Privacy Policy

Last Updated: April 26, 2025
GolfGuiders, Inc. (“GolfGuiders,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect personal information when you use our website (https://golfguiders.com) and mobile application (collectively, the “Services”). It also describes your rights under relevant privacy laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act/California Privacy Rights Act (CCPA/CPRA), and how you can exercise those rights. By using our Services, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

Information We Collect

We collect personal information to provide and improve our Services. The types of information we collect include:
Information You Provide Directly: When you create an account or profile on GolfGuiders, we ask for personal details such as your name, email address, phone number, birthdate (for age verification), and password. If you subscribe to newsletters or contact us for support, we collect the information you share, which may include your name, contact details, and any content of your communications.
Profile and Content Information: You may optionally add more information to your profile, such as a profile photo, golf handicap, or other details about your golf game. If you post content or participate in forums or group features, we collect and store that content (including comments, photos, or other media you choose to share).
Payment Information: If you make a purchase (such as booking a golf session or buying merchandise), we collect transaction details. This includes your payment card information (name, card number, expiration date, billing address). Important: GolfGuiders uses third-party payment processors (e.g., Stripe) to handle payment transactions. We do not store full payment card numbers or verification codes on our own servers. Payment details are processed securely by these providers in accordance with their privacy policies.
Device and Usage Information: When you use our website or mobile app, we automatically collect information about your device and how you use the Services. This includes:
- Device Data: Information about your mobile device or computer, such as device type, operating system, browser type, unique device identifiers, and app version.
- Usage Data: Details about how you use our Services (e.g., pages or screens viewed, features used, time spent, and navigation paths through the app).
- Location Data: If you allow it, we may collect precise geolocation data from your device to provide location-based features (like suggesting nearby golf courses or events). You can control location access via your device settings.
Cookies and Similar Technologies: Like many services, we use cookies, pixels, and local storage to collect website usage data and improve your experience. See Cookies and Tracking Technologies below for details.
Information from Third Parties: If you choose to register or log in via a third-party account (e.g., sign in with Apple, Google, or Facebook), or link your GolfGuiders account with a third-party service, we receive information from that third party (such as your name, email, or profile picture) as permitted by the platform’s privacy policy. We may also receive information from partners such as analytics providers, advertising networks, or others to help us improve our Services or marketing.
Special Note on Sensitive Personal Information: We do not actively seek or collect sensitive personal data (e.g., social security numbers, health information outside of golf performance metrics, or precise personal financial information beyond what is needed for transactions). We also do not process personal data that reveals your racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or genetic data, except as part of standard demographic information you may voluntarily provide (such as your country or preferred language). If we ever need to handle sensitive data, we will do so in strict compliance with applicable laws and with your explicit consent when required.

How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes, and always pursuant to a valid legal basis under GDPR or other applicable laws:
To Provide and Maintain the Services: We use your information to create and manage your account, provide the features and services you request, and facilitate bookings or purchases (e.g., scheduling a golf guide session, processing payments, and sending confirmations).
To Personalize Your Experience: We analyze your usage and profile data (like your golf handicap or location) to tailor the content in the app or on the website. For example, we might suggest golf courses, guides, or blog articles that align with your skill level or interests. Personalization helps us ensure the content you see is relevant to you.
To Communicate with You: We use your contact information to send important account or transactional communications. This includes:
- Service Messages: We may send confirmations, reminders (e.g., upcoming session reminders), updates about policy changes, or technical and security notices.
- Customer Support: If you reach out with questions or issues, we’ll use your information to respond and resolve your concerns.
- Marketing Communications: We might send newsletters, promotions, or offers about our Services or new features. Opt-Out: You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in the email or adjusting your account settings. For mobile app push notifications or SMS messages, you can turn them off in your device or app settings.
For Analytics and Product Improvement: We analyze usage data (including through third-party analytics tools) to understand how our Services are used. This helps us troubleshoot issues, test features, and improve performance and user experience. We might look at aggregated trends to make decisions like improving a popular feature or simplifying a confusing workflow. Whenever possible, we use aggregated or de-identified data for these purposes, which does not personally identify you.
For Security and Fraud Prevention: We are dedicated to keeping GolfGuiders safe. We use information (including automated systems and fraud-detection tools) to protect against and investigate fraudulent transactions, unauthorized access, threats, or other misuse. For example, we may verify logins to detect suspicious activity or use device information to ensure content integrity (like preventing bots or fake accounts).
To Comply with Legal Obligations: When necessary, we will use or disclose your information to comply with applicable laws, regulations, lawful requests, and legal processes. For example, we may need to retain transaction records for tax or accounting purposes, or provide data in response to a court order.
With Your Consent (when required): In certain situations, we rely on your consent to process personal data, such as when accessing precise location data or sending certain marketing communications in jurisdictions that require consent. Wherever we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time, and we will make it easy for you to do so (for instance, through app settings or unsubscribe links).
Legal Bases for Processing (for users in the European Economic Area or United Kingdom): We only process your personal data when we have a valid legal basis. This includes:
Performance of a Contract: Processing is necessary to provide the Services you request under our Terms of Use or other agreements (e.g., using your data to book a session you paid for).
Legitimate Interests: We process data for our legitimate business interests (like improving our Services, securing our platform, and communicating with you as a customer) in a way that does not override your privacy rights. For instance, sending you recommended content might be based on our interest in keeping you engaged with our Service, and we balance that with your right to privacy by allowing easy opt-outs.
Legal Obligation: When we need to comply with a law or legal requirement (such as maintaining transaction records or responding to lawful government requests).
Consent: When you have given explicit consent, which you can withdraw at any time (for example, for optional surveys or certain marketing communications).

