Understanding Insurance Minimums and Requirements

Golf - Is Public Liability Insurance Really Necessary?

If you're a member of a golf club and enjoy playing for fun or you are a professional playing in tournaments for a living, you might think that public liability insurance is just an additional unnecessary expense.  But is this really the case?  Read on for more information.

What is public liability insurance?

Public liability insurance (PLI) is taken out by individuals and companies to provide them with protection against legal actions that may be brought against them by third parties claiming damages as a result of damage or injury.  PLI is more usually associated with business, but is also important for participants in certain leisure activities.

PLI will cover the cost of compensation awards and legal fees in the event that you are sued successfully.

Golf and PLI

A golf course is potentially a very dangerous environment, especially during busy weekends or when club tournaments are being held.  When you step out onto the fairway, you will begin firing hard, potentially lethal projectiles in all directions, as will many other golfers in your immediate vicinity.  There will also be cars parked around the outskirts of the course, which could also back onto people's homes or businesses.  When you take all this into account, it's easy to see how accidents and unintentional damage could occur.

If you're uninsured and one of your shots strikes another golfer due to careless play, causing injury, you could find yourself on the wrong end of a lawsuit.  If you were found to be liable and were uninsured, the court could allow the victim to recover their damages and costs by way of a Charging Order against your possessions or property.  Your golf club could also be found partly culpable.

Home insurance and PLI

Some golfers mistakenly believe that their hobby is covered under their home insurance policy, but this is not always the case.  Even if you were able to claim against your home insurance, you would still have to pay the excess figure and your premiums could increase in the next year.

It's therefore a really good idea to take out a separate PLI policy, especially for your golfing activities.  Such policies are not expensive, even for a sum insured of in excess of $1m.  Your commercial insurance will be able to source a suitable specialist policy for you, which will also cover theft or damage to your golf clubs.

Whether you play golf as a hobby or as a job, you should seriously consider the implications of not having public liability cover.  Given the potential for accidents in the environment of the golf course and club, it seems silly not to give yourself peace of mind before you step out onto the fairway.


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