golf insurance: necessary evil or claim culture scaremongering?

[nackanut]

Being relatively new to the game but gradually upgrading my kit it has soon mounted up to no insignificant amount. The question of golf insurance has been repeatedly running through my head of late especially after two or three errant drives along a road next to one of the fairways at my home club and the other week after a skulled greenside bunker shot at the 18th which set of like an exocet missile played pinball up and down the pan tiles of the club house bounced back down landing on a path and started making its way back toward the 18th green leaving a 15 yard pitch back up to the flag!!!. Personal injury, third party property damage, hole in one bar bill cover upto 300 quid. what are your thoughts on the subject? is it worth the 70 quid with golf plan or whoever to give piece of mind or is it something to do without and hope for the best?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Sadly a necessary evil. We are in a claim culture now (thanks mainly to the fat greedy yanks) and you need to cover yourself. Apart from that, as you say golf kit is not cheap and whether you decide to get it covered under your home/contents policy or take out a specific golf cover it is essential.

I have a locker at my club where I tend to store my clubs particularly in the summer when I'm there most days. Having checked with my insurance company they weren't happy to cover my gear on my home policy (they would but there owuld be an extra charge!)

My golf cover now takes in theft (from my locker, the clubhouse or my car irrespective of where it is parked subject to normal security measures) personal liability cover, hole in one cover, and also covers me if I can't play due to illness whereby I can reclaim a % of my annual membership.

I think it is fairly bog standard but does give me peace of mind especially now I have new iron and driver in the bag.

 

[nackanut]

Thanks for the advice HJS. Is it best to go through my club as there are golfplan leaflets on display? does the club benefit from this i wonder?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Not sure how that works. I did have a policy through American Golf at one point but you have to take your gear or receipts in and get them to record the value of the kit and get it signed by the store manager. Thought that was a bit extreme so cancelled it.

Got mine through a company called Carrick Neill

 

[mboy1980]

I've got it.

With the amount of money I have spent on equipment over the last few months I feel much better with the peace of mind that if anything happens to it I will be OK.

£40 per year seems reasonable.

 

[backwoodsman]

Sadly, stuff gets nicked all too frequently and when you start totting up the value of everything in your bag, it gets scary. Insurance is worth it just for that. If you add in the personal injury element, and the third party element and the sundries, then it really ain't that expensive.

 

[mboy1980]

The b@stards won't know wt's hit them by the end of the year once I've hit them with all my Hole in One bar bills.

 

[TonyN]

Do they pay out if you snap ya driver over your knee?

 

[Sam]

Do you have to inform the company of any change in equipment?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Most insurers need to know if you change your equipment. I have heard horror stories in the past where someone has upgraded a driver or irons and needed to claim and the assessor has been really difficult as they had a different set on the policy.

When I changed my irons recently I took copies of my credit card statement, AG receipt and credit card receipt and sent a brief letter to my insurer asking them to amend their records. That way if anything happens I have written proof of a) the value of the clubs when bought and b) that I informed them of the change

 

[RGuk]

I'm going out on a limb here and saying NO to insurance. Now - if you live in an area that is prone to car theft, then OK, protect your clubs from theft. If you have expensive gear then, you might as well...sure.
As for the main "selling point" of golf insurance.....injury/damage claims from "negligent" actions are pretty difficult to bring......I wouldn't have a policy for this, only the equipment cover would sell it to me.

Golf, like Sunday football, horse riding, all carry a risk....we know that....I just wish that insurance companies would avoid the scaremongering tactics just for once; but they can't help themselves. I'd have though you could probably get your clubs protected "out of the home" (as I have with my mountain bike) for about £10 a year as a named item.

I had to renew some policies recently and the schedules came through with all kinds of add-ons. If I'd phoned up and said "OK", they'd have made all the extras plus 29% interest per year for "easy monthly payments" (gits).

I was so "offended" by the cheek of them, I said I'd pay the policy price only (plus the £15 admin) and they could throw in all the rest or else I'd go elsewhere....they agreed.

 

[medwayjon]

I think that it is essential. My company never asked what gear I have, I just had to choose from a list of pre-determined total replacement costs for all my gear.

for £6 I get liability cover at my club but obviosuly when I go elsewhere I am covered on my golf policy.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

ANother thing to bear in mind, is that my policy gives me cover in the UK so if I play at another course and lose my clubs I'm still covered. Not sure that would apply to if you put them on the home insurance (I thought you had to stipulate where they would be - may be wrong and happy to be corrected)

 

[DCB]

had bed experience with Golfplan some years back when I took out insurance after getting my first fitted full set of irons and new bag etc. After that experience I looked elsewhere and ended up with a less expensive cover but with better provision with the cover. I'm paying less for myself and my wife combined than I was for single cover with Golfplan. I got mine through an insurance broker "recommended" by the SGU. Never had to use the cover in anger, but it's there just in case.

As an aside, I keep all my receipts for golf gear along with my policy documents so that it's all in the one place.

Scary what you spend on equipment over the years!

 

[toonarmy]

I've said it before but people seem to not hear me on this one.

I got my gear covered on my home insurance policy rather than a specialist service. It covers my clubs anywhere in the world, in transit, the airport, the hotel, my house, the club - you name it, the lot. On top of my golf stuff being covered, it also covers my drums for the same (exception for international touring or professional performances).

All of that, with my existing insurer, for £59 extra. Absolutely no contest and miles better (and cheaper) than a specialist service.

But if you want to give your money to 'we're the only people who can guarantee your safety' type insurers, be my guest!

 

[geronimo]

Not sure how that works. I did have a policy through American Golf at one point but you have to take your gear or receipts in and get them to record the value of the kit and get it signed by the store manager. Thought that was a bit extreme so cancelled it.

Got mine through a company called Carrick Neill

had a look at Carrick neill thought it looked good.
Any other recommendations.

Toon that seem's good for club insurance but i must admit i am more worried about personal liability than my clubs getting nicked as they are covered under my house insurance.

Did notice on one company's details they said the clubs where insured in you're car as long as it was attended????????? figure that out.
Yes mr insurance man my clubs got stole from the boot of my car, where you in the car sir, yes i was doing 70 down the motor way at the time!!!!!!!!

 

[DCB]

Thats the brokers that I have used for the last 10+ years, no problems whatsoever.

 

[viscount17]

I think £70 a bit excessive. I've been looking at the leaflet that comes with every issue of GM (eandl) (got it beside me as it happens) - worst case is £55 down to £27 (with reductions for seniors and juniors).