It transpired that the current men’s rules do not provide an exemption for the concession hence the EGM was called to give the membership the opportunity of either endorsing it, with a slight amendment to also allow the men to play within the ladies’ competition during the week, or rejecting it.

“Motion A at the EGM would have remedied this as the arrangement would have been reciprocal, ie ladies play within the men’s tee slots on a Saturday and vice versa on Ladies Day during the week. The motion was defeated.

“A lot of people don’t understand that we have different courses . A lot of people are screaming discrimination but we have got two 18-hole courses you can play on. To me that is not discrimination in my eyes.

“If anybody was discriminated against, it was the men who were being discriminated against on a Thursday.

“We encourage mixed golf but there seems to be a distinct lack of interest for it. The mixed competition on May Day has been cancelled due to lack of interest.

“There are 48 Saturdays between now and next March, and 45 are Saturday competitions [Ms Roberts] can enter as a lady. She wants to play at a time that suits her, which she is able to do on the alternative course to that which holds the men's competition should she decide not to enter the ladies' competitions that are also held on Saturdays from around 10am. Additionally, Lowri can play before or after the competition on the course holding the men’s competition."

Ms Roberts said: “I will continue to pursue this matter until Cottrell starts treating lady golfers (especially those of us who work full-time) with the respect and equality that they deserve. These are sad times. The fight continues.”