After receiving social media backlash, a daily-fee golf course in Western New York has reversed a policy that forced players to take a Breathalyzer test after their rounds to prove they didn’t consume alcohol on the course.
The Buffalo Tournament Club in the suburb of Lancaster, New York, had instituted a policy that forced players to pay a “corkage fee” to bring alcohol on the golf course. The club stopped running a beverage cart on the course, insisting it cost too much to staff and maintain.
So club officials allowed players to bring their own cooler with beer and other drinks for a $5 per player fee. Those who were not bringing alcohol on the course also needed to pay the fee, but could be refunded their money if they paid $1 to take a Breathalyzer test at the completion of the round.
A few comments on social media caused quite a stir after the policy went into effect.
This is absolute madness on Buffalo Tournament Club’s part. Corkage fee? Breathalyzers? What is happening? pic.twitter.com/2FILcyhcnL
— Buffalo Golf & Social (@BuffaloGolfSoc) April 15, 2023
Although the owner of the course, Timothy Davis, told the Buffalo News that few players complained to him, the social media backlash proved enough to overturn the policy.
“We said, ‘Look, too many people are unhappy and we’re going to discontinue it immediately,’ ” he told the newspaper.
