LYNNFIELD — If you enjoy sharing a beer or glass of wine with your foursome after a round of golf, King Rail Reserve Golf Course may be just the right place to settle in, decompress and just plain relax with the beverage of your choice.
The Select Board voted unanimously to approve a seasonal liquor license at King Rail. The license, if approved by the ABCC, will permit sales of wine and malt beverages between the hours of 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. Consumption will be limited to the clubhouse and outdoor patio adjacent to the 9th green.
Attorney Timothy Doyle opened the May 22 public hearing by stating the hearing was for the purposes of the Select Board vote, which would move “it forward to the ABCC.”
All 22 direct abutters had been notified, according to Doyle.
Doyle shared copies of the floor plan of the King Rail clubhouse, showing the location of the refrigerators where the alcohol to be sold will be kept, as well as the storage area where inventory will be stored.
“Both of those areas are locked,” Doyle said. “A little bit about the refrigerator, it is locked and located behind the desk of the clubhouse, the desk being the area where people come in and pay to purchase items, whether it be a beer or a wine beverage or anything else in the pro shop.”
Doyle said the only people allowed to be behind the desk are “office employees or employees of the golf course.” A door (unknown location) will also remain locked to limit access to the refrigerator, as will a storage area located inside the clubhouse.
“Again, that will be under lock and key as well so there will be very limited access or access only to the employees of the golf course,” Doyle said. “We have nothing further to add other than to show you where everything is located and to demonstrate that it’s going to be under tight control within the clubhouse at all times .”
Crawford said similar licenses have been approved in the past “for our local courses so I really don’t have any concerns. It’s not something new, and it’s a much nicer facility than you’ve had before. I’m sure the safety there is much better.”
Vice Chair Alexis Leahy said she didn’t have questions but has not heard “of any issues from the police or any concerns coming from them about issuing them in the past.”
Committee member Dick Dalton asked if there were plans to take inventory on a regular basis to ensure “that we are making the money we should have.”
In response to Dalton’s question, Golf Director Donnie Lyons said the course’s POS system (point of sale) “would allow for any category, i.e. beer or wine or whatever to be added when it’s delivered and obviously subtracted when you sell it.”
Dalton followed up, saying that “in addition to the POS system it has to be tied into an inventory so that it’s all accounted for.”
Lyons said, “We would never have more than probably 20 cases combined of beer and wine. It would be a simple task to do weekly.”
Walnut Street resident David Moynihan, an abutter, asked if the King Rail staff will be TIP certified. Crawford said TIP certification is required by the ABCC.
Moynihan pressed forward.
“What I want to know is where is the beer and the wine? Are they going to be allowed to take it out onto the course? Are they going to be allowed to linger in the parking lot with it? We’ve had beer cans and stuff in our backyard, so I have concerns about that. Also, is there going to be noise? Who’s going to control it?”
Lyons said, “The staff will control. We abut homes at Reedy Meadows as well and I’ve been there 21 seasons and 20 years. We have beer and wine. We’ve never had any issues with the neighbors. We’ve had no lack of control over sales and so forth.”
After Moynihan pushed back and asked if people would be allowed to take liquor onto the golf course, Lyons was quick to say “no,” adding that liquor would be restricted to the Reedy Meadow patio and clubhouse. He assured Moynihan that it would be enforced.
Nonetheless, Moynihan pushed back.
“When the clubhouse went up, we asked about a restaurant. No. We asked about liquor, and it was no. And, so, here we are today.”
Doyle spoke to the actual license.
“The ABCC only allows for the clubhouse and patio area … nothing beyond that,” he said.
