If you’re anything like me, golf insurance is definitely one of the last things on your mind.
I’ve been playing golf for a long time and it’s never occurred to me to consider it.
But, after hitting a home window with a tremendous slice off the 16th tee last month, my playing mates succeeded in getting me to concentrate about little else.
“What if your ball had landed in the garden instead of the window and hit the owner?” “Did you hear about the golfer who had to compensate a fellow player hundreds of thousands of pounds after hitting him with a stray shot?”
So, after nervously laughing off these hypothetical inquiries, I headed right home to begin researching whether or not I require golf insurance.
Although golf insurance is not required by law, golf cart insurance is frequently necessary. Liability for golfing mishaps varies by country, and golf insurance covers a wide range of risks associated with the game. Other standard insurance packages don’t always cover golfers in all circumstances.
There always appears to be an exclusion that catches your claim, or if you do have a valid claim, its low value means it’s not worth losing your no claims bonus for.
But it turns out that there are a lot of factors to consider when deciding whether or not golf insurance is a good idea.
When it comes to golf, your other insurance policies may not necessarily cover what you believe they do, and if you’ve ever hit a hole in one, golf insurance may even come in useful on the 19th hole!
Should you get golf insurance?
Mr Phee sued James Gordon, the golfer who hit the shot, as well as Niddry Castle Golf Club. Mr Phee was granted £397,000 in damages by the Court of Session in Edinburgh, with Lord Brailsford ruling that Mr Gordon was 70% culpable and the Golf Club 30% liable.
“I believe it served as a wake-up call for golfers,” said Colin Whitehead, a director of Golf Care, a renowned golf insurance provider that offers policies with personal liability coverage of up to £5 million. “At the time, we believed that only around one out of every ten golfers was appropriately insured.”
Sean Rowcliffe, a partner at Hegarty LLP Solicitors and a personal injury and litigation expert, discusses the ramifications of being found liable in such a case without adequate insurance.
“There would be costs to both sides in addition to the damages, and in most cases, the winning party would be able to recover them,” he explains. “If the losing party was uninsured and unable to pay the judgment, the victim might get compensation through a Charging Order on the individual’s property. Then there’s the possibility of an Order for Sale, Bailiffs’ instructions, and direct debits from the individual’s bank account and/or earnings from their work. As a result, being held accountable without adequate finances or insurance can have life-altering repercussions.”
Despite the precedent set by Phee versus Gordon, each golfing case that goes to court will be decided on its own merits, with no two cases ever being the same.
“You are extremely likely to be found guilty if you hit a golfer while playing a ball into a green occupied by the group ahead of you,” Rowcliffe explains. “However, if you actually make a terrible shot and have no way of predicting if the wayward hit will collide with other players and cause them to yell ‘Fore,’ the court is unlikely to hold you accountable.”
However, there is a lot of gray space between those two possibilities, and this ambiguity should be a persuasive cause for golfers to get enough personal liability insurance rather than a reason not to. “When you can be covered for just over £30 a year, why take the risk?” argues John Woosey, another of Golf Care’s directors.
The moral justification for providing appropriate coverage is compelling. If you cause an accident at your home club, you’re likely to know, if not be friends with, the person who was harmed. This could be a problematic matter if you are uninsured. Is the injured party pursuing a claim in court, despite the fact that you may face financial consequences? If they don’t, how would you feel if they lost money or had to pay medical bills because of the accident? Such a situation would be lot less problematic if fully covered.
Other than personal liability, there are other reasons to have golf insurance. One of them is to protect your equipment.
“We deal with a lot of damage claims,” John Woosey explains. “There have also been a few incidents of theft. An man who left his clubs in front of a green before going to look for his ball was one of the cases that was settled. Someone came out of the surrounding woods and stole his clubs while he was turned away. A claim of slightly more than £1,500 was settled.” Personal accidents on the course, damage to third-party property (a ball through a vehicle window, for example), and even holes-in-one are all covered by specific golf insurance policies.
“One of our policyholders hit two holes-in-one in the same round at his home club in Leicestershire in December 2012,” explains Colin Whitehead. “Golf Care paid over £150 on the celebratory bar bill.”
Household insurance coverage, it is commonly believed, cover personal responsibility and golf equipment used away from home.
In certain cases, this is true, however in order to keep rates low, “extras” like personal liability have been removed from many household insurance contracts in recent years.
“Many insurers will not cover athletic activities, and adding this coverage to your house insurance could be substantially more expensive than the cost of a bespoke golfing policy,” Sean Rowcliffe adds.
“Personal responsibility may also be linked to the buildings component of an insurance policy, so someone who rents and simply has contents insurance may be unprotected. It’s possible that insurance coverage for loss or theft of golf equipment while away from home isn’t included. Again, you may be required to pay an additional payment to your home insurance, which may be greater than the cost of a separate golfing policy.”
Personal liability coverage on your homeowners insurance may also only apply to occurrences that occur on the insured property (not then on a golf course.)
