Hole in One: Golf Insurance Policies Compared

For a golfer, it doesn’t get any better than hitting that ball clear over the fairway, rough and hazards, across the green and directly into the hole. The dream of scoring an “HIO”, as the term “hole in one” is abbreviated in reverend tones across golfing circles, remains just a dream for most golfers.

Golf insurance for the unlikely big break

Estimates place the chance of a hobby golfer scoring an ace at less than 1:10,000. This figure greatly increases when pro golfers take the field, but even so, chances for pros still sit at 1:2500 for par 3 holes.

Hole in one – a rite of passage

Perhaps not surprisingly, the rare HIO phenomenon has been the subject of more than one book. Hole in ones have been pulled off by 5-year-olds, 102-year-olds and blind people. The maximum distance at which a one-hit hole was achieved is 466 meters.

When the dream of every pro and amateur golf player actually materializes, it’s an event to remember. Credit is given where credit is due: the favored few are mentioned by name at the corresponding golf clubs and listed in lifestyle magazines.

Pro golfers who strike an ace during lucrative tournaments generally receive luxurious prizes. These may include valuable watches or expensive cars. But tournament organizers can insure themselves against the costs associated with a hole in one, and thus ensure that they too enjoy the celebration.

Expensive luck for hobby golfers

Unlike pro golfers, an HIO presents anything but a windfall for amateur golf players. Perhaps as a way of forcing the player to apologize for their luck, it is customary in many golf clubs for the exuberant ace striker to invite all other players and even innocent bystanders to a drink.

This tradition is especially prevalent in the United Kingdom and Japan, but it has also “graced” most other countries in which golf is played, including Switzerland. Owing to the thirsty nature of the golfing community, hitting an HIO can hit your wallet just as hard. The fact that rare whiskies and wines are favored by golf-lovers does not exactly help the situation.

Japan in particular can be an exceptionally expensive place to hit an ace because the lucky player is expected to share the joy by showering not only friends and acquaintances, but everyone in the vicinity with expensive gifts.

Hole in one insurance in Switzerland

It seems there is nothing that you can’t insure yourself against these days. While most insurance policies protect you from hazards, hole in one coverage insures golfers against the greatest achievement of their sporting career, and its financial consequences.

In Switzerland, hole in one insurance is available as an insurance benefit with certain exclusive golfing and airline credit cards.

Some insurance companies also make hole in one insurance available as an optional rider on liability and household insurance policies.

Cautious golf lovers can pay approximately 30 francs more in premiums every year to add this rider to their policy. In exchange, you receive a benefit of up to 3000 francs to cover costs related to aces scored during official golf tournaments.

The moneyland.ch team

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