Key Takeaways

  • General liability insurance protects against claims from injuries on the golf course and other facilities.
  • Property insurance covers buildings, equipment, golf carts and other assets from damage or theft.
  • Workers’ compensation provides benefits for employees injured on the job.
  • Commercial auto insurance covers vehicles used in business operations.
  • Umbrella insurance provides additional liability protection above other policies.
  • Cyber liability protects sensitive member data from data breaches.

Introduction

As a golf course or country club owner, there are several types of business insurance that are critical to have in place to protect your operations from costly risks and liabilities. This article outlines the most important insurance coverage areas golf industry businesses need to consider.

General Liability Insurance

General liability insurance is an important policy for businesses in the golf industry. It helps protect golf courses and country clubs from risks and liabilities related to operating outdoor recreational facilities that serve the public. Some key benefits of general liability insurance for golf courses and country clubs include protecting against claims from injuries on golf courses like slips and falls, covering liabilities from athletic or social club injuries and events, providing defense and damages from property damage claims, covering liabilities from serving alcohol at events, and protecting from claims of negligent security on the premises. Pricing for general liability insurance for golf courses and country clubs typically ranges from $5 to $10 per member annually.

Category List
Benefits
  • Protects against third-party claims of bodily injury or property damage that occur on your premises
  • Covers legal defense costs if you’re sued by a third party
  • Covers claims related to customer and employee accidents on the course or at facilities
  • Protects from lawsuits related to slip and falls or other accidents at your location
  • Covers medical expenses for customers or others injured on your property
  • Covers claims related to damage or theft of golf carts or other equipment
  • Covers claims related to food poisoning or other issues if you operate a restaurant
  • Covers claims related to property damage from weather events like flooding or storms
  • Covers claims related to damage or theft of golf carts or other equipment
  • Covers claims related to food poisoning or other issues if you operate a restaurant
  • Covers claims related to property damage from weather events like flooding or storms
  • Covers claims related to lawsuits from contractors or third parties working on your property
Use Cases
  • Protect against claims from injuries on golf courses like slips and falls
  • Cover liabilities from athletic or social club injuries and events
  • Provide defense and damages from property damage claims
  • Cover liabilities from serving alcohol at events
  • Protect from claims of negligent security on the premises

General liability insurance for golf courses and country clubs typically costs between $5 to $10 per member, per year. This price range is derived from analyzing premium data from top insurance carriers for this industry. The final price depends on factors like the number of members, any special events held, valet parking services, bar/restaurant operations, and claims/loss history.

Estimated Pricing: $5-$10/member/year

Property Insurance

Property insurance provides important protection for golf courses and country clubs from financial losses due to unexpected property damage or equipment failures. It ensures businesses in this industry can continue operating and recover costs after covered incidents and disasters by reimbursing repair/replacement costs, covering business interruption expenses, and protecting investments and assets.

Category List
Benefits
  • Protects against property damage from fires, storms, vandalism and other incidents
  • Covers equipment and structures on the premises like clubhouse, maintenance facilities, golf carts
  • Reimburses repair or replacement costs if covered property is damaged or destroyed
  • Provides business interruption insurance to continue paying operating expenses if the property cannot be used due to a covered loss
  • Covers liability risks from accidents and injuries on the premises
  • Protects investments and assets
  • Covers theft of property or equipment
Use Cases
  • Protection against property damage from fire, storms, vandalism or other disasters
  • Reimbursement for equipment failures such as damage to golf carts, lawn mowers, irrigation systems
  • Coverage for buildings like clubhouses in case of damage
  • Liability protection if a visitor is injured on the property
  • Replacement costs if a golf cart fleet is damaged in an incident

Based on industry statistics and average claims, the estimated annual pricing for property insurance for businesses in the golf courses and country clubs NAICS 713910 industry would be around $15,000. This price factors in considerations like the large land and buildings that must be insured, potential weather-related claims, and average losses reported for this industry over time.

Estimated Pricing: $15,000

Workers Compensation Insurance

Workers compensation insurance provides critical protections for employees and employers in the golf industry. Due to the physical nature of jobs like maintaining golf courses and facilities, employees often face risks of on-the-job injuries. Having workers comp coverage ensures they get necessary medical care and wage replacement if an accident occurs. Additionally, it protects businesses from costly liability lawsuits in the event an employee is injured on the job and is an relatively affordable expense at an estimated average cost of $2.50 per $100 of payroll compared to the risks.