If you believe your homeowners insurance covers personal liability on the golf course and/or equipment loss or damage, it’s worth double-checking the fine print or speaking with your insurer.
So golfers require appropriate insurance, primarily to protect themselves from potentially life-altering effects if they damage someone on the course, and it should not be assumed that a homeowner’s policy covers this. It’s also worth noting that a golf insurance coverage will pay you if you get hurt on the course, cause damage to someone else’s property, lose or destroy your equipment, or even make a hole in one.
Insurance payments for your house, car, phone, washing machine, and even your pet all be found in your monthly outgoings. We’re accustomed to purchasing insurance to mitigate risk. Golf is just a danger we should be insured for. It may be an additional expenditure, and it may be unappealing, but it is a risk we should be covered for.
Many golfers believe there is an unspoken contract that when you step onto the golf course, you accept the danger of being harmed as part of the game. That is no longer the case in society. People are now significantly more inclined to seek compensation through the courts, even if they are golfers, due to increased awareness of organizations that offer “no win, no fee” claims. As a result, all golfers should obtain appropriate insurance.
Each situation is unique. Each personal liability case will be decided on its own merits in court. There will almost never be any video evidence, and there will almost never be any independent witnesses. The claim will almost always come down to the word of the “responsible” golfer and the injured person. One thing is certain: yelling “Fore” will not free a golfer of blame.
The number of cases that proceed to court and are awarded damages is still quite modest. When they do, and the defendant is determined to be at fault, compensation payouts might be substantial. If you don’t have the right insurance, you could be in serious trouble. Is it worth it to take a chance? Most likely not. Other insurance
Some homeowners’ insurance plans may give coverage, however the majority do not. Don’t simply trust you are covered for golf by your household insurance, verify the terms of your policy carefully or speak to your insurance agency.
Another factor to consider is excess. If you hit someone’s car or property and file a claim with your homeowner’s insurance, you may be required to pay a hefty excess. Furthermore, it is possible that your premium will increase the next year.
With premiums starting at just £30 a year, it seems like a no-brainer to get specialised golf insurance to provide you the peace of mind you need when hitting the fairways.
Do I need golf insurance UK?
Frequently Asked Questions about Golf Insurance Although you are not required to have insurance to play golf, it can help cover the costs of damage to your equipment or any damage you do while on the course. Yes, golf insurance covers third-party liability, which can cover the cost of damage you cause to another person’s property, such as their car.
Are you liable if you hit someone with a golf ball?
Is it possible to file a lawsuit if you are injured by a golf ball? The answer is, like with many legal questions, it depends.
California, like the majority of states, adopts the rule of law known as the common law “Risk assumption.” The basic norm is that persons who engage in harmful activities knowingly and deliberately assume the dangers that come with them. Because a football player is aware that he may be tackled and is aware that tackles might result in knee injuries, a player who is tackled cannot successfully sue the person who tackled him.
However, like with most legal doctrines, the “There are exceptions to the “assumption of risk” theory. Football players accept known hazards that are part of the game, although not all risks are understood or inherent in the game. For example, if a recently installed artificial turf in a football stadium is defective and a player slips and injures his knee as a result of the turf coming apart at the seams, the player may be entitled to sue the stadium owner, the turf manufacturer, and the team in charge of its upkeep. In such case, the risk derives from an unknown fault in a turf field that players perceive to be safe, rather than a known danger inherent in a contact sport.
Is golf a sport that is inherently dangerous? It isn’t nearly as risky as football or other contact sports. It’s also not as risky as soccer or other fast-paced non-contact sports. Everyone who participates in those sports is aware that collisions are an unavoidable element of the game. Golf, on the other hand, is a calm sport. Even when managing their golf carts, players rarely collide with one another.
Even yet, the danger of getting struck by a stray golf ball is an element of the game. Players may reasonably anticipate other players to avoid hitting the ball in their direction, but golf balls do not always move in that manner. The California Supreme Court decided that the acceptance of risk theory applied to golf because there would be no sport in the game if every ball behaved as the golfer desired.
Golf is good to both players and the community, according to the court. Golf is a social event that draws individuals together who have common interests, according to the article. In addition, the court stated that “Physical activity in the fresh air with the scent of pines and eucalyptus “renews the soul and refreshes the body” – for those who can afford it, at least.
The court was concerned that putting golfers on the hook for bad strokes might discourage participation in the sport, robbing golfers and the community of its many benefits. As a result, the court determined that golfers accept the risk of being hit by a misaimed golf ball and that a player who takes a terrible shot cannot normally be sued, even if the golf ball causes serious injury.
However, the court did identify exceptions to the general rule. First, a golfer can be held accountable if he or she intentionally hits someone with a golf ball. In a second case, the court decided that a pitcher who intentionally throws a ball at a batter is not liable for causing an injury because throwing at batters is a long-standing baseball custom (albeit one that is against the rules) and thus an inherent risk of the sport.
