Important message for those comparing golf insurance cover

Whether taking out your first golf insurance policy or renewing, we should all be aware of the finer details of insurance cover and not be distracted by the lure of "FREE" rounds of golf or Low-Price Guarantees. Many automatically assume that they're covered against theft of their equipment - a sensible assumption to make wouldn't you think? After all, you're paying for specialised golf insurance! Then you'd be horrified to find out that if your prized set of clubs were stolen from the locked boot of your car between the hours of 10pm and 8am you wouldn't be able to claim on your budget golf insurance. We've also heard stories from disgruntled customers of cut-price insurers that when they can claim for replacement equipment it is provided by the insurers budget equipment supplier and is not a true "new for old" nor a "like for like" service as the equipment supplied is not of equal quality.

GolfPlan not only provides transparent, comprehensive golf insurance cover, valid in any country worldwide, but also places its golf equipment claims through PGA golf professionals based at over 2000 UK golf venues, providing the best possible claim settlement procedure for its clients.  Now in its 28th year of trading, GolfPlan has always settled claims in this manner and was awarded PGA Recommendation in recognition of this in 1996, a coveted award still enjoyed today.

Golfers should be aware that this is not the norm and in fact, the majority of other golf insurers prefer to replace equipment claims through large discount golf outlets thereby removing the opportunity for golfers to try out equipment or to get them custom fitted during the claim process. 

Every golfer should ensure that a minimum of £5 million third party public liability cover (including property damage) is in place prior to playing or practising golf and before using their own buggy on a golf course. They should also ensure their equipment will be replaced with brand new in the event of a claim. Not to mention club membership fee reimbursement in the event of accident or illness preventing play. 

Unfortunately, too many people decide on a golf insurance policy based on price alone, forgetting that if something seems too good to be true, it usually is.  This is certainly true of cheap golf insurance policies, which have to provide less than adequate cover to justify the premium.  Inevitably, this restricted cover could prove to be very expensive in the event of a claim!

GolfPlan makes no excuses for providing fully transparent, comprehensive cover for just that little extra premium.  For instance, a GolfPlan client whose equipment is stolen from anybody’s car boot at any time of day or night will receive brand new replacement equipment via a PGA golf professional shop within five days.  There are no restrictions as to where the car is parked,  how old the equipment is, or whether the equipment was brand new or second hand when first purchased!  By the very nature of the premium, cheap golf insurance providers are unable to provide this level of cover, not to mention the expert customer service experienced by GolfPlan customers.  For example, at least one cheap policy excludes cover during the night and theft from a car if parked outside the home or place of work.

Another, simple, way to choose which golf insurance policy is best to recommend, is to visit the golf insurance comparison website www.comparegolfinsurance.com  which is quick and easy to use. The website not only helps golfers make the right decision, without worrying about policy 'small print', but also explains:

• The benefits of golf insurance
• Explains individual benefits and advises which questions to ask a golf insurance provider before deciding on a policy
• Demonstrates how some golf insurance providers are able to offer cheap policies by restricting cover
• Arms golfers with the knowledge to ensure they get the cover they need from the right provider

One last piece of useful information to help you in your decision.  Golfers require a specialist golf insurance policy to ensure full protection on and off the golf course. No household insurance policy can possibly deliver the same level protection; by their nature, they are not designed to cover the specific risks of playing golf. 

Golf Insurance: The Forgotten Benefit

Who would have thought playing golf could be so serious?

All we want to do is enjoy a challenging 18-holes away from the pressures of everyday life; intersperse this with some lively chat amongst friends and the day will be perfect.  The problem is many of us overlook the fact that the moment we remove a club from our bag, we legally become liable for the consequences of our actions whilst using it and in the event of an accident we are 100% responsible. 

We have all been there; a tee-shot down the fairway goes deep left into the rough, annoyed and concentrating on what we did wrong, we take a second practice backswing.  Now imagine the consequences of a team member stepping forward to the tee, his face in your club’s swing plane.  You may think this a little severe but a few years ago, a golfer did exactly that, hitting his playing partner full in the mouth.  What followed was a legal challenge for damages to cover dental and facial restructure work to the sum of £15,000.  Devastated by guilt at what he had done the golfer approached his insurer, Golfplan Insurance, and was enormously relieved when Golfplan accepted the claim. 

Other dangers include accidental damage to someone else’s property, whether a house on the fringe of a course or a car in the club car park.

Today, we live in a society where no-win no-fee solicitors positively encourage us to make insurance claims, where once we would have never even considered it.  Golf accidents are no exception.  Over 12,000 hospitalised golf accidents happen every year, so it is no longer a case of should we be insured?  It is definitely a case of get insured and make sure you choose the best policy possible.

The adage, “if it seems too cheap to be true, it usually is,” is very relevant to the choice of golf insurance policies available in the UK.  The cost of fully comprehensive golf insurance is worth every penny.  Cheap policies are only cheap because their cover is highly limited.  For example, some policies only accept claims for equipment stolen from cars between 8.00am and 10.00pm and do not cover theft from cars parked outside the home or place of work regardless of the time.  Furthermore, if equipment is over 2 or 3 years old they settle the claim on a depreciated intrinsic (ie second hand) value only; this also applies to equipment that is less than 2 or 3 years old and was not purchased brand new.  Some even reject personal liability claims if you hit and injure a family member!

Golf insurance is essential, but choosing the right policy is more important.  Choose wisely.  The best advice is to take a little time to research golf insurance.  To help you decide on the best direction visit www.comparegolfinsurance.com or get a free quote for a fully comprehensive golf policy from Golfplan, the first UK golf insurance provider and market leader in its field.