What would it take to rebuild a golf course designed before the U.S. Constitution was signed?
And what if a storm wiped out not just your turf, but two centuries of history?
If you manage or insure a historic golf course, you already know the stakes are higher than most people realize. This article breaks down how specialized insurance can preserve not just the grass and buildings, but the architectural heritage, cultural value, and even the tax credits of America’s oldest golf courses.
You’ll learn:
- Why standard golf course insurance fails historic courses
- What “Historic Replacement Cost” really means
- The five specialized coverages every legacy course needs
- How the “Munaissance” movement is changing the risk profile of municipal golf
Why Standard Insurance Can Ruin a Historic Golf Course
Savannah, Georgia’s golf legacy isn’t just old. It’s irreplaceable. With The Savannah Golf Club dating back to 1794 and Bacon Park designed by the legendary Donald Ross in 1926, these aren’t just places to play. They’re historical landmarks with unique features that cannot be recreated using modern methods.
Take The Savannah Golf Club. Its fairways run across preserved Civil War fortifications, earthen berms used in battle now double as bunkers. Bacon Park, meanwhile, is undergoing a nationally recognized restoration to bring back Ross’s Golden Age architecture.
Standard property insurance cannot capture this value. It only covers functional replacement, which means it pays to rebuild in modern terms, not historical ones. And that is a problem. A Donald Ross green rebuilt with generic USGA specifications is not restoration. It is erasure.
The Real Challenge: Valuing What Cannot Be Replaced
The key concept is “Historic Replacement Cost,” not just “replacement cost.”
Here’s the difference:
| Valuation Method | Standard Policy | Historic Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Valuation Basis | Functional Replacement | Agreed Historic Replacement |
| Coverage Goal | Restore playability with modern methods | Rebuild exact original using historic techniques |
| Appraisal Method | General commercial property | Expert appraisal in golf and historic design |
| Example: Damaged Green | Modern green with standard contours | Original Ross green with unique contours and materials |
Specialized carriers like Zurich offer Historic Property Insurance programs with agreed-value coverage, ensuring restorations use era-accurate materials, even if they cost more.
The Five-Part Insurance Portfolio for Golf Heritage
If you are managing a historic course, one policy is not enough. You need a full suite of protections tailored to preservation.
1. Historic Property Insurance
This is foundational. To qualify, your property must usually be listed on the National Register of Historic Places or contribute to a designated historic district. The benefit is full-cost coverage to restore buildings like original clubhouses, not just replace them.
2. Tee-to-Green Restoration Coverage
Most golf policies exclude the course itself. That is like insuring the Louvre but not the Mona Lisa. This endorsement covers critical course elements like the Civil War berms at Savannah or Bacon Park’s crowned greens to ensure storms do not erase history.
3. Business Interruption During Restoration
Restoring a historic course can mean a full closure for months or even years. That is a big ask for members or city councils. This coverage helps offset lost revenue while the course is being carefully rebuilt.
4. Historic Tax Credit Recapture Insurance
Bacon Park, as a municipal course, may qualify for state and federal tax credits. If disaster strikes before the required recapture period ends, this insurance reimburses lost credits, a crucial safeguard for publicly funded restorations.
5. Builder’s Risk and Archaeological Coverage
During restorations, courses often dig up more than dirt, especially in history-rich areas like Savannah. A robust Builder’s Risk policy should include add-ons for archaeological finds, ensuring construction does not halt if artifacts are discovered.
The Munaissance Movement: Opportunity Meets Risk
Bacon Park’s restoration is part of the national “Munaissance,” a revival of municipal courses designed by Golden Age architects.
This movement has brought new prestige and revenue opportunities to cities embracing their golf heritage. But it also raises the stakes.
According to the Donald Ross Society, successful restorations often begin by educating members. Many do not even realize how much their course has drifted from its original design. Aerial photos, overlays, and side-by-side comparisons often reveal the loss of features like cross-bunkers and fairway contours.
With rising expectations come rising risks, including delays, funding gaps, and the possibility of irreversible damage during the work. That is why aligning with carriers and brokers experienced in historic preservation is not optional. It is essential.
What You Are Really Insuring Is Not Grass. It Is Legacy.
You are not just protecting a golf course. You are protecting a legacy shaped by war, art, sport, and community pride.
Insuring a place like Bacon Park or The Savannah Golf Club demands a mindset shift from “rebuild fast” to “restore faithfully.”
At the end of the day, we have all seen what happens when history gets paved over in the name of efficiency. But with the right insurance, you can ensure your course’s past is not just remembered. It is played.
If you are ready to safeguard your course’s future while honoring its past, your next step is connecting with a broker who understands legacy as well as liability.
