Golf Insurance in Switzerland Explained

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 – generally remains just a dream for most golfers.

Insuring the unlikely big break

Estimates place the chance of a hobby golfer scoring an ace at less than 1:12,500. 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 hole in one 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 enshrined in the annals of golf clubs and listed in lifestyle magazines.

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

Expensive luck for hobby golfers

Unlike pro golfers, a hole in one is the exact opposite of a windfall for amateur golf players. Perhaps as a way of forcing the player to apologize for their good luck, custom dictates that the exuberant ace-striker must invite their fellow golfers 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. Because expensive tastes are relatively common among golfers, hitting a hole in one can also hit your wallet. In the worst case, your peers may favor rare whiskies and wines with breathtaking price tags.

Japan, in particular, can be an exceptionally expensive place to hit a hole in one: The lucky player is expected to share the joy by showering costly gifts not only friends and acquaintances, but on everyone in the vicinity.

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.