Daily Golf Federation Licences

Since moving here to Spain in 2004 resident and tourist golfers alike have complained to me about having to pay insurance at each golf course if you are not a member of the Spanish Golf Federation (where you pay an annual fee of circa €90) and also complained that in the Murcian community the fee is €3 each player and in the Valencian community it is only €1.5 each player

This is not strictly true because under the instruction of a royal decree non federated golfers must purchase a daily golf permit only part of which is the insurance element.

Things are about to change and sorry to say maybe not for the better!!!

I have seen a draft copy of a circular (18/2022) dated the 8th March 2022 from the Spanish Golf Federation, which, if I understand correctly will complicate matters further, especially for resident golfers.

The key points of this circular are as follows:

 

  1. The current daily federation licence will only apply to tourist golfers and this is clarified as a golfer without an NIE Number or TIE Resident Card.
  2. The compulsory insurance contained within the daily licence is the only insurance that covers civil liability caused by the golfer to persons or property.
  3. Golfers who hold an NIE Number or TIE Residents card don’t have to pay the daily licence fee BUT are expected to show that that they are members of the Spanish Golf Federation which includes the appropriate insurance cover.

So it looks like Spanish home owning golfers who are limited under the Brexit terms to the length of time they can stay in Spain and full Spanish residents will be forced to join the Spanish Golf Federation to play golf in Spain.

Clearly this throws up a numbers of questions like who monitors it all and what happens if a resident pays the daily licence fee and then has an accident?

For sure at a time when many golf courses are significantly increasing green fee prices this is the last thing that resident golfers need and may just drive some golfers off the golf courses.

I am sure that this issue has some way to run and will attempt to keep our readers updated as things develop and if these proposals are legalised and implemented by our local golf courses.