Are you absolutely sure your hurricane insurance would even pay out if the greens are destroyed but the clubhouse remains standing?
In this guide, you’ll learn how to hurricane-proof your golf course, both operationally and financially, before the next storm arrives. We’ll walk you through a two-phase storm preparation playbook, expose the insurance gaps that leave most courses vulnerable, and show how parametric coverage can be your post-storm lifeline.
Why Hurricane Preparedness Is a Year-Round Responsibility for Coastal Courses
If your golf course hugs the coast, storm season is not a matter of “if.” It is guaranteed. For instance, Georgia’s Golden Isles have been impacted by over a dozen named storms since 2012. The risk is not just high, it is annual.
And while you cannot stop the wind or the water, you can control your facility’s ability to survive and bounce back quickly. The best defense is a two-pronged approach:
- Proactive, documented hurricane preparedness
- Layered insurance that goes beyond the clubhouse
Let’s break down both.
Pre-Storm Strategy: More Than Just Sandbags and Plywood
Phase 1: Long-Term Readiness
Smart courses prepare before the skies darken.
Before hurricane season begins, your focus should be on reducing long-term exposure to loss:
- Infrastructure Fortification: Move irrigation controllers, pump stations, and maintenance gear to higher ground. At UNC Finley Golf Club, flood-prone placement led to submerged assets and serious setbacks.
- Drainage and Arboriculture: Clear drainage basins, culverts, and spillways. Trim dead or weak limbs regularly to avoid post-storm debris chaos.
- Asset Documentation: Keep an updated, cloud-based inventory with photos. This is your evidence for insurance claims. Without it, you are negotiating in the dark.
Phase 2: The 72-Hour Countdown
Once a storm enters the cone, your clock is ticking.
Here is what to do in three stages:
| Timeframe | Action Items |
|---|---|
| 72 to 48 Hours Out | Notify staff, secure contractors, move equipment, apply turf protectants |
| 48 to 24 Hours Out | Shut down irrigation, take “before” photos, fuel all tanks, test generators |
| 24 to 0 Hours Out | Final property lockdown, release staff to secure homes, activate communications plan |
Having a written checklist prevents last-minute chaos. Print it. Practice it.
Why Most Insurance Policies Will Not Save You
Many golf course managers are confident their insurance is good enough. Here is the harsh truth: it is not.
The Wind and Water Trap
Most commercial property insurance excludes wind and flood damage, unless you add those coverages separately. But even when you do, you need to read the fine print.
Look for these clauses. Most policies do not include them by default:
- All Playing Surfaces: If the policy does not specifically cover every fairway, tee, and green, and if it only refers to “holes,” you are underinsured.
- Debris Removal: Fallen trees and washed-up sand piles are expensive to remove.
- Replacement Value for Vehicles: Most policies only pay depreciated value, which does not replace your golf cart fleet.
The Business Interruption Blind Spot
This is the most common and costly oversight.
Standard Business Interruption (BI) policies only apply if buildings are damaged. If your course is underwater but the clubhouse is dry, you are out of luck and revenue.
In Georgia alone, billion-dollar weather disasters are on the rise. It is not paranoia. It is statistical inevitability.
Parametric Insurance: The Fastest Payout in the Industry
This is the secret weapon few golf courses are using, but they should be.
Parametric insurance pays a fixed amount automatically when a measurable weather event occurs. There are no adjusters, no arguments, and no delays.
Here is How It Works:
- Trigger: A Category 3 hurricane passes within 50 miles, or rainfall exceeds 10 inches in 24 hours.
- Payout: A pre-set lump sum is wired to you within days.
Why it matters: You can cover payroll, launch cleanup, and keep the lights on without waiting weeks or months for traditional claims to process.
Parametric policies do not replace traditional coverage. They fill its most dangerous gaps.
The Hard Truth Coastal Courses Must Accept
Even flawless preparation cannot stop a hurricane.
What separates resilient golf courses from ruined ones is not just sandbagging and shutoff valves. It is whether you have built a storm plan that extends beyond turf to your bottom line.
Rebuild Faster, Smarter, and Stronger
At the end of the day, we have all seen how one storm can wipe out years of investment in a single night. This is especially true if you are relying on outdated or incomplete insurance coverage. Now that you have learned how to build a truly resilient defense with proactive planning and parametric backup, it is time to evaluate your policies and readiness with your team.
Need help evaluating your hurricane insurance gaps or drafting a playbook? Get a quote to secure your course’s future before the next storm surge arrives.