How We Share Your Information

We value your privacy and handle your personal information with care. We only share your personal information in the following circumstances:
Service Providers and Partners: We share information with trusted third-party companies who perform services on our behalf. These include:
- Payment Processors: As mentioned, if you make purchases, our payment processor (e.g., Stripe) will process your payment details. They handle your information securely and are contractually obligated to keep it confidential and use it only for the intended purpose.
- Email and Communication Providers: We may use email service providers or platforms (for example, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) or similar services) to send newsletters, confirmation emails, and other communications. These providers have access to your email address and name as needed to send messages on our behalf.
- Analytics and Performance Tools: To improve our Services, we may use third-party analytics tools (like Google Analytics or similar) that collect usage data and device identifiers. These analytics providers process data about how you use our Services and report to us on aggregate trends. We ensure these providers cannot use your data for their own purposes and, where feasible, we employ IP anonymization or similar measures.
- Advertising and Marketing Partners: We might work with advertising networks or social media platforms to display ads for our Services on other platforms or to manage our email marketing lists. For example, we might upload a list of customer emails to a social media platform to identify similar audiences for GolfGuiders ads. These partners are bound to use the data only as instructed by us and in compliance with privacy laws. We do not share any information with advertisers that directly identifies you (like your name or contact info) without your explicit consent.
- Other Business Services: We could use cloud storage providers, customer support tools, or other software-as-a-service platforms that may handle or store data on our behalf (for example, a service we use to manage support tickets or to host our data). In all cases, these providers are only given the minimum data necessary and must abide by our data privacy and security requirements.
Within the GolfGuiders Organization: If GolfGuiders, Inc. has affiliates, parent companies, or subsidiaries in the future, we may share information among them, but always under the terms of this Privacy Policy.
Business Transactions: In the event of a business transfer such as a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of all or part of our assets, or a transition to another service provider (for example, if we are acquired by another company or if we transfer our operations to a new provider), your information may be transferred to a successor or affiliate as part of that transaction. If such a change happens, we will ensure that the new owner or newly merged entity respects your personal data in line with this Privacy Policy, or we will notify you and give you an opportunity to exercise your rights (for example, allowing you to delete your data if you wish).
Legal Compliance and Protection: We may disclose personal information if we believe it’s necessary to:
- Comply with any applicable law, regulation, legal process, or enforceable governmental request (for example, to meet national security or law enforcement requirements).
- Enforce our Terms of Service or other agreements, including investigation of potential violations.
- Detect, prevent, or address fraud, security, or technical issues.
- Protect the rights, property, or safety of GolfGuiders, our users, or the public, as required or permitted by law. This could include exchanging information with other companies and organizations for fraud protection or responding to emergencies.
With Your Consent or at Your Direction: Apart from the situations above, we will only share your personal information with third parties when you give us consent to do so. For instance, if you choose to integrate a third-party service with GolfGuiders (such as sharing your golf scores to a social media account or connecting with a golf coach through an external platform), we will share data with that service at your direction. Likewise, if we ever want to share information for a new purpose not covered by this Privacy Policy, we will explain the purpose and ask for your consent before doing so.
No Selling of Personal Information: We do not sell your personal information in the traditional sense (for monetary gain). We also do not “share” your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising as defined under the CPRA. If this ever changes, we will update this policy and provide any required notice and opt-out options. California residents can further refer to the Your Rights and Choices section for their additional opt-out rights under the CCPA/CPRA.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We and our partners use cookies and similar tracking technologies on our website and app to provide, personalize, and improve the Services. This section explains these technologies and your choices.
What Cookies Are: Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They help us remember your preferences, understand how you use our site, and personalize content. We also use similar technologies in our app, like mobile app analytics and software development kits (SDKs) that serve a similar purpose.
Types of Cookies and Trackers We Use:
- Essential Cookies: These are necessary for our website to function properly. For example, they help authenticate logged-in users and prevent fraudulent use of user accounts. Without these cookies, some services cannot be provided.
- Preference Cookies: These remember your preferences (such as region or language choices) to provide a more customized experience.
- Analytics Cookies: We use these to count visitors and understand how they navigate our site or app. This helps us improve our design, functionality, and content by, for example, ensuring users find what they need easily. We might use tools like Google Analytics, which use their own cookies. The information collected is aggregated and generally does not identify you personally. We configure such tools to respect Do Not Track signals where possible and to anonymize IP addresses to protect individual privacy.
- Advertising Cookies and Pixels: If we engage in advertising, these cookies/pixels (like those from Facebook or Google) collect information about your browsing habits and usage to show you relevant ads on other sites or apps. They perform functions like preventing the same ad from continuously reappearing, ensuring ads are properly displayed for advertisers, and selecting advertisements that are based on your interests.
- Note: As of the latest update, GolfGuiders’ advertising use of cookies is limited, and any retargeting or interest-based advertising we conduct will adhere to privacy laws and provide appropriate opt-outs.
Mobile App Tracking: In our mobile application, instead of cookies, we may use device identifiers and built-in tracking (via SDKs) for similar purposes (analytics, error tracking, push notification delivery, etc.). For example, we might use Firebase Analytics or Apple App Analytics to understand app performance. These tools may collect device identifiers, usage data, and crash reports.
Your Choices:
- Cookie Controls: When you first visit our website, we will present you with a cookie notice explaining our use of cookies. Where required by law (such as in the EU/EEA), we will ask for your consent for non-essential cookies. You can change your cookie preferences at any time using our cookie preference center (if available) or by adjusting your browser settings to refuse certain cookies. Please note that blocking or deleting cookies might impact your experience; for instance, you might need to re-enter your login or settings preferences.
- Do Not Track: Some browsers have a “Do Not Track” (DNT) feature that signals to websites you visit that you do not want to be tracked. Our website responds to DNT signals by disabling analytics and third-party advertising cookies when a DNT browser setting is detected. However, not all trackers may be affected, so it’s a good practice to use the cookie controls mentioned above in addition to any DNT setting.
- Mobile Device Settings: On the mobile app, you can usually control interest-based advertising through your device’s settings (for example, by enabling “Limit Ad Tracking” on iOS or opting out of Ads Personalization on Android). You can also control location sharing via the app’s permission settings on your phone (you have the choice to allow or deny location access, and even if allowed, you can typically choose between allowing location access “only while using the app” or “always,” etc., depending on your device’s options).
- Opt-Out of Analytics: Google Analytics provides an opt-out browser add-on (for the web) if you wish to prevent your data from being used by Google Analytics across all websites. For mobile analytics, you’d manage this via app settings or by uninstalling the app if you no longer wish to be tracked at all.
By using our Services with cookies enabled in your browser or device settings, you are essentially consenting to our use of cookies and similar technologies as described here. If you have opted out, we will not deploy those cookies or trackers. Keep in mind that third-party cookies are governed by third parties’ privacy policies – for instance, any cookies set by Facebook or Google for ads or analytics.

