Bar Levy £30 due to be introduced then change of mind!

[Imurg]

I wouldn't have a problem with it for such a small amount since I normally buy a drink after every round anyway (shandy, fresh orange and lemonade or pint of Irn Bru depending on mood). I've actually got £29 sitting on my club card at the moment and haven't been in the clubhouse since the start of October.

Since the card gives me 10% and helps the club I don't mind it at all.

Are there really people out there who are members at a club and don't spend £30 at the bar all year?

There will be.
I went most of the summer as a car park golfer due to the times I played and the times the food/bar opening not matching
The point is that you shouldn't be forced into giving your cash to the golf club bar if you're not going to be in a position to use it.
Most people will spend 30 or 50 quid in no time at all so having a compulsory levy seems pointless as the money is already going over the counter.

 

[IanM]

I can see both sides of the argument. Every club I've been a member of has had it and I have never had a problem with it.

Also depends on the type of club. I was once at propriatory club where the beer prices became daft so we all started drinking at a pub a quarter of a mile up the road. The owner soon got the idea and aligned his prices....

 

[casuk]

We have a loyalty card not sure what it is but it went up from £25 to £50 for some reason so now I'm £930 total this year

 

[clubchamp98]

Ours has gone up to £100 next year . A 100% rise from £50.
I spend that in a month so it’s no problem for me.
But a young man with a family that’s a lot of money.

By the way there were a few members last year never spent a penny of the £50 levy.
The club published a pie chart think it was 3% not sure.
One guy spent over £7500 that’s some bar bill.

 

[Backache]

One thought is that I consider myself a member of a golf club not a player at a golf course.
I pay my subs and get use of the clubhouse the course changing rooms catering and bar facilities and everything else. All of them are of use to me and collectively they need to be used by other people for me to enjoy them and also to pay for them.
I think of the bar levy as effectively marketing to use the bar , but if individually people object to it maybe a pay and play course rather than a members club is a better option where you pay for exactly what you get.
As it is different members get different benefits of the facilities depending on how much they use them and that will be the case no matter how you divide the different aspects of membership.

 

[casuk]

I spent £1.90 of my bar levie this year a waste of money for me personally as I dont spend much time there and dont really drink alcohol,

 

[Jacko_G]

I probably spend £30 a month at the golf club! Social cuppa and bacon rolls before golf and a drink afterwards. Money goes very quickly. I have absolutely no issues with a bar levy, that said we don't have one however we have a card system where I can top up any amount I want and spend it, prepay and it's gets you a discount on food and drink.

Pros and cons to the system.

 

[Jacko_G]

We have a loyalty card not sure what it is but it went up from £25 to £50 for some reason so now I'm £930 total this year

Do you not go in for a drink with your PP after a medal etc?

 

[Deleted member 23270]

Blimey some right miserable sods on here complaining about 50p or £1 a week.

 

[casuk]

Well aye sometimes but not much tho

 

[casuk]

Blimey some right miserable sods on here complaining about 50p or £1 a week.

I wouldn't bother if it was £1 per week, but I'm £930 in one go, I dont pay direct debit for my fees or membership and for me that's quite a chunk of change in one go every year

 

[MikeB]

If you're a member of a club surely you would want it to thrive & it does so by the input of the members.
What does a club do with funds raised by bar levy's, spend it on the course/clubhouse/running costs or give it to the overpaid Pro for his holidays!
We have tightwads at our club who every year buy 3 bottles of wine at the end of the year & take them home as they haven't spent a bean in the clubhouse, the same sorts who demo a club from the pro shop then buy it as cheap as possible on the web.
You take your chances, if you want your CLUB to thrive then it's in the hands of the members to support it.

 

[3offTheTee]

Also any new members joining MUST pay the £30 levy. There is no joining fee.