Second, if golfers are found to be negligent, they may be held liable “engage in behavior that is so rash as to be completely outside the scope of the sport’s normal activities.” Hitting a ball that does not go where it is intended does not meet that criterion, but shooting a shot into a throng of people, even if the golfer has no intention of hitting someone in the crowd, could be regarded extremely reckless. And, because golfers are meant to strike the ball after other golfers have moved out of range, hitting a drive while other golfers are still in the fairway could be called risky.
A California appellate court recently found that a golfer who accidently hits someone with his club might be held accountable for negligence. Being struck by a golf ball is an unavoidable part of the game that everyone enjoys, but being hit with a golf club is not.
Golfers may be aware of the dangers of the game, but what about innocent onlookers who are not participating? This issue came up in a recent case before the Fourth District Court of Appeal in California. Miguel Leyva was hit in the eye with a golf ball while strolling along an unpaved recreational hiking trail that runs alongside to a private golf club. A barrier of trees and a six-foot fence separate the walkway from the course.
Leyva had no idea he was about to be hit or even that he was strolling near to a golf course when he was struck. Despite the fact that he clearly did not take any risks, the court decided that Leyva could not sue the golf club for damages. The club had granted the public an easement (permission to use its property) for the purpose of creating a nature trail. Property owners in California are protected from injuries that occur on public easements that they have given for recreational purposes. The golf club was exempt from liability thanks to this law.
But what if Leyva was walking down a city street? If the golf club should have known that its fence was not tall enough to protect the public from wayward golf balls, it may have been held accountable.
Each case is based on its own set of facts. The only way for an injured individual to know for sure if someone can be held liable for a golf ball injury is to consult with a California personal injury firm.
What is covered by golf insurance?
Golf is, without a doubt, a pretty pricey activity. A good set of golf clubs may cost you back hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds. As a result, it’s likely that you’ll wish to add some form of protection on your possessions.
If your clubs and other equipment are damaged, lost, or stolen, having a golf insurance coverage in place will cover you. This includes when they’re locked up in your car boot, possibly while you’re enjoying a post-round drink in the clubhouse.
Does my home insurance cover golf?
Many golfers mistakenly believe that they would be covered by their ordinary household insurance coverage while playing golf away from home, on the course or at the driving range. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
That’s because homeowner’s insurance isn’t the same as golf insurance, which is tailored specifically to the needs of amateur golfers. Some homeowners’ insurance policies may allow you to add your golf equipment as an add-on, but this normally comes with a higher price, which we’ve found to be more expensive than our specialised golf insurance.
What happens if you hit a car playing golf?
A baseball stadium or a golf course sustains damage. If your automobile is damaged at a baseball stadium or golf course, you will almost certainly need to file a claim under your car insurance policy’s comprehensive coverage. You’re unlikely to know who caused the damage, and the stadium or golf course is unlikely to accept responsibility.
Are golf clubs covered on car insurance?
Most policies will cover the cost of renting replacement clubs if yours are lost, stolen, or damaged while traveling to or from a golfing event, but not if you leave them overnight.Yes, most policies will cover the expense of hiring replacement clubs if yours are lost, stolen, or damaged.
What is hole in one insurance?
A form of insurance policy known as hole in one insurance (also known as prize indemnity insurance) is meant to cover golf tournament sponsors who give rewards to any player who can make a hole in one on the course. A hole in one occurs when a golfer knocks the ball off the tee and it lands in the cup on the first hit.
How much is hole in one insurance?
The cost of our hole in one insurance is determined by the amount of coverage you require, the number of golfers involved, and whether or not you wish to add reinstatement. Our golf hole in one insurance, on the other hand, starts at just £251, and you can see a complete breakdown of our insurance coverage and pricing here.
Why do you need hole in one insurance?
If you’re planning on sponsoring a golf tournament or competition with high-ticket prizes like vehicles or cash, hole in one insurance is a good idea. It enables you to provide golfers with an incentive to participate in your tournament without having to worry about covering the costs of the prize (which might be very substantial!)
What are the odds of making a hole in one?
Only 1-2 percent of golfers get a hole in one each year, according to the National Hole-in-One Registry. While this highlights how tough it can be to hit a hole in one, it’s not impossible, and you don’t want to lose money when it comes to awarding golfers with their hole in one prize.
How do I get hole in one insurance?
We’ve simplified the process of obtaining hole-in-one insurance. Simply visit our get a quotation page and fill out the form with your personal information as well as the quantity of coverage you require. After receiving a quotation for our golf hole in one insurance, you can either complete an online purchase form or contact us to further discuss your requirements. Please keep in mind that before you can acquire a policy, our professional underwriters may need to assess your prize indemnity insurance request.
Is a golfer responsible for a broken window?
While the golfer who smashed your window should apologize and accept responsibility, if she was otherwise playing normally, she is not legally liable for the damage. Golfers must exercise ordinary caution when playing, yet even the best golfers will occasionally hit a crazy shot.