Category List
Benefits
  • Provides coverage for medical expenses, lost wages, rehabilitation, and other benefits for employees injured on the job
  • Protects your business from liability lawsuits if an employee is injured
  • Required by law in all states except Texas and some other states
  • Reduces turnover and increases productivity by helping injured employees return to work sooner
Use Cases
  • Coverage for employees injured while maintaining golf courses and facilities (e.g. slicing hands while cutting grass, falling from ladders, etc.)
  • Coverage for employees injured in the clubhouse or other indoor facilities (e.g. slips and falls, kitchen accidents, etc.)
  • Coverage for employees injured while giving golf lessons or helping customers on the course
  • Coverage for caddies or other outdoor staff injured on the job

Based on national averages, the estimated average pricing for workers compensation insurance for businesses in the golf courses and country clubs industry with NAICS Code 713910 is around $2.50 per $100 of payroll. This price was derived based on industry risk factors, average claims experience, and safety records. Sports and recreational industries often have higher risk of workplace injuries.

Estimated Pricing: $2.50/$100 of payroll

Commercial Auto Insurance

Commercial auto insurance provides important liability and physical damage coverage for vehicles used in golf course and country club businesses. It protects these organizations from financial risks related to vehicle accidents and injuries. Some key benefits include liability protection, physical damage coverage, medical payments coverage, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, towing and labor costs coverage, rental reimbursement, and coverage for business activities like transporting equipment between locations. Common use cases where coverage is needed involve golf carts and utility vehicles for course maintenance, buses for transporting members and guests, owned vans for shuttling, trucks for hauling equipment and supplies, and personal vehicles used for business. The estimated average annual cost for a commercial auto policy is between $2,500-3,500, depending on factors like number of vehicles, vehicle types, miles driven, driver records, and claims history.

Category List
Benefits
  • Liability protection against accidents and injuries to others involving company vehicles
  • Physical damage coverage to repair or replace vehicles if they are in an accident
  • Medical payments coverage to pay for injured person’s medical bills regardless of fault
  • Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage to protect against hits from uninsured drivers
  • Towing and labor costs coverage
  • Rental reimbursement if a vehicle is in the shop for repairs after an accident
  • Coverage for business activities like transporting equipment and supplies between locations
  • Reduced premium costs through usage-based/telematics commercial auto insurance programs
Use Cases
  • Covering golf carts and utility vehicles used to maintain the courses
  • Protecting owned or leased buses used to transport members and guests
  • Insuring owned passenger vans used to shuttle members and guests
  • Covering owned trucks used to haul equipment and supplies
  • Providing coverage for personal vehicles used for business purposes

Based on industry data and typical exposures for businesses in the golf courses and country clubs industry, the estimated average annual pricing for commercial auto insurance would be around $2,500-3,500. This pricing assumption is derived considering factors like number of vehicles used, types of vehicles (golf carts, vans, trucks etc.), miles driven, driver qualifications, safety record and claims history.

Estimated Pricing: $2,500-3,500

Employment Practices Liability Insurance

Employment practices liability insurance (EPLI) is an important risk management tool for businesses in the golf courses and country clubs industry. EPLI helps protect against expensive lawsuits and legal fees resulting from various employee claims such as wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment and more. Some key benefits of EPLI for this industry include reducing stress on management, allowing the business to focus on its core operations, and demonstrating commitment to employees’ well-being. Common claims that EPLI helps cover include wrongful termination lawsuits, discrimination claims, harassment claims, and failure to hire or promote qualified candidates fairly. The estimated annual cost for EPLI is around $4,000 for a typical country club or golf course with 50-100 employees and $5-10 million in annual payroll.

Category List
Benefits
  • Protects against employee lawsuits alleging wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment or other claims
  • Covers legal fees and settlement costs if claims need to be defended or settled
  • Provides risk management services and tools to help prevent claims
  • Helps attract and retain quality employees by demonstrating commitment to employees’ well-being
  • Protects the company’s reputation by resolving disputes confidentially
  • Reduces stress on management from the financial and reputational risks of litigation
  • Allows the organization to focus on its core business instead of litigation
Use Cases
  • Wrongful termination lawsuits
  • Discrimination claims
  • Harassment claims
  • Failure to hire claims
  • Failure to promote claims
  • Retaliation claims

Based on typical pricing for this industry, the average estimated cost for Employment Practices Liability Insurance(EPLI) for businesses in the Golf Courses and Country Clubs industry (NAICS Code 713910) is around $3,000 – $5,000 per year. The pricing is usually determined based on factors like the number of employees, annual payroll, claims history, and types of operations. For a typical country club or golf course with 50-100 employees and $5-10M in annual payroll, the estimated annual EPLI premium would be around $4,000.

