What do you need to know about the new drink-driving limits?

The pint after golf is about to change

The drink-driving limits in England and Wales are coming down. It's not a question of if. The direction has been set.

And when it happens, it won't stop people drinking. But it will reshape where they drink, when they drink, and how much they're willing to risk for one more round.

For golf clubs, this matters more than most realise.

What happened in Scotland

Scotland lowered its drink-driving limit in December 2014, moving from 80mg to 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. The same limit used across most of Europe.

The change didn't transform road safety statistics overnight. The research on accident reduction has been mixed. But that's not the point for hospitality operators.

What changed immediately was behaviour.

The "couple of pints then drive home" occasion shrank. Not because people stopped wanting a drink after golf or after work, but because the margin for error disappeared. One pint became risky. Two became a gamble most weren't willing to take.

Rural pubs felt it first. Drive-to venues where the car park was the only way in and out. The operators who had built their trade on casual, low-spend drinking occasions found themselves exposed.

The ones who adapted did three things well. They improved their food offer, giving people a reason to stay that wasn't purely about alcohol. They invested in premium options, making each drink worth choosing. And they built credible low and no alcohol ranges that didn't feel like a compromise.

Those operators stabilised. Some thrived. The rest are still waiting for 2013 to come back.

Why golf clubs should pay attention now

Most golf clubs in England and Wales are drive-to venues. Members arrive by car. They leave by car. There's no tube, no bus, no easy taxi rank at the door.

That reality has always shaped clubhouse behaviour. But under a lower limit, it shapes it more.

Think about your midweek regulars. The ones who play nine holes after work, have a pint or two in the bar, then drive home. Under tighter limits, that changes. One pint becomes the ceiling, not the starting point. And for some, even that feels like too much hassle.

Think about your weekend comps. The groups who finish their round, settle into the bar, and make an afternoon of it. If half the group is driving, the dynamic shifts. Rounds get cut short. Spend per head drops. The social glue that keeps members connected to the club weakens.

And think about the members who already drink less than they used to. The ones watching their weight, managing their health, or simply choosing not to drink as much as they did ten years ago. For them, a lower limit is just another reason to skip the clubhouse altogether.

Unless you give them something worth staying for.

The wellness trend is pointing the same way

This isn't just about legislation. It's about culture.

Gen Z and Gen Alpha drink less than any generation before them. The data is clear and consistent. They're not anti-social. They still want to gather, to celebrate, to mark occasions. They're just not defaulting to alcohol the way their parents did.

Wellness is rising across every demographic. More people are tracking what they consume. More people are questioning whether the third drink is worth it. More people are looking for options that let them join in without paying for it the next morning.

Golf clubs have been slow to respond. Too many bars still treat low and no alcohol as an afterthought. One token 0.0 lager hidden at the back of the fridge. No premium non-alcoholic spirits. No thought given to how these products are presented or sold.

That's a missed opportunity today. Under tighter drink-driving laws, it becomes a commercial problem.

Two trends. Same direction. And it's only going one way.

What you can do now

The clubs that prepare will keep the occasion. The ones that wait will wonder where everyone went.

Here's where to start.

Audit your low and no range. Walk into your bar and look at it through the eyes of a member who's driving. What are their options? One alcohol-free lager and a lime and soda? That's not a range. That's a token gesture. Invest in quality. Stock premium alcohol-free beers, wines and spirits. Make them visible. Price them properly.

Design driver-friendly offerings. The post-round drink is a habit. Habits can be redirected if you offer something worth choosing. Think about what you could create. A signature alcohol-free serve. A post-round coffee and cake offer. A soft drink package for groups where half are driving. The goal is to keep people in the clubhouse, not to mourn the drinks they're not buying.

Train your team. This is where most clubs fall down. Staff need to recommend low and no options with confidence, not apology. They need to know what's in stock, what it tastes like, and how to suggest it without making the member feel like they're missing out. Role play it. Practice it. Make it normal.

Talk to your members. Don't wait for the law to change and then react. Start the conversation now. Survey them. Ask what they'd want to see. Float the idea of designated driver incentives or alcohol-free options in your competitions. Get ahead of the complaints by involving members in the solution.

Look at your food offer. In Scotland, the venues that held their trade were the ones that gave people a reason to stay beyond the drink. If your food is an afterthought, your ability to retain members post-round is limited. A strong food offer creates dwell time. Dwell time creates spend. Spend creates a sustainable clubhouse.

This is a positive, if you're ready

I don't want anyone reading this to feel apprehensive. In the long run, this shift is good for golf clubs that take their hospitality seriously.

It raises the bar. It rewards the operators who invest in quality, service and experience. It pushes out the lazy assumption that members will drink whatever's put in front of them.

But change in consumer habits is coming. The legislation will accelerate it. The clubs that move now will be ready. The clubs that wait will be scrambling.

What's your plan for the first member who says, "I'd stay for a drink… but I'm driving"?

If you'd like dedicated time to work through your club's F&B challenges, book a Power Hour Strategy Call. One hour, focused on your situation, with benchmarking, guidance, and a clear action plan to take away. £245 + VAT.