Annual subscription 2026

[clubchamp98]

We have a membership of around 450, we have a £50.00 levy, out of that we have 2 members, I know of, who will not put a foot inside the bar.

One is a recovering alcoholic and that’s his way of controlling his demon’s, the other I have no idea why.

I was thinking this the other day .
My mates a recovering alcoholic but he will come in and have a coffee.

Maybe we need a choice.
Discounted prices for anyone paying upfront any amount they like.
No discount if no levy.

 

[PaulMdj]

Do people need to know “why”


If you want to know why a club has xy and z then ask them

I don’t think you will ever get the answer that you will be satisfied with

The “why” will be very much dependent on the club

And sometimes the why might - because that’s what they do

I believe everyone understands every Club is different Phil, no one expects a “one answer suits all”

But like myself, we simply go along with it at our Club and for what could be a misunderstanding of its purpose.

Surely people have the right to ask and it most certainly, imo, shouldn’t be because “it’s what we do”

Some of these levy’s add up to thousands upon thousands of pounds.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Maybe we need a choice.
Discounted prices for anyone paying upfront any amount they like.
No discount if no levy.

Seems like the perfect solution to me and something I would happily choose to opt out of as I genuinely believe I’d still save over the course of a year without the discount due to how my time is often split and not being a drinker.

Surely people have the right to ask and it most certainly, imo, shouldn’t be because “it’s what we do”

I would hope clubs don’t take that stand point. That’s akin to a parent telling a naughty child “because I said so”. That’s never an acceptable justification, blindly accepting things with not explained purpose is archaic and outdated especially if it’s hitting people in the pocket.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

I believe everyone understands every Club is different Phil, no one expects a “one answer suits all”

But like myself, we simply go along with it at our Club and for what could be a misunderstanding of its purpose.

Surely people have the right to ask and it most certainly, imo, shouldn’t be because “it’s what we do”

Some of these levy’s add up to thousands upon thousands of pounds.

Ask them then

People have given answers on here and the response - but why ! Because they didn’t like the answer

To be very clear - when someone pays a levy , it’s there still for you to spend within the club , you will still be getting something from the levy

As with everything - there is the choice , join a club without one , there will always be the option

 

[simsini]

Why is it common courtesy to go into the clubhouse and have a drink with someone you have just spent 4hours with?

I play in a large group of about 20 people, our four ball changes every week. We also know most others that play on a Saturday morning. Once a year we all go on a golf break somewhere too. Why would I only talk to the people I've played with?

We don't even have a levy, but what would some people prefer? No facilities and just a shed with a starter?

 

[doublebogey7]

I believe everyone understands every Club is different Phil, no one expects a “one answer suits all”

But like myself, we simply go along with it at our Club and for what could be a misunderstanding of its purpose.

Surely people have the right to ask and it most certainly, imo, shouldn’t be because “it’s what we do”

Some of these levy’s add up to thousands upon thousands of pounds.

Then you need to ask your club, you may get many different answers on here to why there club imposes a bar levy, non of which may be pertinent to your club. I also hate the , "because it's what we do" or "because we've always done it", which is I suspect what you would get at alot of clubs, in which case members need to become more active in questioning such practises. Discussing it on here though gets no one anywhere.

 

[PaulMdj]

Ask them then

People have given answers on here and the response - but why ! Because they didn’t like the answer

To be very clear - when someone pays a levy , it’s there still for you to spend within the club , you will still be getting something from the levy

As with everything - there is the choice , join a club without one , there will always be the option

I am asking!!

We know how levy’s work.

And there you go, as with everything - there is a choice!

Phil, Why is there a Bar Levy at your Club?

 

[Arthur Wedge]

I am asking!!

We know how levy’s work.

And there you go, as with everything - there is a choice!

Phil, Why is there a Bar Levy at your Club?

