Bar levy

[KenL]

No, my club doesn't have one.

I wonder about the legality of charging for something you may not use.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

£50 for bar and food. And as all money we put onto our account is available in the shop we can buy stuff there and pay for comps of it also.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

No, my club doesn't have one.

I wonder about the legality of charging for something you may not use.

Like my gym membership? Only partly asked in jest.

 

[Leftie]

£200 - and I probably add at least that amount again through the year.

With the 10% discount, the return is 11.something%. Better than interest from the bank or under your mattress. I win, the club has my money up front and wins - what's not to like?

 

[KenL]

£200 - and I probably add at least that amount again through the year.

With the 10% discount, the return is 11.something%. Better than interest from the bank or under your mattress. I win, the club has my money up front and wins - what's not to like?

What's not to like is that it takes away the choice from those who want to just play golf. Plenty people can't commit the time to using the clubhouse.

 

[williamalex1]

No levy , but we do have a club card , it's up to you how much you put on it. But you do need enough money on the card to enter a comp and pay into the optional magic 2s.
Most winnings get paid onto your card, plus it gets you a 10% bar discount.

 

[Wolf]

Not a fan of enforced bar Levy, I want the choice of whether I put money on a card or not, certainly don't want telling how much I have to put on it to feel forced into spending it. Could take me months to spend even £50 on drinks after a round.

 

[shortgame]

No.

 

[williamalex1]

Wolf , 50 Quid wont last you long at a forum meet

 

[Jacko_G]

We don't have one but been a member where they have had a bar levy. Like previous posters I've never had an issue spending it, usually within a couple of months maximum then I topped it up as required.

Good idea if the members use them.

 

[Parmo]

No we don't have one, our clubhouse is leased out to a 3rd party. Probs spend a tenner a week on butties and coffee and get 10% on food.

 

[Imurg]

That's an interesting point, a point that get raised a lot but for me, I don't understand why folk are against them, it's ploughing money back in to your club, I genuinely can't understand folks objection to them.

It's the fact that you're being forced to spend your money where you may not want to spend it.
A bit like buying a car but having to go back to the main dealer for service because they charged you extra - sure, you can go elsewhere but you lose that money. Or a hotel that's cost £100 for the night but they charge you £120 to get you to eat in their restaurant.
As I said, if clubs made their facilities desirable enough they won't need to force people in.
I'm just against the principle of other people deciding where I have to spend my spare money.

 

[AMcC]

We don't have a bar levy, but like others get a discount for paying with our card. Don't really get why someone wouldn't join a club just because of a bar levy. Even at £100 I would spend that a couple of times in the year anyway

 

[Hobbit]

Not been a member of a club that has a bar levy. I don't agree with it, not that it would stop me joining a club. People join golf clubs to play golf. If they wanted a drinking club they'd go to your local pub. That said, I spend more than your typical bar levy every month. Not that long ago I was spending that in a week.

If a club needs an extra £50 at the beginning of its financial year I'd rather they just upped their subs.

Some players have a limited time away from their family, and at the end of a round they want to go home. Why should they be (almost) forced to stay longer? Some people may be recovering alcoholics. Why (almost) force them into a bar?

Its a golf club, not a drinking club.

 

[jusme]

£200 - and I probably add at least that amount again through the year.

With the 10% discount, the return is 11.something%. Better than interest from the bank or under your mattress. I win, the club has my money up front and wins - what's not to like?

Couldn't agree more. I would like to see it forced on all clubs (yes it's legal - part of the contract you sign). I watched many a franchise caterer go under in many a cub and it's down to members not supporting the facilities.....the same members moan when it goes. I've been a member of 2 clubs with levy's and they both prosper as a result. The discount always makes it good value for members. Would not want it being a bar only - must be for food and/or drinks of any nature

 

[User 99]

It's the fact that you're being forced to spend your money where you may not want to spend it.
A bit like buying a car but having to go back to the main dealer for service because they charged you extra - sure, you can go elsewhere but you lose that money. Or a hotel that's cost £100 for the night but they charge you £120 to get you to eat in their restaurant.
As I said, if clubs made their facilities desirable enough they won't need to force people in.
I'm just against the principle of other people deciding where I have to spend my spare money.

I don't get your analogy, if you take a car to be serviced, it's the car company that gets to spend your money on whatever they like, same as the hotel, but the golf club spends straight back on YOUR course/club, it's YOU that benefits from that.

 

[User 99]

Not been a member of a club that has a bar levy. I don't agree with it, not that it would stop me joining a club. People join golf clubs to play golf. If they wanted a drinking club they'd go to your local pub. That said, I spend more than your typical bar levy every month. Not that long ago I was spending that in a week.

If a club needs an extra £50 at the beginning of its financial year I'd rather they just upped their subs.

Some players have a limited time away from their family, and at the end of a round they want to go home. Why should they be (almost) forced to stay longer? Some people may be recovering alcoholics. Why (almost) force them into a bar?

Its a golf club, not a drinking club.

Increased subs get you nothing, other than increased subs. Our club increased theirs by £50 two years ago and lost 80 members.

 

[Hobbit]

Increased subs get you nothing, other than increased subs. Our club increased theirs by £50 two years ago and lost 80 members.

And bringing a bar levy achieves what? Obviously each case is different. But a club that doesn't have a bar levy might make, say, £100,000 over the bar. Most card/levy schemes offer a 10%+ discount. The introduction of a bar levy might, just might, see an increase in footfall but people have a finite amount of money to spend. But for argument's sake lets say the introduction of the levy sees a take of £105,000. Now take the 10% discount off, and take off the cost of the infrastructure to run a card scheme.

That £100,000 take is now a lot closer to £90,000. The club sees a drop in bar take, but an increase in barrelage which should see the beer price from the supplier fall. If the club is to balance its budget it needs to increase the bar prices just to get back to where it was. The members see the increase in buying in costs, as more beer is bought but see a drop in profit and, potentially, are going to be asked to pay more for their pint.

To be honest, there's a number of variations and arguments both ways. One of them, which I agree with, is more people in the bar = a better atmosphere. But I'd rather see a club make its bar more welcoming so that more people go in anyway.

Each to their own. I disagree with bar levies.

 

[Wolf]

Wolf , 50 Quid wont last you long at a forum meet

Got no problem with that or buying the drinks. Just don't regularly spend money on myself for drinks.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Interesting reading the comments debating between "club member" and "car park member"