I am chilled either way but less than 60p a week does not seem much. The money can also be used to buy wine / beer/ soft drinks to take home

 

[Deleted member 16999]

I don’t see an issue with it and it can help the Club in numerous ways:

Bar has a cash injection upfront which can be possibly used to negotiate better deals.

More money spent in the bar equals more income in to the Club which can keep membership costs down.

If a member doesn’t wish to use the bar, go in once or however long it takes and spend it on water or crisps etc and take them home.

Speak to another member who frequents the bar and ask if he’d exchange his bar card for cash.

Nobody is forced to by alcohol etc.

 

[Hobbit]

People have the choice whether or not to join the club with a levy , they also are able to express their opinion at the AGM. Decent marketing costs money and if the levy helps bring people into the clubhouse which speaking to people in our club it seems to , it is probably a worthwhile exercise.

Heard it all before. I disagree with it. Its a lazy committee's cop out. Create an atmosphere that makes people want to be there. A decent committee will talk to the brewery's own marketing dept and ask them what is working in their tied pubs. All breweries run different offers that a decent club will have access to if they asked = barrelage discounts, spirit discounts, seasonal beers/wines. Seasonal promotional offers and posters. Very few clubs do.

The financial argument;

How many new bar visitors will a bar card bring in? Some? Lots? If a club has 800 members paying £30 = £24,000. Deduct the current regular footfall from that. Base it on the usual comp uptake in all categories + what the midweek seniors etc contribute + social visitors. You've added, potentially, £12,000 extra - not a bad number. A usual margin will see a 'take' of around £3,000 - ok-ish. What would a club need to add to the annual subs to make £3,000? Less than £4 per member. But when you then look at the 10% discount(sweetener) given to the members to float it, thats 10% off the full year's bar take...OMG, what looked like a good idea actually costs the club money. And that's an annual 10% off the take. And that's without the cost of introducing the card system, e.g. new tills, extra cards...it was £6k the last time I looked at a project to do the same, and that was about 15 years ago.

Taking a typical club take of around £100,000. That becomes £112,000 with the introduction of the card system(car park member's contribution over and above the regular take). Minus the 10% discount takes it back to £100,800 and then minus the initial cost of the system = £95,000-ish.

There will be a levy figure that works, maybe £50-£70-£100 as a start up.

Brilliant idea that so many people beat a drum about... more like great marketing by the people that devise these things.

I was never a car park member, at times being in the club on average 5 times a week at least, more in summer. I dread to think what my annual 'contribution' was. But 'strong-arming' members into going into the bar is just wrong in my mind. Forcing them to pay for a facility that I enjoy but they don't... is that right?

 

[Wolf]

The only problem I have with a bar levy is that it's a compulsory thing.
The age old argument about car park golfers not supporting the club ...blah blah blah.....
Some people don't want to, some people can't.
Why should they have to pay more for their membership than those who want and are able to partake in a drink and a sandwich afterwards.
It's not compulsory to go in the bar afterwards and people shouldn't get stick because they can't or don't want to.
As LT says..make it attractive enough to entice people in and they'll come.
Forcing them in is the wrong tack...

I’d say that sums it up for me perfectly.

I could go weeks or even months withou spending anything in the clubhouse because of the times I play and family commitments. Then there’ll be other times where I’ve been down there for meal with family and put more than £30 over in a day but that’s my choice to do when I get chance. I don’t want to be told I have to put money on a levy when I’ve just paid out a large sum for a membership.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I spent £1.90 of my bar levie this year a waste of money for me personally as I dont spend much time there and dont really drink alcohol,

I don’t drink alcohol at all but I seem quite able to spend it pretty easily - but as said - I use my club even when not playing - often popping in for a coffee or a bite of lunch as I work from home and live 5mins drive from the club.

