Another Clubhouse Question

GB72

GB72

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I am certain that this topic is a bit of a hot potato when it comes to golf clubs but it is always something that has caused me some interest:

How come many of the golf clubs that I visit have both a full bar and a full car park.

Certainly when in various clubhouses I do not see that many people drinking tea of coffee or even soft drinks after a round of golf so how do these people get themselves and their clubs home. In a few places I have been it is not unusual to see a few bottles of red being passed around after round of golf.

Is it slightly endemic that people have a couple of pints after a round then take the car home? Is it irresponsible for clubs to encourage people to use the bar facilities when it is obvious that a large majority of people in the bar have a car in the car park.

I am lucky in that I only live a couple of miles from the club and a couple of quid in a taxi will get me and my gear home. I have even been known to take a taxi to the club in the morning if I have been out the night before. How do others deal with it.
 
If the police wanted to catch their years quota of drunk drivers then they should hang outside every golf club in the to at around 3-5 and test everyone - I wouldn't like to guess the number that would be over the limit
 
GB72 said:
I am certain that this topic is a bit of a hot potato when it comes to golf clubs but it is always something that has caused me some interest:

How come many of the golf clubs that I visit have both a full bar and a full car park.

Certainly when in various clubhouses I do not see that many people drinking tea of coffee or even soft drinks after a round of golf so how do these people get themselves and their clubs home. In a few places I have been it is not unusual to see a few bottles of red being passed around after round of golf.

Is it slightly endemic that people have a couple of pints after a round then take the car home? Is it irresponsible for clubs to encourage people to use the bar facilities when it is obvious that a large majority of people in the bar have a car in the car park.

I am lucky in that I only live a couple of miles from the club and a couple of quid in a taxi will get me and my gear home. I have even been known to take a taxi to the club in the morning if I have been out the night before. How do others deal with it.
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The club is simply providing a service, it is not their responsibility if people decide to drink & drive any more than it is any one of the pubs around the country who also have full car parks and full bars.

Quite often on a Saturday morning at our place the car park will have cars left from the night before but I don't doubt there are some that decide to drive home. There is also a lot of tea\coffee\soft drinks consumed post round by more responsible members.

Drink driving is wrong, but it isn't a problem isolated to golf clubs.
 
I have seen statistics that say having 1 pint actually makes you less likely to have accidents.

But then, lies, damned....etc.

The Temperance Society were the least temperant group I experienced in my youth!
 
HawkeyeMS said:
The club is simply providing a service, it is not their responsibility if people decide to drink & drive any more than it is any one of the pubs around the country who also have full car parks and full bars.

Drink driving is wrong, but it isn't a problem isolated to golf clubs.
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This, The golf club or bar staff cant baby sit everyone who has a drink in the bar. You just hope the golfers that choose to have a drink either get a lift or only have 1 and that's it.
 
Great point. It's definitely a problem, but not one the golf club is responsible for.

I always try and get the first pint in after a round, as I feel uncomfortable buying the second (or third or fourth) beer when I know that people are driving home. I'm also amazed that people nearly always ask for Stella, which will pretty much put them over the limit straight away, as opposed to one of the lower strength options.

But as HawkeyeMS points out, it is no different to any other pub, and not one the golf club can do much about. Indeed, the golf club probably makes as much from someone having lunch, a beer, then a couple of softies, than someone who nails a couple of ales after the round and disappears, so I'm not sure it can be said that they're encouraging people to drink (rather than eat/drink softly).
 
