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The managing director of Cottrell Park Golf Club in Cardiff has written an open letter to Kevin Brennan, the MP for Cardiff West, asking him to explain a discussion in the House of Commons last week.

The matter relates to an ongoing dispute between the club and one of its members Lowri Roberts.

Ms Roberts has threatened to take legal action against the club, which she alleges is discriminating against her on account of her gender.

In a widely circulated tweet earlier this month, Ms Roberts wrote:

This followed a vote by members at Cottrell Park which, it was reported, overturned a club by-law that allowed women members to play in times reserved for men’s competitions.

The matter has attracted widespread attention and prompted Labour MP Brennan to raise the matter in the House of Commons.

In response, the managing director Cottrell Park, David Johns-Powell, has issued a strongly-worded rebuttal.

He wrote:

Dear Mr Brennan,


Please can you explain who told you that Lowri Roberts wanted to play golf on a Saturday and was banned from doing so because she was a woman?

Your statement made in the House of Common on the 10 May 2018 is untrue.  At Cottrell Park Golf Resort, (The Resort), female members can:

• play both golf courses at any time including Saturday.

• play alongside the men when they hold their Saturday competition.

During the past few months, The Resort has fully supported Lowri Roberts wish to play golf alongside men on Saturdays, which she has been doing.  Furthermore, Lowri Roberts confirmed her ability to play alongside men by making the following ‘tweets’; 14 April “I played competitive golf with the men this morning” and 4 May “I will look forward 2 competing @ a time of my choice on a Saturday morning again!”

If you had carried out due diligence, you would have discovered that the facts contradict your statement.  I therefore suggest that it is a disgrace that an MP make untruthful public statements that cause reputational damage to a family business and thereby possibly destroy the livelihoods of thirty staff.

Johns-Powell concluded:

The Leader of the House of Commons encourages you to seek an Adjournment Debate and I therefore invite you to visit Cottrell Park Golf Resort to investigate this ridiculous kind of instant first hand.  In the meantime, I attach a Press Statement that I have made together with the background information.

For the avoidance of doubt Lowri Roberts is subject to The Resort’s Formal Disciplinary Procedure because it is alleged that she made false and disingenuous public statements that have caused reputational damage to The Resort and although asked on two separate occasions to withdraw such statements, she declined to do so.

In a tweet, dated May 8, Ms Roberts said that he has been suspended by the club over the matter.


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Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

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