Beer on Vancouver golf courses a step closer

The Vancouver Park Board expects golfers will soon be able to have a beer while playing on the city's three municipally owned courses.

City council voted in favour Wednesday of allowing drink carts at Fraserview, Langara and McCleery.

Park Board Vice Chair Aaron Jasper believes the carts could bring in $100,000 a year in added revenue.

"We do compete with the private sector and other public courses, so we have to keep abreast of what the trends are," Jasper said.

Jasper said he acknowledged that not everyone in the community agrees with the decision.

"I know some people are adamantly opposed to beer on golf courses, but as most people would attest to, the alcohol is already there, so I think this is a way to pull it out in the open, to regulate it, to have better control of what's going on out there, and at the end of the day bring in some extra revenues to the Park Board."

The plan still needs provincial approval.

Jasper expects that if the province will give the go-ahead and if everything goes well, the carts will be up and running in the spring.