Bar levy

[robinthehood]

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?

Selfish How? He pays his dues and is entitled to play the course. Is the 5 day member who plays every day selfish compared to the 7 day who plays just once every Saturday. I get that you love the whole members thing, but it's not for everyone and you need to respect that instead of having a sneery attitude to those who join a club to just to play golf

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

If you had read my earlier post you will have seen that I personally wouldn’t mind as we go for a family meal at the club on a very regular basis, at least once a month. Average cost for the 4 of us is about £45 so I must spend at least £60 - £100pm once you include a few coffees and soda & limes. Anyway I pay my subs for playing the course!

What I did say was that a bar levy shouldn’t be enforced on those who have no interest in spending time in the clubhouse or have other things to do. They are not being selfish, in my opinion of course and to be frank, it’s none of my business whether they do or don’t. However some people, like yourself, can’t seem to accept that other people have a different view of things.

It is a golf club first and foremost where you go to play golf

Ok, thanks for the clarification 👍

 

[pendodave]

Ours is £50. So that's about 15 pints of beer a year. I find it hard to imagine how anyone couldn't find it within themselves to get through that. You'd have to be actively anti-social.

 

[SAPCOR1]

I get the whole club thing. Some people want to feel part of something, a sense of belonging. Whether it be a club, a blazer with badges, a flag to match behind, even religion. They have nothing else of worth in their lives and see this as, whatever it may be, as the only true way and can’t except others with a differing view.

I’m not saying everyone with reference to the above is like that, but many are.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

..and if your club does not have half decent - or any - bar and food provision because members don't support such provisioning - surely going to make your club much less attractive to societies and visitors - so less green fee income - and your subs have to go up or more members to compensate.

 

[Blue in Munich]

Again I can’t agree. Using myself as an example, I am a 6 minute drive from the course and if I am working from home and not too busy, I will check BRS and can head up for 18 holes and be back home again all under 3 hours if I get a clear run. During the summer I can play at least 5 times a week. I know many others that do the same whether it’s a quick 18 or the “front” 12.

Anoher example is that schools around here finish for the day either at 3pm or 3.30 and some have to be away for their kids.

Example 3 are shift workers and I know a few who will play the earliest possible after their shift before going to bed.

I know that these are all specific to my club but the point I am trying to make is that people sometimes only have a time window to play and have other things to do or places to be outwith the golf club.

Our club’s bar & restaurant are run by an contractor and is rated the second best place to eat in the area by Trip Advisor. There are plenty of couches and comfy chairs and no stupid dress codes to adhere to. All in all a very welcoming place to be.

I have been in other clubs where it is the opposite where it seems many members/visitors are walking on eggshells and seem to only be there to be “doing the right thing”.

So to summarise this long post, people have a life outside of golf and the club and clubs need to look at themselves if they need a bar levy to survive, not the members

If people can find sufficient time to play 5+ times a week and not visit the bar then they are choosing not to rather than not having time. if people have dropped the kids off at school and need to be back to collect them then there's more than enough time to stop in the clubhouse. I worked shifts for years and it didn't stop me using the clubhouse when playing.

I've got a life outside of golf; it occasionally stops me staying, but not that often.

I don't believe that a lot of clubs need a bar levy to survive, nor did I say that; I believe that they do it to try and encourage people to use the club part of the golf club.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

There appears to be an assumption by some that subs are paid to only facilitate use of the course when, in fact, membership of a club involves much more.

The bar and catering make available to members the "Club experience" which, I accept, is not for everyone. However, that is what a golf CLUB is.

If that doesn't suit you then perhaps you should become a pay and play nomad to have access to golf COURSES.

Nearly all the threads on here regarding this type of issue seem to involve a noisy minority of the who expect the majority at their Clubs to change to suit them whilst not being prepared to involve themselves, either socially or organizationally

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Ours is £25. However competition fees are taken from that, 2's winnings are put back onto that (hopefully you get the picture )
I dont have a problem with it, as at least it means you dont need to carry money with you

 

[Matty6]

£100 with 15% off food and drinks. Doesn’t bother me one bit.

Also, our Christmas texmas scramble is £20 which has to be paid with your bar card.

 

[GB72]

Maybe you just need to look for a new club then that better suits your requirements?

None near me that fitsthe bill and has a course I like. I get on well with my group, enjoy the course and have a coffee after a round and I can live with that. Merely explaining why spending more time in the clubhouse is not for me

 

[Deleted member 16999]

I get the whole club thing. Some people want to feel part of something, a sense of belonging. Whether it be a club, a blazer with badges, a flag to match behind, even religion. They have nothing else of worth in their lives and see this as, whatever it may be, as the only true way and can’t except others with a differing view.

I’m not saying everyone with reference to the above is like that, but many are.

