Climate change is no longer a distant threat — it’s an active force reshaping the risks golf course owners face daily. From sudden storms to long-term shifts in rainfall and temperature, there’s a new environmental landscape for the game of golf. As these challenges mount, golf course insurance plays a critical role in helping clubs survive and recover.
For insurance agents advising golf clients, it’s critical to understand how rising temperatures, severe storms, and prolonged droughts are affecting course conditions, operations, and revenue. With these risks on the rise, agents must structure coverage that protects physical assets when extreme weather disrupts peak-season play.
Why Peak Season Magnifies the Risks of Extreme Weather
Spring and summer usher in full tee sheets, large tournaments, and bustling clubhouses. But while peak season is prime time for revenue, it’s also when extreme weather can do the most damage. Thunderstorms, flash floods, high winds, and lightning strikes can disrupt play and damage infrastructure, from greens to golf carts.
Longer-term environmental changes compound the threat:
- Extended droughts degrade turf quality and drive up irrigation costs.
- Warmer temperatures fuel outbreaks of turf disease and increase pest activity.
- Unpredictable rainfall overwhelms drainage systems, erodes bunkers, and damages landscaping.
These problems don’t just cost money — they frustrate members, delay tournaments, and lead to a spike in insurance claims.
The Core Coverages Golf Courses Need
A patchwork policy isn’t enough when nature is this unpredictable. Agents should consider recommending these key coverages to ensure comprehensive protection:
- Tee to green coverage: Covers storm-related damage to fairways, greens, and landscaping, including tree removal and debris cleanup
- Flood and earthquake insurance: Especially vital in high-risk zones prone to floods and quakes, with these events often excluded from standard property policies
- Property insurance: Protects buildings, equipment, and course infrastructure from wind, fire, and other weather-related damage
- Umbrella/excess liability: Adds a financial cushion during peak season when guests, vendors, and event exposure increase the likelihood of claims
With the right coverage in place, golf courses can weather the storm — literally and financially — without losing their footing during the busiest months of the year.
Practical Risk Management for Year-Round Resilience
Insurance is only part of the solution. Proactive risk management minimizes damage, streamlines recovery, and protects the club’s reputation. Agents should help clients:
- Assess location-specific risks: Check whether the course is near a floodplain, wildfire-prone region, or hurricane zone.
- Schedule infrastructure maintenance: Clean drainage systems, trim trees, secure signage, and inspect irrigation lines ahead of storm season.
- Create an emergency action plan: Designate staff roles and responsibilities, establish communication protocols, and identify evacuation routes and safe shelter areas.
Forward-thinking investments can further reduce long-term exposure. As one golf membership manager notes, many courses are now turning to disease- and drought-resistant grasses, smarter irrigation, and better drainage to stay ahead of weather-related disruptions.
From Claims to Continuity: Helping Golf Courses Bounce Back Faster
According to one government report, 40% of businesses never reopen after a major disaster. Among those that do, 90% fail within two years. To better prepare their golf course clients, agents should assist with:
- Annual equipment and asset inventories
- Updated property valuations
- Claims education to ensure clients know how to act quickly and document losses after a disaster
- Policy reviews to identify and close potential coverage gaps
Helping clients take these proactive steps can mean the difference between a temporary setback and a permanent shutdown.
Agents Can Help Golf Courses
Extreme weather events can have devastating financial consequences for golf courses, especially when they strike at the height of the season. For these courses, a strong golf course insurance plan is essential.
By pairing crucial coverages with strategic risk planning, insurance agents can help their golf course clients stay in play, regardless of what the forecast brings. Contact T2 Green Insurance to build a golf course insurance strategy tailored for today’s climate challenges.
About T2 Green Insurance
T2 Green Insurance provides comprehensive insurance that is customized to your club, resort, or golf management company, from industry professionals whose sole focus is insuring this class. We are dedicated to providing you with innovative products, underwriting expertise, and exceptional results so that your insurance needs are covered with confidence. Reach us at 844-223-9005 with any questions or so we can begin tailoring a package that works best for your club.