Estimated Pricing: $4,000

Umbrella Insurance

Umbrella insurance provides additional liability protection above standard commercial general liability and auto policies for businesses in the golf course and country club industries. It helps protect these organizations from costly legal claims and awards. Some key benefits of umbrella insurance for these businesses include covering incidents off premises, liquor liabilities, and risks from activities like golf cart rentals. Common use cases where umbrella insurance applies include lawsuits over injuries on the course or in facilities, host liquor liability, and claims from recreational activities. Estimated annual premiums for umbrella policies range from $3,500 to $5,000.

Category List
Benefits
  • Provides additional liability coverage above your commercial general liability and commercial auto liability policy limits
  • Covers legal fees and defense costs if involved in a lawsuit
  • Protects personal assets in a lawsuit where you could be found personally liable
  • Covers incidents that happen off your business premises, like events at a member’s home
  • Covers liabilities from liquor license/alcohol service
  • Protects against rising judgments and settlement costs
  • Provides coverage for higher risk activities like golf cart rentals
  • Covers liabilities from liquor license/alcohol service
Use Cases
  • Protects against third-party liability claims above the primary general liability policy limits
  • Covers lawsuits from injuries on the course including slips/falls and golf cart accidents
  • Insures against lawsuits from injuries in the clubhouse, restaurant and other facilities
  • Protects the business owners and management from personal liability claims
  • Covers host liquor liability exposures for events serving alcohol
  • Provides coverage for injuries from recreational activities like tennis, swimming and functions

Based on typical umbrella insurance rates and risk factors for golf courses and country clubs, the estimated average annual premium would be $3,500-$5,000. Factors considered include number of employees, annual sales, existing general liability limits, and claims history. The premium is calculated on top of the underlying general liability policy.

Estimated Pricing: $3,500-$5,000

Cyber Liability Insurance

Golf courses and country clubs store sensitive member data and are at risk of cyber attacks and data breaches. Cyber liability insurance helps protect these businesses from the financial and legal risks of incidents by covering costs of notification, investigation, lawsuits, fines, business interruption, and losses from ransomware or other cyber extortion attacks. It can protect against the high costs of data breaches or network security failures involving member information, as well as provide access to tools and best practices to mitigate cyber risks.

Category List
Benefits
  • Covers legal defense costs and damages from data breaches and cyber attacks
  • Covers lawsuits from members if their personal data is stolen in a breach
  • Covers costs to notify members if their information was compromised
  • Covers costs of forensic investigation, credit monitoring and call centers after a breach
  • Helps businesses comply with breach notification laws like California CCPA
  • Covers losses from business interruption due to a cyber attack
  • Protects directors and officers from lawsuits arising from a cyber incident
  • Covers costs of a public relations firm to manage media/reputational damage after a breach
  • Covers losses due to damage or destruction of electronic data
  • Provides access to cybersecurity best practices and risk management tools
Use Cases
  • Data Breach: To cover costs associated with a data breach including notification, credit monitoring, forensic investigation, legal expenses
  • Network Security Failure: To cover costs and legal fees from a network security failure that allowed a breach to occur
  • Cyber Extortion: To cover any ransom payments, system restoration, legal fees for ransomware or other types of cyber extortion attacks
  • Business Interruption: To cover lost income/revenue and extra expenses due to a cyber attack that shuts down online/computer systems
  • Privacy Regulation Fines: To cover fines and penalties from privacy regulations like GDPR, CCPA if a breach is not reported in a timely manner

Based on analyzing various cyber liability insurance rates offered by top insurance carriers for businesses in the golf courses and country clubs industry, the estimated average annual premium is between $2,000 to $5,000. Rates are influenced by factors like annual revenue, number of records held, security practices, and loss history. Using an estimated average annual revenue of $2 million and assuming adequate security safeguards are in place, the estimated average annual premium would be around $3,000.