I can fully understand why some might not want to pay one - and not sure that any arguments are made that make it a necessity - other than that which says without an up front financial commitment from members for a food and drinks facility it gets harder to make the business case for provisioning one - and as clubs need one for visitors it ends being funded by increased subs.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Good timing as I understand we're re-introducing the levy in March (talk of £50) and have just increased bar prices. That is due as I don't think there has been a significant rise for a while and the club has worked hard to keep prices down and we still get a 15% discount. I am definitely in favour of a levy and really think if people are that much of a car park golfer, and I suggest a 5 day member/and or senior paying reduced rates and they don't like it, try and find a local club offering the same quality of course and prices. Is it really too much, especially in the summer to pop in for a refreshing drink after a round. Are people really that pushed that an extra 15-20 minutes is the end of the world?

Yes I get the argument that people have family arrangements and commitments. However why not start 15 minutes earlier, and stop and support the club after the round by having a drink. Ultimately the levy will be swallowed by the club if its unspent and I understand they are stopping the usual frenzy of going into the bar and simply buying up a few bottles of the club's decent wines when the levy is up. The other point to be be made is our card now has the bar levy (or your current money put on it) and your competition purse on one account so they can use it by entering competitions, even if its the seniors only ones. It has been explained quite clearly in the AGM and correspondence why its back and how it is to be used. Let the fun begin.

 

[Jacko_G]

Good timing as I understand we're re-introducing the levy in March (talk of £50) and have just increased bar prices. That is due as I don't think there has been a significant rise for a while and the club has worked hard to keep prices down and we still get a 15% discount. I am definitely in favour of a levy and really think if people are that much of a car park golfer, and I suggest a 5 day member/and or senior paying reduced rates and they don't like it, try and find a local club offering the same quality of course and prices. Is it really too much, especially in the summer to pop in for a refreshing drink after a round. Are people really that pushed that an extra 15-20 minutes is the end of the world?

Yes I get the argument that people have family arrangements and commitments. However why not start 15 minutes earlier, and stop and support the club after the round by having a drink. Ultimately the levy will be swallowed by the club if its unspent and I understand they are stopping the usual frenzy of going into the bar and simply buying up a few bottles of the club's decent wines when the levy is up. The other point to be be made is our card now has the bar levy (or your current money put on it) and your competition purse on one account so they can use it by entering competitions, even if its the seniors only ones. It has been explained quite clearly in the AGM and correspondence why its back and how it is to be used. Let the fun begin.

That bit in bold would get my back up, what if I (or a member) had a serious leg break during the season or a long illness and struggled to use the club during the playing season? That would really grind my bones!

I'm not against a levy, had them in the past and always used it and topped it up regularly. Personally I think your club needs to rethink that stance. Then again I'm not a member of your club so maybe my opinion doesn't count.

 

[robinthehood]

Good timing as I understand we're re-introducing the levy in March (talk of £50) and have just increased bar prices. That is due as I don't think there has been a significant rise for a while and the club has worked hard to keep prices down and we still get a 15% discount. I am definitely in favour of a levy and really think if people are that much of a car park golfer, and I suggest a 5 day member/and or senior paying reduced rates and they don't like it, try and find a local club offering the same quality of course and prices. Is it really too much, especially in the summer to pop in for a refreshing drink after a round. Are people really that pushed that an extra 15-20 minutes is the end of the world?

Yes I get the argument that people have family arrangements and commitments. However why not start 15 minutes earlier, and stop and support the club after the round by having a drink. Ultimately the levy will be swallowed by the club if its unspent and I understand they are stopping the usual frenzy of going into the bar and simply buying up a few bottles of the club's decent wines when the levy is up. The other point to be be made is our card now has the bar levy (or your current money put on it) and your competition purse on one account so they can use it by entering competitions, even if its the seniors only ones. It has been explained quite clearly in the AGM and correspondence why its back and how it is to be used. Let the fun begin.

I don't get this support the club stuff. As far as I know I support them pretty damn well with my 1k subs per year.
Comp wins and 2s money goes into the pro shop. I'd not be happy at being forced to spend another chunk in the bar no matter how small.
At my last club we could use winnings in the bar too.