There are thousands of golf courses across the country, and many of them are housing communities too. The idea of living just off of the fairway with the clubhouse nearby is attractive to many golfers and non-golfers alike. It doesn’t hurt knowing that your view will be scrupulously maintained by an entire team of gardeners either.

However, not everyone who golfs can hit the ball straight and consistently make it to the fairway or the green. This means that if you decide to live on a golf course, you should take a close look at your insurance policies. The risk of being hit by a golf ball will clearly be higher than average — whether that stray golf ball hits a houseguest, your home, or your car. When you choose to live on a golf course, you are assuming a certain amount of risk for potential damage from slices and hooks.

Golf course hazards to your homeowners insurance!

Depending on where your house is located relative to the tee box or the fairway, your home is probably the most likely to be hit by an errant ball. Roofs, windows, and siding are all vulnerable, so knowing what your deductible is will be a determining factor in whether filing a homeowners insurance claim makes sense.

If you’ve decided to go with a high deductible to reduce your premiums, consider what that will mean for your out-of-pocket costs to replace windows. Large, picture windows can be costly.

The golfer’s drive hit your ride!

If you live in a golf course community, there’s also a chance that your car might be hit by a golf ball. State laws can vary about the golfer’s responsibility — if you are even able to determine who hit the ball that struck your car.

Review your auto insurance policy and see what kinds of limits there might be for damage to the vehicle that was not caused by a collision. What part of your vehicle was damaged might be a factor in making a claim. If your windshield was hit and was either cracked or shattered, review your policy to see if you have a separate glass damage deductible; if the damage exceeds the deductible, your claim may be covered. If a stray ball left a dent in your hood and you have comprehensive coverage, the amount of damage will come into play here too — if the damage is less than your deductible, you will probably be paying for the repair out of pocket.

Fore! Your guest was hit!

If you live in a golf course community, and you and your friends are out on your deck and a golf ball hits and injures one of your houseguests, does your homeowners insurance cover the injury? This is a situation you should review with your carrier or agent. In most cases, the answer will be yes — this is an injury that happened on your property and your personal liability coverage will often cover this up to your coverage limits on your policy. However, some policies may have exclusions, so it is important to know what is covered and what might not be.

Living on a golf course can be an ideal setting for many, evoking the feelings of living in a vacation-like setting year-round. But before you get swept up by that “always on vacation” setting, make sure you understand the risks and the limits on your policies, because there’s nothing relaxing about paying for broken windows!

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