Bar levy

KenL said:
I spend a lot of money at my club, just stuck £50 on my account today and I'll use that in a month, less time in summer.

However, it's not right (legal?) to charge people if they don't want to use it.
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How is it not right or legal? It's a club that you've chosen to join; presumably you knew the terms and conditions when you joined so it's not like they've stolen it from you.
 
Imurg said:
Unlikely to be commonplace but it's entirely possible that some of those who didn't spend any of their levy simply forgot that they had one and used cash instead..
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We don't have cash form members. Our card acts as an entry card to the locker room and is used to pay for all food and drink so in theory to even access the toilets via the locker room entrance by the 10th they'd need the card to get back out again. Sadly we do have a larger proportion of seniors using the club a few times a week that the staff know never set foot in the place. They are a lost cause and the club is working hard to find better ways to get the majority in regularly (even if not golfing) and that's definitely a way forward
 
Imurg said:
Unlikely to be commonplace but it's entirely possible that some of those who didn't spend any of their levy simply forgot that they had one and used cash instead..
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Depending on the system and the club rules you may not actually need the card on you to pay from your account.
 
Blue in Munich said:
Depending on the system and the club rules you may not actually need the card on you to pay from your account.
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True. At the zoo the other day I saw a guy go up to the bar for a sandwich, he'd forgotten his card and didn't know the number so he just paid cash instead. He'd only have saved about 40p so not a big deal as a one off.
 
All the main till systems have each person’s name on the system and payments made against that name - IG , CS have them so you don’t need your card
 
drive4show said:
Your example sounds quite selfish to me. You play up to five times a week but pay the same subs as someone who only plays once a week yet you don't want to contribute anything extra to your club? Or have I misunderstood your point?
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Why should he? He’s joined a golf club, to play golf, anything extra is at each users discretion.
 
HomerJSimpson said:
We had a load of members who couldn't spend the £50 in the course of the year and would lose the balance. Some hadn't even spent a single penny and so clearly had never set foot in the club after a game. They don't have to drink and surely a tea and some toast after a game once in a world is feasible even if they had other commitments to go to. I would argue, although it IS as generalisation that these members were five day seniors as in my experience they are car park golfers always changing their shoes by the. Any club needs members to help by spending behind the bar. Its definitely a two way street and the club have to make the effort to provide a welcoming atmosphere with good beers and good food etc and members have to buy in that their club needs their support
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Is your club bar suffering then?
 
We don’t have a bar levy now.

We did 6 years ago, took it away, we now find more members spend at the bar and food.

We have very few car park golfers, think we are quite lucky.
 
Hobbit said:
Its not up to the average 'Joe' to make the club welcoming. Its up to the club mgt to provide a product that encourages members to visit and stay. Would you spend an hour in a very unwelcoming setting with poor products?

This whole argument is a bit like you hear some committee men say, "if you're not willing to put your name up for committee you can't complain." What utter rubbish. Apart from the odd year off I've been doing golf club admin since 1985. You want to complain to me, fine just don't do it in the middle of my round. You don't want to be on committee, fine, but that doesn't mean you don't have valid ideas or complaints. You don't like coming into the clubhouse, fine, but what can we do that might encourage you to do so.

I was that 5-7 days a week golf club man, golf/club matches/functions/casual beers on 4-5 nights a week but I didn't expect anyone else to have to do so. I love the whole golf club experience. I can go in my old club any time I want and have a great time. That, for me, is what golf clubs are all about. But I don't believe any one else has to. They are missing out, in my eyes, but that's their choice of lifestyle.

As I've moved around the UK & Ireland, and Europe(14 clubs now) I've seen how unwelcoming golf clubs are. And that's the vast majority of them. I know how difficult it is to break into a club scene. You could be in one of the most club orientated clubs in the land but if you know no one, when they are all best buddies, you have an up hill struggle.

If you want to encourage the car park members you have to get off your backside and do something that makes them feel welcome. You need to put a product in front of them that makes them recognise what they are missing.
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Great post!
 
Just some off the cuff maths. Haven't a clue where it will end up but here goes.

A club has 500 members, and subs are set at £1,000 = £500,000

The club has a bar levy of £50 = £25,000

The club won't spend the full £500,000 in one go. Having a decent lump behind them will allow them to negotiate some decent deals.... but will it really be spending a big lump in one go early on n the year. Maybe it will

The £25,000 bar levy. Deduct the % discount given on the card, e.g. 10%. That's £23,500 of beer. Most clubs operate around a 25% net profit = <£6,000

After costs the club has generated less than £6,000 from its bar levy. Its a contentious issue with a number of people. Why would you want a contentious issue that generates less than £6,000?

As has can be seen from this thread the majority will spend money over the bar anyway. If they are going to spend the money anyway, why operate a system that has costs, is contentious with some and give away a 10% discount? Where is the logic?

Why not drop the bar levy, still sell the beer at the 10% below and save on the operating costs?
 
HomerJSimpson said:
Sadly we do have a larger proportion of seniors using the club a few times a week that the staff know never set foot in the place
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Hang them at dawn!
How very dare they, after already paying such a high (imo) membership fee (yes I know, location), decide how they will spend their time and money! :oops:
 
Hobbit said:
Just some off the cuff maths. Haven't a clue where it will end up but here goes.

A club has 500 members, and subs are set at £1,000 = £500,000

The club has a bar levy of £50 = £25,000

The club won't spend the full £500,000 in one go. Having a decent lump behind them will allow them to negotiate some decent deals.... but will it really be spending a big lump in one go early on n the year. Maybe it will

The £25,000 bar levy. Deduct the % discount given on the card, e.g. 10%. That's £23,500 of beer. Most clubs operate around a 25% net profit = <£6,000

After costs the club has generated less than £6,000 from its bar levy. Its a contentious issue with a number of people. Why would you want a contentious issue that generates less than £6,000?

As has can be seen from this thread the majority will spend money over the bar anyway. If they are going to spend the money anyway, why operate a system that has costs, is contentious with some and give away a 10% discount? Where is the logic?

Why not drop the bar levy, still sell the beer at the 10% below and save on the operating costs?
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What is contentious about it?

I genuinely accept that you may be against it but £6k bar profit an annum can pay for extras, upgrade lounge carpets etc without dipping into club reserves.
 
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