Golf and country club insurance from the first tee to the 19th hole
Golf operations combine hospitality, food service, liquor, recreation, fleet operations and extensive property across sprawling acreage. We build programs for courses, clubhouses and amenities across the Pacific Northwest.
Coverage built for golf and club operations
Golf courses and country clubs face a combination of risks that generic business insurance doesn't adequately address. Whether you operate an 18-hole championship course, a private country club with tennis and pools, or a municipal golf facility, you need insurance designed for the industry. Errant ball coverage, golf cart liability, member property protection and tournament coverage are elements standard policies often miss.
Golf operations create exposures at every turn. A single errant shot can shatter a windshield, a golf cart accident can cause serious injuries, and a liquor-related incident can generate claims exceeding $1 million.
Core golf and club coverages
The essential protections every golf operation needs.
Property Insurance
Your clubhouse, pro shop, maintenance facilities, cart barns and course infrastructure. Many clubs carry millions in property value, including restaurants, banquet facilities and specialized equipment, and coverage should extend to irrigation systems, bridges and landscaping.
- Clubhouse and pro shop
- Maintenance buildings and equipment
- Cart barn and golf cart fleet
- Irrigation systems
- Bridges, paths and course features
- Business income protection
General Liability
Claims when guests, members or the public are injured on your property or harmed by your operations, including errant balls, cart accidents, slips and falls and recreational injuries. Extends to food service, events and club activities on and off the course.
- Errant golf ball injuries and damage
- Slip-and-fall accidents
- Cart path and course injuries
- Food service liability
- Event and tournament coverage
- Legal defense costs
Liquor Liability
Most clubs serve alcohol in the clubhouse, at the turn and from beverage carts. Liquor liability responds when intoxicated patrons harm themselves or others, including drunk-driving accidents after leaving. Washington dram shop laws create significant exposure; a single DUI fatality can generate multi-million-dollar claims.
- Over-service claims
- DUI accident liability
- Assault by intoxicated patrons
- Dram shop law defense
- Beverage cart operations
- Special event alcohol service
Golf Cart Coverage
Cart accidents are among the most common golf course claims: rollovers, collisions, ejections and struck pedestrians. Fleets of 50–100+ carts need coverage for the carts and for liability when members or guests drive them.
- Cart fleet physical damage
- Liability for cart accidents
- Passenger injuries
- Pedestrian strikes
- Cart rollover claims
- Member and guest operators
A distinctive exposure that occurs daily
Balls leaving the course can strike vehicles on adjacent roads, damage homes bordering fairways, injure pedestrians and cause serious head injuries to other golfers. Liability can fall on the golfer, the course or both, depending on course design, warning systems and circumstances. Homes bordering courses regularly see window, siding and vehicle damage, and some courses face dozens of property claims a year. Netting, course design, warning signage and adequate general liability limits all play a role.
Vehicle damage
Parked and moving vehicles.
Home and property damage
Window and glass breakage
Golfer-to-golfer injuries
Pedestrian injuries
Defense costs
Adjacent homeowner claims
Road and traffic incidents
Golf and club operations we insure
Private country clubs
Member-owned clubs with golf, dining, tennis, pool and social amenities.
Public golf courses
Daily-fee courses with high-volume operations and diverse clientele.
Municipal courses
City and county facilities, addressing public entity requirements.
Resort golf courses
Golf integrated with hotels and resorts.
Driving ranges
Standalone and course-attached practice facilities.
Par-3 and executive courses
Shorter-format courses for quick rounds.
Tennis and racquet clubs
Courts, pro shops and member amenities.
Swim and athletic clubs
Pools, fitness and recreational facilities.
Event and banquet venues
Weddings, corporate events and private parties.
Club restaurants
Fine dining and casual restaurants within club facilities.
Pro shops
Golf merchandise inventory and retail liability.
Fitness centers
Exercise equipment, training and wellness programs.
Protecting the grounds operation
Maintenance operations bring heavy equipment, chemical applications, irrigation systems and workers across hundreds of acres. Mowers, tractors, utility vehicles and turf equipment can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and turf chemicals create pollution and drift exposure that needs specialized coverage.
