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May 12th, 2018
Woman member suspended from golf club
For speaking out to media about discrimination
Words: GolfPunk
A women golfer who claims her club was discriminating against her has now been suspended because of comments she made in the media.
The row started when 37-year-old Lowri Roberts, who plays off 18, spoke out about men being given the prime tee times.
Roberts joined the club in St Nicholas, Vale of Glamorgan, in 2014 so she could play alongside her husband, but soon realised that when it came to Saturdays men and women competed separately.
Roberts said: "It angered me - I thought 'surely this can't be allowed in this day and age’."
Now a motion at an extraordinary general meeting to amend the Saturday tee times rules has been rejected, and confirmed that disciplinary action had been taken against a member.
Roberts confirmed that she was asked to "retract some comments I made in the press - I refused to, so I was notified last evening that they are starting the full disciplinary and during that process I am totally suspended.
"I have no rights at all to play on the course of which I'm a member.”
Roberts is now considering her legal options under the Equality Act.
The club contests that there is equal gender access rights to facilities, including its both its 18-hole courses.
When an event or competition is held on one course, then the other course may be used by members, guests and visitors of any gender.
It also confirmed that a Cottrell Park Members Association bylaw allowed women to play golf within the men's section competition on Saturdays.
If that is indeed the case, then I am not quite sure what all the fuss is about, but it looks like this one is going to run and run. And by formally suspended Roberts they must have realised that they were only going to add fuel to the bad PR fire, so the club have not exactly played a blinder.
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