Of course there are people like that and of course there are those who pay a membership and play once or twice a year, 99% of people are inbetween, how many succesful golf clubs are simply a course and nothing else?
It’s all the facilities, the bar, the shop, the range, the staff etc, like we get the calls to support your local pro, use him or lose him, all these costs have to be paid for by members and if members don’t contribute clubs will close these facilities and membership fees will rise.
People seem ok to enter comps and receive winnings that can only be used in the club in some form, why aren’t they kicking up a fuss for high street vouchers? Why shoukd clubs be allowed to dictate were they spend their winnings?
Bar levies? At least you get your money back and more.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

None near me that fitsthe bill and has a course I like. I get on well with my group, enjoy the course and have a coffee after a round and I can live with that. Merely explaining why spending more time in the clubhouse is not for me

Why does a bar levy equate to spending more time in the clubhouse? It doesn’t need to.

 

[Hobbit]

..and if your club does not have half decent - or any - bar and food provision because members don't support such provisioning - surely going to make your club much less attractive to societies and visitors - so less green fee income - and your subs have to go up or more members to compensate.

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.

 

[Hobbit]

Why does a bar levy equate to spending more time in the clubhouse? It doesn’t need to.

You only have to read this thread to realise there is an expectation placed on people to use the clubhouse. And you know what people think of those that don't. Its accusations rather than what can we do to engage with you.

 

[mikejohnchapman]

£30 at our place - as with many others can't get too exercised about it as it quickly goes even with a member discount.

 

[Wolf]

I don't think the argument that you can't stay because you haven't got time washes either.

I think that's where you're wrong as I've mentioned in another thread there's many times I simply don't have time to stop after due to family commitments, your doesn't wash comment is far to generalised and goes along the lines of everyone must contribute even when there are other factors to consider for a lot of people

I can almost guarantee thst car park members are spending money elsewhere

This part is correct tend to spend that money in more family friendly environments where kids are more welcome and can go out for dinner without the judgment that comes from many older golfers. (this is based purely on my experiences in clubs not a generalisation of everyone)

Golf need a to catch up with and get ahead of the curve........it's playing catch up

That's where I think you're only partly right, yes they need to ensure they're up to date and have things like WiFi,. SKY TV, better seating not just old style sterile seating. What they really need though is to make them welcoming to families with more on offer that's inclusive to all, rather than just expecting golfers contribute because they should

 

[Wolf]

You only have to read this thread to realise there is an expectation placed on people to use the clubhouse. And you know what people think of those that don't. Its accusations rather than what can we do to engage with you.

Totally agree with what you're saying, people lose the interest in debate of what can we do help encourage use or acceptance that some people don't want to, don't have time to or simply have other priorities than using the bar. Always comes down to a them and us type thing people accusing others od being car park (lesser) members than those that are part of the social scene

 

[FuzzyDuck]

£75 but that gets used in a month or so. I was once told that the number of members that don't use the levy amount is surprisingly high.

 

[Blue in Munich]

I think that's where you're wrong as I've mentioned in another thread there's many times I simply don't have time to stop after due to family commitments, your doesn't wash comment is far to generalised and goes along the lines of everyone must contribute even when there are other factors to consider for a lot of people



This part is correct tend to spend that money in more family friendly environments where kids are more welcome and can go out for dinner without the judgment that comes from many older golfers. (this is based purely on my experiences in clubs not a generalisation of everyone)



That's where I think you're only partly right, yes they need to ensure they're up to date and have things like WiFi,. SKY TV, better seating not just old style sterile seating. What they really need though is to make them welcoming to families with more on offer that's inclusive to all, rather than just expecting golfers contribute because they should

If you are going to quote me, then please have the courtesy to use the whole quote and don't take part of it, out of context, because it suits your argument.

The original quote in full was (and I've bolded the full bit in question, and underlined the bit that you used);

It's a little simplistic I grant you, and there are odd occasions when I won't stay, but as a general principle I don't think it's that harsh.

If you are playing that much golf that pay & play doesn't make sense then I don't think the argument that you can't stay because you haven't got time washes either.

Cutting out bits of a response to suit your argument and then getting caught out makes you out to be a bit of a knob, which up to this point I hadn't thought you were; did I get that wrong?

 

[trevor]

What people have to realise is that not all club members are the same. I like nothing better than playing golf at my club but don’t look forward to a drink afterwards anymore. It is a small clubhouse and quite cliche and fairly friendly but the trouble is everybody talks at the same time, if you want to talk to the person opposite you just raise your voice and he does the same, doesn’t matter how many are doing this. Now for the majority they see this as a good crack but for me being fairly deaf now can’t hear anyone or anything no matter where they are sitting. It’s got to the point now where I just make an excuse and go home, so there could be loads of different reasons for people not wanting to stay in the clubhouse.