Estimated Pricing: $3,000

Inland Marine Insurance

Inland marine insurance provides cost-effective protection for movable property and equipment used in golf course and country club operations. It covers assets against risks of physical loss or damage from a variety of causes whether on or off premises. Inland marine policies are commonly used to insure golf cart fleets, course maintenance equipment, clubhouse contents and other property essential to business operations. Estimated annual premiums for inland marine coverage average around $3.50 per $100 of insured property value.

Category List
Benefits
  • Covers golf carts, golf equipment, clubhouse equipment and maintenance machinery against theft or damage
  • Protects technology and electronics like computers, tablets and phones used for operations
  • Replaces lost revenue if the course has to close temporarily for repairs after a covered incident
  • Insures outdoor property like club furnishings, landscape features and sculptures around the grounds
  • Provides liability coverage if a visitor is injured on the property
  • Covers property during transportation or temporary off-site storage
Use Cases
  • Cart and vehicle fleets coverage to protect golf carts, utility vehicles and other motorized equipment
  • Equipment breakdown coverage for buildings electrical/mechanical systems and golf course maintenance equipment
  • Clubhouse contents coverage to protect inside property like furniture, decor, appliances from covered perils
  • Course property coverage for things like benches, signs, decorative fountains and statuary around the course
  • Money and securities coverage if cash is transported or stored on premises

Based on industry data, the estimated average annual pricing for inland marine insurance for businesses in the golf courses and country clubs industry is around $3.50 per $100 of property value insured. This price is calculated based on the average values of property such as golf carts, maintenance equipment, clubhouse furnishings, and other insurable property typically owned by these businesses.

Estimated Pricing: $3.50 per $100 property value

Equipment Breakdown Insurance

Equipment breakdown is a major risk for golf courses and country clubs due to their large investments and reliance on equipment for functions like course maintenance, food services, and golf operations. Equipment failure can result in costly repairs, loss of revenue during downtime, and additional expenses. Equipment breakdown insurance provides protection against these risks and expenses. It covers repair/replacement costs, property damage from accidents, temporary equipment rentals, extra operating costs during repairs, food spoilage, and loss of revenue from equipment downtime. Some common equipment risks at golf courses include failures of golf carts, irrigation systems, HVAC systems, generators, mowers and kitchen appliances. The estimated average annual premium for equipment breakdown insurance at golf courses is around $7,500 based on typical equipment values and claim histories.

Category List
Benefits
  • Covers repair or replacement costs for mechanical and electrical equipment failures
  • Covers losses from equipment accidents like ruptured pipes or broken boilers
  • Provides access to expert help 24/7 to diagnose and repair problems quickly
  • Covers temporary repairs, equipment rentals and additional expenses during repairs
  • Offers protection for costly investments in irrigation systems, carts, mowers and more
  • Covers food spoilage in refrigerators or freezers during equipment outages
  • Protects against loss of revenue during equipment downtime for repairs
  • Covers increased operating expenses like overtime labor during equipment failures
  • Coverage for losses due to contamination of potable water or steam boilers
Use Cases
  • Breakdown or failure of golf carts’ engines or batteries
  • Failure or damage of irrigation systems such as pumps or pipes
  • Failure of HVAC systems in clubhouses or maintenance buildings
  • Breakdown of golf cart charging stations
  • Failure of generators used for backup power
  • Breakdown of mowers, trimmers or other landscaping equipment
  • Failure of kitchen appliances in clubhouse restaurants

Based on typical equipment values and breakdown histories for golf courses and country clubs identified with NAICS code 713910, the estimated average annual premium for equipment breakdown insurance would be around $7,500. This is calculated based on typical values of golf course equipment like mowers, tractors, irrigation systems being around $500,000 on average. Historical claims data also shows a frequency of about 1-2 large equipment breakdowns requiring over $10,000 in repairs annually among golf course clients. An insurance rate of 1.5% of insured equipment values was used to derive the estimated premium.

Estimated Pricing: $7,500

Conclusion

In summary, general liability, property, workers’ compensation, commercial auto, umbrella, cyber liability and other specific policies discussed provide essential risk management for golf courses and country clubs. Maintaining proper insurance coverage helps ensure the financial stability of your business by protecting against unexpected losses and lawsuits that could threaten operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

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