The Golf Club That Covers Your Drinks When You Make A Hole-In-One (And Gives You A Premium Parking Space)

I am a big believer in making the game more inclusive, challenging outdated norms and celebrating those that show innovation and imagination to shift the needle within the game of golf.

It seems as though some member's golf clubs will only enter the 21st century kicking and screaming - but there are a select few out there who are attempting to rewrite the narrative.

In recent years, I have developed a great relationship with Leicester Golf Centre owner Anders Mankert - who was recently honored by the King for his services to golf - as his golf club has 'no rules' and he has worked hard to remove barriers to participation.

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It's clearly not just Leicester Golf Centre that are treading a new path in the sport, however.

Recently, we received an email from another maverick in the sport, Fairwood Park Golf Club Managing Director Rhodri Evans, who explained the steps his club were taking to solve another of the contentious issues in the game... paying for hole-in-one drinks!

The Club That Covers Your Drinks When You Make A Hole-In-One

Rhodri reached out to us after reading our article on 6 golf customs that need to be scrapped in 2026.

One such tradition is buying a drink for every person in the clubhouse bar when you achieve the incredible feat of making a hole-in-one.

I've always had a real problem with this notion. Spending hundreds of pounds behind the bar, for people I don't even know, after I have just done something that only a handful of people ever manage to do on the golf course seems backwards.

It feels completely outdated, derived in a bygone era where golf's demographic was predominantly rich men with plenty of disposable cash.

For some, the idea of getting a hole-in-one can be anxiety inducing - especially if you know you can't afford the sizeable bill that is about to come your way.

This sentiment appears to be one that is also shared by Rhodri, as he has taken a very creative approach to ensure that all players who score a hole-in-one are handsomely rewarded - without any of the associated costs.

"I mean, it doesn't happen very often, especially here [Fairwood Park Golf Club].

"But it does happen and it always seemed a bit of a bizarre ritual that golfers do something that's exceptional and then end up paying... it's like a poisoned chalice, isn't it? All of a sudden you're praying there's not that many people in the clubhouse.

"So we teamed up with a local wine merchants called Cheers, and they have sponsored the [hole-in-one] drinks behind the bar. They're going to give us some bottles of whisky.

"We've also got a designated car parking space, which is in the process of being designed with Cheers branding.

"Whoever gets a hole-in-one will get their drinks covered, but also they get their designated car parking space until somebody else gets a hole-in-one. So it could be a year or it could be 10 minutes!

"It has to be in competition, obviously, but we've got the two pros' car parking spaces, and the hole-in-one space is next to those. It's a pretty prime spot.

"I did mention it at the AGM and it went down pretty well, which is a bit ironic really, because I don't think any of them have scored a hole-in-one, but there we are. They liked the idea.

"The only downside for the club would be the bar takings on that one day. But really, that's insignificant compared to ensuring there's not a penalty for doing something great."