Golf courses are more than recreational spaces — they’re complex, high-value properties with unique vulnerabilities. While storms and flooding may get most of the attention, earthquakes present a serious, often underestimated threat to turf, infrastructure, and playability. For insurance agents working with these premium properties, ensuring protection through customized country club insurance is essential. This article explores how seismic risks impact golf courses and how specialized coverage can help mitigate losses.
Earthquake Risks to Golf Course Turf and Grounds
While lush and beautiful, golf course grounds are far from invulnerable. Earthquakes can cause wide-ranging damage beneath the surface and across the landscape, posing significant repair costs and operational disruptions.
Depending on the extent of the damage, renovations to greens, fairways, and bunkers can easily reach six figures. As the USGA notes, course renovation costs have risen dramatically in recent years due to inflation, labor shortages, and material supply issues. Without proper insurance coverage, clubs may struggle to fund even basic restoration following a seismic event.
Soil Displacement and Surface Cracking
Earthquakes can shift soil, create surface cracks, and damage critical elevations on the course. These changes may alter how players experience the game and also reduce the property’s safety and visual appeal.
Damage to Irrigation and Drainage Systems
Buried utilities like irrigation and drainage systems are highly susceptible to earthquake damage. Once compromised, these systems may flood sections of the course or leave turf to dry out and die, leading to extensive rework.
Tree Uprooting and Landscaping Losses
From mature trees to precisely sculpted greens, a course’s landscaping represents a major investment. Seismic activity can result in fallen trees, collapsed bunkers, and destroyed plantings — each requiring costly restoration.
How Country Club Insurance Addresses Earthquake Damage
Golf courses require insurance solutions that go beyond standard commercial policies. Earthquake-related losses are typically excluded from base coverage, making endorsements and tailored restoration options critical for comprehensive protection. The right country club insurance offers the tools agents need to address these gaps.
Earthquake Endorsements and Riders
Many property policies exclude earthquake coverage by default. Agents should ensure their clients secure the proper endorsements or riders to address this unique peril.
Coverage for Grounds Restoration
Specialized policies with tee-to-green coverage may reimburse the cost of restoring greens, reseeding damaged turf, and regrading uneven or cracked surfaces post-quake.
Infrastructure and Equipment Protection
Coverage can also extend to vital course components like lighting, underground wiring, water systems, and pump houses — elements that are essential to course operation and safety.
Enhancing Risk Preparedness With Insurance Guidance
Insurance agents play a key role in helping golf course clients practice earthquake preparedness. From risk assessments to collaboration with facility staff, a proactive approach ensures that coverage aligns with the real-world needs of the course.
Conducting Risk Assessments and Valuations
Encourage clients to periodically evaluate their exposure and asset values. This step helps determine the proper level of earthquake insurance and identifies potential coverage gaps before disaster strikes.
Advising on Proper Limits and Deductibles
Balancing affordability with adequate protection is vital. Help clients select limits and deductibles that reflect their actual replacement costs and risk tolerance.
Collaborating With Groundskeepers and Club Managers
Working with those who manage day-to-day operations ensures insurance policies reflect what’s actually on the ground — from irrigation layouts to landscaping investments.
Building Earthquake Resilience Through Country Club Insurance
Earthquakes may not happen often, but when they do, the damage to a golf course can be devastating. Insurance agents are uniquely positioned to help clubs prepare in advance with a strong, strategic approach. By incorporating earthquake-specific protections into a country club insurance package, agents can help prepare their clients for the unexpected — and ready to bounce back quickly.
Contact us today to explore how T2 Green Insurance can help your clients safeguard their course from seismic risks.
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.
