What is the "official" policy on adding these to the site or possibly more importantly the general concensus? My opinion on off licences is that they shouldn't be included unless you can go in there and order a pint from a glass to drink on the premises, which effectively makes it a pub.
I feel a bit different about clubs, even though I find it slightly irritating to see them included in the GBG. The Leyton Orient bar has been included on this site despite the fact that it's not even open most of the time.
There are two reasons why I have raised this issue, one is that there is a council club near me that sells real ale and has been in the GBG in the past. You can get in there with a CAMRA ID but on all the occasions I've been there I don't recall anyone ever asking for ID. They also do two beer festivals every year. I probably wouldn't have voted in May if it wasn't for the fact that the Polling Station was in the TV room of the club!
My second reason is that at some time (next year now) I want to revisit Kinver, a legendary little place from the early CAMRA days. Today the GBG ignores the Batham's pub and lists the former Hanson's but now Black Country Brewery pub the Cross and the Kinver Constitutional Club. The club will sign you in with a CAMRA card and for me all three are "must visits".
Can I suggest that if clubs are added that they should be accessible by showing CAMRA ID and that they include a review?
The last thing I would like to see is a flood of Working Men's or British Legion Clubs that only allow members in and just sell keg.