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UK golfers are being warned of a common insurance issue when playing this summer, which could cost them a hefty £236.71 if overlooked.

Many golfers mistakenly assume that the insurance built into their club membership covers them comprehensively for any issues that occur while playing.

However, according to experts at Golf Care, most club memberships only offer public liability insurance as standard.

This means that players will be protected financially if they injure someone else or damage their property, and that third party makes a compensation claim. However, they won’t be covered for the full range of golf risks and may still have to pay an excess on any public liability claims.

Equipment theft, for example, is an extremely common issue – whether a set of clubs, a golf watch or specialist clothing.

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Serious injuries also frequently take place on the course, in many cases leading to expensive dental work or perhaps even a hospital stay, none of which would be covered by a public liability policy.

In the event of these kinds of incidents, the player would have to foot the bill. Specialist golf insurance policies, meanwhile, provide cover options for a far wider range of issues.

According to Golf Care’s research, the average cost of a golf insurance claim is £236.71 – but this could stretch further depending on the incident in question.

The warning comes during a busy season in which thousands of golfers will be heading to the course to take advantage of longer evenings and sunny playing conditions.

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Dan Dawson, Head of Underwriting at Golf Care, said: “For golfers, confusion around this insurance detail is common – and it can be financially damaging in the event of a problem taking place.

“Golfers across the UK will be excited to get out and play during the upcoming spell of warmer weather – but finding that your insurance doesn’t adequately cover you in the event of an issue could ruin your season.

“We would therefore urge all golfers to carefully check the small print of their membership documents or speak to their club for clarity.”

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