Golf Course Economics Clash with Neighborhood Safety Over Alcohol Licenses

Braintree officials on Tuesday granted the Braintree Municipal Golf Course's concessionaire one-day beer and wine permits for three tournaments later this month over the objections of neighbors, who said serving alcohol will exacerbate existing problems at the course.

The Board of License Commissioners approved a license covering the dates of June 26, 27 and 30 for Fairway Cafe by a vote of 3-0, with Police Chief Russell Jenkins and Fire Chief James O'Brien both absent.

Conditions attached to the approval include that Chief Jenkins must put in writing his decision on whether or not police details are necessary at the events, that on-street parking not be allowed and that the traffic through the course's property be restricted.

Cafe owner Peter Kalemkeridis had requested eight one-day licenses on behalf of non-profit organizations running the tournaments but the board held off on voting on the other five. They will consider July, August and September events at a later date, pending how the first three are executed and the receipt of additional information about the upcoming tournaments.

Kalemkeridis and Golf Course Superintendent Daryn Brown said that being able to serve alcohol will help the cafe and the course financially. Many groups, including local organizations such as the Braintree Rotary Club, hold their golf tournaments elsewhere because beer and wine is not available in Braintree, Brown said.

The license board approved a one-day license last fall, but otherwise the course has not hosted legal consumption of alcohol in recent memory. Some players do bring their own drinks, hidden in bags or coolers, and residents of the Jefferson Street area said Tuesday that such illegal drinking, along with parking and traffic issues, makes them wary about sanctioning alcohol.

"It would just encourage more," Jefferson Street resident Robert Gustavsen said.

Nancy Manning, who has lived in the neighborhood for 45 years, said that there are no sidewalks on Jefferson and children are constantly out playing and riding their bikes.

"It's just not a very good idea for the children on the street," Manning said.

Licensing officials, though, cannot regulate drinking that has not been sanctioned by an alcohol license, Board Chair Joe Powers said.

He added that by having the course and Fairway Cafe go through the established process for such permits, it unburdens the town of liability in case drinking goes wrong (that liability instead attaches to the cafe) and allows officials to set up conditions such as they did with the June events.

"Nobody on this board and nobody in this government wants to see anyone leave that course intoxicated," Powers said.

The board is scheduled to consider licenses for tournaments July 15, Aug. 19 and 26, and Sept. 9 and 15 at its July 9 meeting at Town Hall.