Specialty brokerage Amwins has introduced a new flood insurance program designed specifically for US golf courses.

The “Tees-to-Green” program, powered by Floodbase and backed by carriers with “A” ratings, aims to cover lost revenue and repair costs incurred when courses are affected by flooding.

This program addresses a significant gap in existing flood coverage for golf courses, which are often located on land susceptible to flooding. Traditionally, golf resorts and courses only carry flood insurance for physical assets such as golf carts, clubhouses, maintenance facilities, and equipment.

However, damage to the course itself and business interruption due to downtime are typically excluded from standard policies. This exclusion can lead to substantial financial losses when courses are unplayable for extended periods, affecting revenue from green fees, concessions, hotel bookings, and restaurant services.

Alex Kaplan (pictured above), executive vice president for alternative risk at Amwins, highlighted the vulnerability of the golf industry to flooding and the growing need for more comprehensive coverage options.

Kaplan noted that by partnering with Floodbase, Amwins is able to offer a product that pays out based on the extent of flooding, filling a critical gap in the market. The “Tees-to-Green” program will initially be available to select distribution partners before being offered more broadly.

The development of this insurance program is made possible through satellite technology created by Floodbase, an AI-driven flood company founded in collaboration with Google. Floodbase combines hydrologic modeling with decades of satellite imagery to monitor flooding and flood severity across the US on an hourly basis.

This technology allows for continuous monitoring of golf courses and triggers payouts automatically when flooding exceeds a predefined level. This approach simplifies the insurance process by eliminating traditional claims procedures, sublimits, and exclusions.

Bessie Schwarz, CEO of Floodbase, emphasized the importance of addressing the financial impact of flooding on golf courses, noting that flooding is the most common and costly weather-related disaster in the US.

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