Peak season puts a golf club’s insurance program to the test. More tournaments and private events mean more guests and alcohol service. Seasonal staffing, transportation needs, and course maintenance can also create exposures that were less prominent when the policy was written.
For agents, reviewing golf insurance in light of how clubs operate can uncover gaps before they surface in a claim. Three coverages in particular deserve another look during the busiest months.
#1: Liquor Liability Scales With Events
A club may have liquor liability coverage based on its routine restaurant, bar, and member activity. Peak season can change those assumptions.
Weddings, tournaments, corporate outings, and other private functions can increase both alcohol service and the number of non-member guests on the property. Private clubs must still follow applicable rules for alcohol service, including requirements related to underage and intoxicated guests.
Agents should compare the club’s current liquor liability limits and underwriting information against its event calendar. That review should also account for outside bartenders, caterers, event vendors, and any recent shifts that could affect insurance coverage — for example, if event attendance or frequency has increased, but liquor liability limits haven’t changed.
#2: Hired and Non-Owned Auto Can Hide Outside the Fleet
A club does not need to own a fleet to have an auto exposure. During peak season, employees may use personal vehicles for errands, clubs may rent vehicles, and transportation arrangements may expand for guests or events. Commercial auto policies may contain provisions covering rented and other non-owned vehicles, including employees’ cars used for company business.
For agents, a review should focus on whether hired and non-owned auto coverage is in place and whether its limits are adequate for current operations. Ask about new shuttle arrangements, vehicle rentals, employee driving, and seasonal contractors whose work may involve transportation on behalf of the club. Changes in any of these areas can leave the existing program out of step with the club’s auto exposure.
#3: Review Chemical Applicator Coverage
Peak season also puts demands on course maintenance. Grounds crews may apply herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers throughout the season to maintain greens, fairways, tees, and other areas of the property.
Those applications create an exposure that agents should address separately from the club’s general liability coverage. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates qualifying pesticide discharges to waters of the United States, while federal pesticide labeling requirements establish directions for how registered products may be used.
Agents should first determine who handles chemical applications. If club employees perform the work, review whether herbicide/pesticide applicator coverage is included and whether the coverage reflects the club’s current operations. If the club hires an outside applicator, confirm the contractor carries appropriate liability and pollution coverage and provides current certificates of insurance.
The amount and type of chemical application can also change during the season. Asking about current maintenance practices rather than relying on information collected when the policy was written can help agents identify an exposure that has changed since placement.
Check All Three During Peak Season
Peak-season operations may look very different from what the agent reviewed at renewal. A fuller event calendar, more vehicle use, and increased course maintenance can introduce exposures or change existing ones, making an in-season coverage review worthwhile.
Agents reviewing common insurance mistakes before peak season should also revisit liquor liability, hired and non-owned auto, and herbicide/pesticide applicator coverage once the season is underway. Checking each coverage against current operations can reveal changes in exposure.
Contact T2Green Insurance to discuss golf insurance coverage for club, resort, and golf management company clients.
About T2 Green Insurance
T2Green 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.