Not sure if we even understand if there is an issue. A car can hold up to a fourball so you only need one of them to be on soft drinks

Not that I think every car has 4 golfers in it but until we understand how many solo drivers there are (& drivers in general) who also partake of the bevvy then its all a bit of a moot point
 
Slab said:
Not sure if we even understand if there is an issue. A car can hold up to a fourball so you only need one of them to be on soft drinks

Not that I think every car has 4 golfers in it but until we understand how many solo drivers there are (& drivers in general) who also partake of the bevvy then its all a bit of a moot point
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How many car pools have you seen turning up at a golf club? A very very small portion of members will come with someone else.
 
jp5 said:
How many car pools have you seen turning up at a golf club? A very very small portion of members will come with someone else.
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Really! I nearly always commuted with my brother when in UK & even now its normally at least one other mate when we're heading to the course. Why wouldn't you car-pool?
and in both cases it added time & distance to the journey but its the social thing to do
 
Not many "car pool" at our place

You get the odd people giving a lift to their mate but that's a minority

And plenty have more than a few pints and drive home

Some of the older members have a fair amount more than a couple pints.
 
Slab said:
Really! I nearly always commuted with my brother when in UK & even now its normally at least one other mate when we're heading to the course. Why wouldn't you car-pool?
and in both cases it added time & distance to the journey but its the social thing to do
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if someone turns up at my gaff and theres two of 'em then one's either the wife, mistress or girlfriend:smirk:

bit of a non story for clubs, might as well say the same about bars, restaurants, tennis clubs, bowling clubs....you get the point
 
Easily sorted - I drive there so I have a soft drink or tea

Yes I know some who drink too many and drive home and I hope that they get caught before they kill
 
mikepops said:
Great point. It's definitely a problem, but not one the golf club is responsible for.

I always try and get the first pint in after a round, as I feel uncomfortable buying the second (or third or fourth) beer when I know that people are driving home. I'm also amazed that people nearly always ask for Stella, which will pretty much put them over the limit straight away, as opposed to one of the lower strength options.

But as HawkeyeMS points out, it is no different to any other pub, and not one the golf club can do much about. Indeed, the golf club probably makes as much from someone having lunch, a beer, then a couple of softies, than someone who nails a couple of ales after the round and disappears, so I'm not sure it can be said that they're encouraging people to drink (rather than eat/drink softly).
Click to expand...

If I'm not mistaken Stella is the same strength as most other lagers now such as Fosters, Carlsberg etc.

I know for a fact a few at my club on a Sunday after the comp would be bordering on the drink drive limit if not over it, is their choice and they pay the price if they get caught.

This is when one of the advantages of not being able to drive comes in handy for me, I can have a skin full after golf and not have to worry about getting the car home from the club :)
 
I dont think anyone is saying this is an isolated problem for golf clubs. This IS, however, a forum for golfers, so we all do frequent golf clubs, which is what this thread is about.

It's a little defensive to jump on the "its not just us, everyone's doing it" bandwagon. Stikes me as someone knowing there is a problem but not really knowing what to do about it, or ignoring it, so just sidestepping the question.

As we are talking about glf clubs though, and not clubs, restaurants and other bars, yes, from what I have seen there IS a huge problem with drink driving. I see it every week with plenty of people.

Thats not to say you have to have alcohol when you finish a round, I normally have a pot of tea or two followed by several pints of orange & lemonade. Some will have several pints of lager/bitter and then drive home.

Let's face reality, drink driving is wrong, in whatever way you look at it, and rather than swatting the issue away saying it's notjust us, perhaps we can think of a way to cut it down? Wouldnt that be more productive?

For our Captains away day next year I've suggested they hire a coach so we can all have a drink, rather than eveyone driving and still drinking. He thinks its a great idea andhas asked me to help organise it,so happy to do so.

I'm not really on a holy crusade or anything, but if you have 4 or 5 pints and drive home, you are MUCH more likely to have an accident than if you only had 1 or zero. That is simply fact. I couldnt live with myself if I had been way over the limit and hit someone so I take myself out of that situation by not drinking.

It's really not hard.

Get lift, bus, taxi, walk or simply dont drink alcohol.
 
I suppose part of the reason that I raised this as well is that golf clubs do differ in that they tend not to be in residential areas where much of the membership can walk to the club and my old club was on the A1 with no access except by car. You add to that the equipment that needs to be transported (there are not that many lockers to keep clubs in) and the difference with a golf club over say a tennis or squash club is that people almost have to drive to get there.
 
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