IMPORTANT: 15 or 21 day deadline – You will not be able to include Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage or have pre-existing conditions covered if a policy is not bought within 15 or 21 days (15 days with TravelGuard or 21 days with TravelSafe/GolfSafe) of paying your initial trip deposit to Pioneer Golf (the day you pay counts as day 1). If you pay deposits for others in your group, their clock starts ticking from the day you paid their initial deposit.
You must insure your trip for your full Pioneer Golf package price (you do not need to include the cost of your airline tickets, but can). Travel insurance providers will deny claims if you underinsure your trip, even if it’s for a nominal amount (yes, even just $1). If you buy your policy for a certain trip cost and later that trip cost increases (e.g., you add another round), you must contact the travel insurance company to increase the coverage amount of your policy and pay the added premium within a few days of paying the extra amount to Pioneer Golf.
General Tips to Purchasing Travel Insurance
Given that our golf trips are typically booked well in advance, we suggest you consider purchasing a standalone travel insurance policy. Standalone travel insurance policies offer the best benefits and highest coverage limits. The coverage you may get with the “free” travel insurance that comes with your credit card is very basic and usually lacks any meaningful medical expense reimbursement and other types of coverage.
As an example, a standalone policy with GolfSafe offers up to $100,000 of medical expense reimbursement and will include pre-existing conditions if purchased within 21 days of paying your initial deposit. Travel insurance coverage offered by the Chase Sapphire Reserve cards offers up to $2,500 of medical expense reimbursement without pre-existing condition coverage while the American Express Platinum card offers $0 of medical expense reimbursement. You get what you pay for when it comes to travel insurance!
Our vendors (golf courses, hotels, etc.) have strict non-refundable payment policies, so a travel insurance policy is the only way to fully protect your investment. Unfortunately, every year we have clients fall ill or get injured before their trip, resulting in a last-minute cancellation and a complete loss of all funds paid towards their trip - don’t let this happen to you.
The COVID pandemic highlighted the importance of a policy that contains Cancel for Any Reason (“CFAR”) coverage. A policy with CFAR is the only type of policy that will offer any sort of protection against pandemics. Please note that you can purchase a policy with CFAR coverage if done so within 15 or 21 days (15 days for TravelGuard, 21 days for TravelSafe/GolfSafe) of paying your initial deposit. If you miss this deadline, you will not be able to buy a policy with CFAR coverage (i.e., travel insurance companies will not make any exceptions whatsoever). Policies without CFAR coverage will not cover you in case of any pandemic related travel restrictions/interruptions. Credit card travel insurance policies do not offer CFAR coverage.
Note that in general, standalone travel insurance policies will only cover pre-existing conditions if the policy is purchased within 15 or 21 days (15 days for TravelGuard, 21 days for TravelSafe/GolfSafe) of paying your initial deposit and you’re able to travel at the time of purchase.
If you missed the deadline to purchase a policy with CFAR coverage or to have pre-existing conditions covered, we suggest that you still consider protecting yourself with a regular policy. These policies will generally protect you in case of illness or injury. They also include coverage for a variety of other reasons/scenarios (e.g., missed flight connections, lost clubs, transportation costs if your flight is late and the rest of your group has already left the airport, etc.). There are many reasons why it’s a good idea to purchase a travel insurance policy to protect yourself in case of the unexpected especially since you’re likely booking this trip earlier than you’ve ever done so before! Please review all policy details carefully before making a decision.
For US Residents:
TravelSafe/GolfSafe is one of the most respected travel insurance providers and offers policies underwritten by one of the most recognizable names in the insurance industry (AXIS). They also offer the option to add CFAR coverage to their regular policies and their CFAR reimbursement rate is an industry leading 75%. For any specific details and questions about the plans and cover limits, please contact the TravelSafe/GolfSafe customer service team at 800-523-8020 or golfsafe@travelsafe.com. You can’t purchase a policy by phone or email, but they can only be purchased online by clicking below. All policy coverage details including state certificates are made available when you get a quote (look for the “Plan Documents” link). Pioneer Golf is unrelated to this (or any) travel insurance company and unrelated to their underwriter. You can certainly buy a policy from any travel insurance provider or elect not to purchase a policy at all.
Residents of WA:
For GolfSafe policies without CFAR coverage. The GolfSafe product does not offer CFAR coverage to WA residents.