Equipment fleet
Mowers, tractors and utility vehicles.
Irrigation systems
Pumps, pipes and sprinkler heads.
Chemical applications
Fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.
Maintenance staff
Workers' comp for the grounds crew.
Tree and landscape
Tree work and landscape services.
Course construction
Renovation and improvement projects.
Water features
Ponds, streams and drainage.
Maintenance building
Shop, storage and fuel facilities.
Specialized golf and club coverages
Tournament & Event Coverage
Liability during tournaments, outings and special events, from charity scrambles to corporate outings.
- Hole-in-one prizes
- Event participant injuries
- Vendor and sponsor liability
- Prize indemnification
- Event cancellation
Directors & Officers (D&O)
Protects board members and club leadership from claims alleging wrongful acts.
- Board decision claims
- Membership disputes
- Financial management
- Assessment disputes
- Defense costs
Workers' Compensation
Employee injuries, from groundskeepers on heavy equipment to food service and pro shop staff.
- Grounds crew injuries
- Equipment accidents
- Restaurant staff injuries
- Pro shop employees
- Cart attendants
Pollution Liability
Claims from fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides used in turf management.
- Chemical drift damage
- Groundwater contamination
- Runoff to adjacent properties
- Fuel spill cleanup
- Regulatory defense
Cyber Liability
Clubs store member data, process cards and run reservation systems.
- Member data breaches
- Credit card theft
- POS system compromise
- Ransomware attacks
- Notification costs
Umbrella / Excess Liability
Additional limits above GL, auto and employer's liability when serious cart, liquor or injury claims exhaust primary limits.
- Excess over GL
- Excess over liquor liability
- Excess over auto
- $1M–$10M+ limits
- Catastrophic claim protection
How coverage applies when things go wrong
Illustrative examples of common golf and club claims.
A golf ball strikes a moving vehicle
A tee shot slices over the trees and strikes a car on the adjacent public road, shattering the windshield and causing the driver to crash.
Illustrative example. Real outcomes depend on the facts and your policy terms.
Common coverage gaps and how to close them
The gaps we see most often at golf clubs, and what addresses each.
Inadequate liquor liability limits
Clubs often carry minimum limits, while a single DUI fatality can generate claims of $2–5 million. Carry at least $1 million in liquor liability with umbrella coverage above it, implement server training (TIPS/ServSafe) and monitor consumption.
Underinsured cart fleet
Fleets of 50–100+ carts are driven by inexperienced guests. Set adequate cart liability limits, post rules and signage, consider speed limiters and include cart liability in the umbrella.
No pollution coverage
Chemical drift, runoff and groundwater contamination are typically excluded under standard GL. Add pollution liability for turf management, keep application records and train staff on application procedures and weather monitoring.
Undervalued property
Clubhouses, irrigation and course infrastructure often appreciate while insured values stay flat. Conduct regular appraisals, update values annually and insure irrigation, greens and course features at replacement cost.
No D&O coverage
Membership disputes, assessment challenges, employment decisions and financial matters can expose board members personally. Add D&O, document decision-making and follow sound governance and member communication.
Event coverage gaps
Tournaments, outings and weddings go beyond normal operations. Add event coverage, including hole-in-one and participant liability, require vendor certificates and obtain event-specific coverage for large tournaments.
A broker that knows club operations
Golf industry experience
We understand golf and club operations, their risks and the coverage nuances that matter.
Specialized club markets
We work with carriers that specialize in golf and country club insurance.
Coordinated programs
Property, liability, liquor, cart and specialty coverages packaged into one program.
Market comparison
As a broker, we compare options across multiple carriers for the right balance of protection and price.
Claims support
When claims arise, we help you through the process and work toward fair resolution.
Since 1992
We've worked with Pacific Northwest businesses for more than three decades.
Get your golf and country club insurance quote
Tell us about your course, clubhouse and amenities, and we'll put together options for every part of the operation.
Coverage descriptions are general summaries for education. They are not legal, tax or coverage advice, a statement of coverage, an offer or a binder. Scenarios and dollar figures are illustrative examples, not representations about any business. Coverage, limits and eligibility are governed by the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policies issued and are subject to underwriting.