Golf holiday travel insurance

Insurance for golf holidays

Travel insurance with golf cover offers peace of mind if you’re planning to play while on holiday.

It covers you for loss, theft or damage of your expensive golf gear and can pay for replacement equipment hire, so you won’t miss out on playing a few rounds.

Golf travel insurance can also reimburse any green fees you’ve paid upfront if you have to cancel because of illness or bad weather.

Do I need specialist golf travel insurance?

If you’re considering taking your clubs and heading out on the fairway, golf travel insurance could give you peace of mind that a standard policy wouldn’t be able to provide.

Is it included in standard travel insurance policies?

Many sports and leisure activities are covered as standard on travel insurance policies at no additional cost. Check your policy’s terms and conditions for the full list.

If playing golf is included in a standard policy, then it’s likely to cover you for things like sustaining an injury on the golf course and personal liability if you accidentally hit a wayward ball that injures someone or damages their property.

But there’ll usually be no cover for loss, theft or damage of your golf equipment or unused green fees.

For this type of comprehensive cover, you’d need to pay for a golf insurance add-on.

Can golf travel insurance be included in a single trip or annual policy?

Single trip travel insurance provides cover for a one-off holiday in the UK or abroad. Annual policies cover you for multiple trips over a 12-month period.

You can add golf travel insurance to both single trip and annual policies for an extra charge.

What does golf insurance cover?

As well as providing cover for the usual circumstances that a travel insurance policy protects you against – which includes cancellation of your trip, losing your baggage, medical expenses and repatriation home if needed - golf travel insurance can include cover for:

Damaged, lost or stolen golf equipment

Your golf gear probably cost a pretty penny. So you want to make sure it’s adequately insured before you take it with you on your golfing trip.

A golf insurance policy can cover the cost of replacing your golf clubs, non-motorised golf trolley, golf bags, balls, clothing and golf shoes should they go missing, get damaged during transit, or if they’re stolen at your destination.

It may cover damage incurred to your equipment while you’re playing too, but it depends on the policy.

Check that the maximum amount your policy will pay out for your golf equipment and the maximum limit for each individual item is enough to cover replacement costs for your particular golf gear.

Policies usually replace your equipment on a ‘new for old’ basis, depending on how old the equipment is and whether it was purchased new. Otherwise, if equipment is over a certain age, or was bought second hand, then items may be replaced at their value at the time of loss or damage.

Replacement equipment hire

If your golf equipment is damaged, missing or stolen, then a golf travel insurance policy should pay for the cost of hiring replacement equipment, so you don’t miss out on enjoying some tee time while you’re away.

Every policy will have its own maximum payout for replacement hire - for the duration of the holiday and/or for daily replacement fees.

Lost green fees

If you booked and paid for green fees and you can’t play because you fall ill or are injured, either before or during your trip, golf travel insurance will pay up to a certain agreed amount if you can’t get a refund from the club.

Hole-in-one cover

It’s one of golf’s great traditions - if you hit that elusive hole-in-one, then you have to buy a round of drinks at the bar’s clubhouse. That could set you back quite a bit! Which is why many golf travel policies pay up to a certain amount toward the cost of your bar bill if you strike a lucky shot.

Golf-buggy use

Some policies will provide cover for injury, loss or damage while using a golf buggy.

Extra personal liability cover

Travel insurance normally includes personal liability cover as standard which pays out if you’re liable to pay damages to someone you injure or whose property you damage. Some golf travel insurance policies will include extra personal liability cover should any of your golf shots cause damage.

What’s not covered by golf travel insurance?

As with any travel insurance policy, golf travel insurance won’t cover:

• Changing your mind - If you cancel your holiday simply because you’ve changed your mind about taking the trip, this is known as ‘disinclination to travel’ in insurance terms and isn’t covered by travel insurance
• Travelling against government advice - If the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) warns against ‘all travel’ or ‘all but essential travel’ to your holiday destination before you go, but you choose to travel anyway, you normally won’t be covered by your travel insurance
• Intoxication – Any claims that are a result of drinking alcohol

Should I tell my insurance provider about pre-existing medical conditions?

Yes, it’s really important that you declare any pre-existing conditions to your insurer. If you don’t, they’ll be unlikely to pay out for any claims related to your medical condition. For example, if you have to cancel a round of golf because of your condition and can’t get a refund on green fees.

What happens if my golfing holiday is cancelled?

If you can’t get a refund from your holiday company, airline, accommodation provider or credit card (if it was booked using one), then you can make a claim with your travel insurance provider.

What information will I need to make a claim?

You’ll need your policy number, incident details and any relevant documents and evidence to hand when you make a claim on your golf travel insurance.

How can I get a quote for golf travel insurance?

You can compare travel insurance quotes with us. Check out policy details and star ratings from Defaqto, as well as price, to get the full picture.