Because they want to encourage people to be in the clubhouse and use the bar and catering facilities as has been said by a number of people

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Interesting that some people are linking a levy to a discount. Pretty much all of the clubs I know up here give you a bar card with your membership. You load money onto that card, you get 10% off everything in the bar. In my mind, that is a benefit of membership over a visitor coming in for the day. The idea that you would not get the discount because you would not put a large chunk on at the beginning of the season......mmmm nope. The discount goes with being a member.

Unless I am reading some of these posts wrongly

 

[WorldHandicapSystem]

I play in a large group of about 20 people, our four ball changes every week. We also know most others that play on a Saturday morning. Once a year we all go on a golf break somewhere too. Why would I only talk to the people I've played with?

We don't even have a levy, but what would some people prefer? No facilities and just a shed with a starter?

That’s wonderful. But didn’t answer my question.

 

[D-S]

If it is, for example a £50 levy, then the only people it will ‘encourage’ to use the bar are those that would not, under other circumstances, spend £50 in a year in the bar; everyone else would go in anyway as they are regular more than £50 a year spenders.
So in essence it is merely a way of getting a very small % of the club to use a facility that, by choice, they wouldn’t otherwise do.

 

[D-S]

Interesting that some people are linking a levy to a discount. Pretty much all of the clubs I know up here give you a bar card with your membership. You load money onto that card, you get 10% off everything in the bar. In my mind, that is a benefit of membership over a visitor coming in for the day. The idea that you would not get the discount because you would not put a large chunk on at the beginning of the season......mmmm nope. The discount goes with being a member.

Unless I am reading some of these posts wrongly

There has never been a link between discount and levy in our club. We had the discount when club cards were introduced, the levy came in years afterwards.

 

[Imurg]

We dropped our levy a couple of years ago....no idea why.
Maybe pressure from those that don't use the bar, maybe they found that they didn't actually need it....
Bar/kitchen is quiet when we go in but there's plenty of times when it's rammed....

 

[Bunkermagnet]

We have a bar top up thats part of the total membership fee. This year I believe its £25.
My understanding is it's encourage people to make use of the bar and facilities, whether for alcohol, soft drink, hot drinks or food. Obviously with the stricter drink drive limits, alcohol doesn't get as much consumption as it may have done before.
However...there is an important thing about the bar....it returns an annual profit that does contribute to the clubs overall accounts each year and as covid showed without it, a profit from the bar does help to keep membership subs down for everyone.

 

[chellie]

No and double No! All the things you talk about that need paying at a Golf Club should be paid for by membership fees. Staff wages, Equipment, etc etc.

A bar levy is for something above beyond that and don’t forget you are giving them a loan which is returned to you on day 1 or day 365 with or without interest.

Bar levy non refundable and has to be spent in the year or club keep any balance on it.

 

[IanM]

And conversely I pretty sure one club I'm at did it all together. Bar card, levy and discount. But as we know, lots of variations on a theme out there.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Cheers for the reply, I’d be surprised if the levy is used for wages, I’d of thought that would be looked after under membership fees.

As b&f is a separately accounted function I suspect it mostly has to stand on its own two feet…with some subsidy to help support a sous chef…but largely the chef and head barman / front of house have to manage their function.

 

[sunshine]

Interesting that some people are linking a levy to a discount. Pretty much all of the clubs I know up here give you a bar card with your membership. You load money onto that card, you get 10% off everything in the bar.

How much do you load on to your card? £50? £100?

Imagine the horror if there was some way in which the club could automatically load £50 on to your card at the start of the year. I wonder if there is a name for that? It's a bit like a levy.

 

[sunshine]

Obviously with the stricter drink drive limits, alcohol doesn't get as much consumption as it may have done before.

Especially in January. Did you drive your chevvy to the golf club and find the levy was dry?

 

[PaulMdj]

How much do you load on to your card? £50? £100?

Imagine the horror if there was some way in which the club could automatically load £50 on to your card at the start of the year. I wonder if there is a name for that? It's a bit like a levy.

Gets worse, imagine having £75.00 on your card at the end of the year and for some unknown reason the club insist you put another £50.00 on.