For TravelSafe policies with or without CFAR coverage. These policies are similar to the GolfSafe product but exclude some golf specific coverage
Residents of NY:
For GolfSafe policies without CFAR coverage. GolfSafe/TravelSafe do not offer CFAR coverage to NY residents.
For TravelGuard policies with CFAR coverage. TravelGuard does offer CFAR coverage to NY residents although its reimbursement rate is at 50% as opposed to GolfSafe/TravelSafe’s 75%. TravelGuard is unrelated to Pioneer Golf and is owned by AIG.
To Do’s when Purchasing:
For Residents of Canada:
TravelSafe is one of the most respected travel insurance providers and offers policies underwritten by one of the most recognizable names in the insurance industry (AXIS). You will be offered two policies, one without CFAR coverage and one with CFAR coverage. Their CFAR reimbursement rate is an industry leading 75%. For any specific details and questions about the plans and cover limits, please contact the TravelSafe customer service team at 800-523-8020 or golfsafe@travelsafe.com. You can’t purchase a policy by phone or email, but they can be purchased online by clicking below. All policy coverage details including certificates are made available when you get a quote (look for the “Plan Details” and “Plan Documents” links). Pioneer Golf is unrelated to this (or any) travel insurance company and unrelated to their underwriter. You can certainly buy a policy from any travel insurance provider or elect not to purchase a policy at all.
A General Introduction to Travel Insurance and CFAR
In general, travel protection policies offer protection/reimbursement for a myriad of reasons. Coverage and cost depends on how comprehensive the policy is. In the travel insurance market, you generally get what you pay for. Most standalone policies will offer 100% coverage for cancellation due to “covered reasons”. A medical issue or injury is usually a “covered reason” as are plenty of other reasons. Pre-existing conditions are usually only covered if a policy is purchased within 15 or 21 days of the payment of an initial deposit. Reasons such as your pet’s passing, a business obligation, or a pandemic are not usually “covered reasons”. Policies with Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage are more comprehensive than regular policies as they will add coverage for cancellation due to reasons that are not “covered reasons” (or “non-covered reasons”) such as a pandemic or a work obligation. You can essentially cancel your trip (so long as done in writing and a certain number of days before your trip - usually 2 or 3 but depends on carrier) and get reimbursed for any reason whatsoever. Adding CFAR coverage to a policy is not inexpensive given the robust coverage and no insurance provider will reimburse 100% of a trip’s cost for a non-covered reason. The highest percentage coverage rate in the marketplace at the moment is 75%. You must generally purchase your policy within 15 or 21 days (depends on the company you purchase from) from the day you pay your initial trip deposit in order for CFAR coverage to be available. Lastly, travel insurance that your credit card may offer is minimal coverage compared to standalone policies. That’s precisely why it’s free.
Traditionally, CFAR coverage for non-covered reasons has been at 75% of the trip cost; however and due to the massive hits underwriters took during the Covid-19 pandemic, many travel insurance providers have completely discontinued offering policies with CFAR coverage. Others have lowered their CFAR coverage from the traditional 75% down to 50% of the trip cost (note that reimbursement due to “covered reasons” is still at 100%). One company, GolfSafe/TravelSafe, still offers a policy with CFAR at 75%. Pioneer Golf's terms and conditions stipulate that all payments are non-refundable so we suggest you protect yourself by purchasing a travel insurance policy with CFAR coverage with the highest percentage of coverage possible.
Travel protection can protect you in case of (policy dependent):
Top 5 Travel Insurance Claims by Pioneer Golf clients:
* Travel insurance is offered by many independent third parties with terms and conditions of their own that can be explained by their representatives. Pioneer Golf does not require the purchase of a travel insurance policy and can not be held responsible for what different policies cover and do not cover since insurance companies make changes to their policies at their own discretion and at times without notice. Please consult the insurance company directly regarding coverage, limits, and any other insurance related questions.
Pioneer Golf is not a licensed insurer, an insurance provider, nor an insurance expert. To evaluate or interpret the technical terms, benefits, and conditions of any travel insurance coverage, you must contact the insurance company directly. Some policies are only available to residents of the US and some are not available in certain states. Travel insurance is usually available to anyone no matter where you reside (but not from all companies) by companies in your own country. The purchase of travel insurance is not required.