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One of the golf simulators at Urban Golf |
Is it all about the golf
Or just a case of earning some green?
Residents fear Urban Golf is turning into just another noisy pub on their doorsteps
FOR a lot of hack golfers a sneaky swig from the hip flask is the only cure for a case of the dreaded putting-green yips.
But with clubhouse conservatives and plus-four wearing squares on every fairway, it’s wise to wait until the 19th hole.
One place the club secretary won’t catch you is the Urban Golf centre in Soho – where you can drink and drive your way around the world’s finest (simulated) courses, from the Belfry to Bighorn, for just £50 an hour.
But neighbours of the underground centre in Great Pulteney Street are so worried about the increase in noise from boozy golfers they have been trying to block plans to build a bar.
But they faced a major handicap – the saloon-style bar has already been built – a “mistake” according to management – who were granted a retrospective licence to enlarge their drinking area last week.
Despite an “unusual” amount of opposition, Urban Golf did enough to persuade licensing chiefs at Westminster Council that their Pringle jumper-wearing clientele did not pose a significant threat to the peace.
Management did, however, move to ease fears among residents that the emphasis is being changed from golf to drinking by imposing a number of conditions – among them, a cap on the number of people in the venue and outside smokers as well as a commitment to remain a golf establishment.
Set up four and half years ago by ex-golf pro James Day and a roll coll of heavyweight financial backers including the man responsible for the commercial success of Manchester United, Edward Freedman, and property tycoon Laurence Kirschel, the centre has been credited with moving the sport away from its stuffy, rule heavy image.
The six simulators can take a maximum of six players around any of 52 courses and it has become a hit with stag parties, Soho’s media crowd and golf enthusiasts who can’t get to the course in the week.
Speaking at Thursday’s hearing, residents told Westminster’s licensing committee that since the bar had been erected in place of the putting green, they had noticed a rise in drink-fueled noise in their street.
They fear it could be the tip of the iceberg and that the bar was a sign that alcohol and not golf would become the main income generator.
Speaking for the residents, Isobel Anderton said: “I feel there has been a change in emphasis. Now there is a large bar where people can sit and drink and there is alcohol on display, whereas before it was table service.
“The other day there were a lot of men outside smoking and drinking. We would worry that with the recession it might try and attract more drinkers, stag nights and corporate business.”
In defence of the plans, James Day said Urban Golf was not looking to encourage “vertical drinking” but was instead trying to make things easier for waiters.
He denied a change in “emphasis”, and said golf and not the “stag night” crowd was still their main draw.
He said: “Rowdy groups aren’t good for business. You can’t just come in for a drink off the street. It’s true we changed the bar five months ago. That was a mistake and we didn’t know we needed to apply for a variation.
“We are doing it to make it easier for the waiters to manage. Before we had to serve food and drink from the same kitchen and it wasn’t working.
“Golf is still 70 per cent of our income and, to be honest, if you’re not playing golf its a pretty boring place.” |
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