Your Rights and Choices

We respect your rights regarding your personal information. Depending on your location and applicable law (GDPR for users in the European Economic Area or UK, and CCPA/CPRA for California residents, for example), you may have some or all of the following rights:
Rights Under GDPR (for EEA/UK users):
- Right to Access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you, as well as information on how we process it. This is sometimes called a “Data Subject Access Request.”
- Right to Rectification: If any of your information is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to request corrections or updates. We encourage you to correct this by updating your profile in our app or contacting us.
- Right to Erasure: You can ask us to delete your personal data under certain circumstances – for example, if the data is no longer necessary for the purpose it was collected, or if you withdraw consent and no other legal basis for processing exists. This is also known as the “right to be forgotten.” Note that we may need to retain some data for legal reasons (e.g., records of transactions for financial reporting).
- Right to Restrict Processing: You have the right to request that we limit the processing of your data in certain scenarios, such as while we verify your data correction requests or if you object to our processing and we are considering your request.
- Right to Data Portability: You have the right to obtain your personal data from us in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and to request that we transmit it to another controller when possible (this generally applies to information you have provided to us and is processed by us by automated means, where the processing is based on your consent or performance of a contract).
- Right to Object: You can object to certain processing activities, particularly when we process your data based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing. For example, you can object to receiving marketing emails by using the unsubscribe link, or object to any data analysis we perform for our legitimate interests by contacting us with your specific request.
- Right Not to be Subject to Automated Decision-Making: We do not currently make decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects solely based on automated decision-making (like profiling algorithms). If we ever introduce such processes, you would have the right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing without human involvement, in cases where it significantly affects you.
- Right to Withdraw Consent: If we rely on your consent for any processing (like sending promotional SMS, or accessing health data related to golf fitness if we ever did), you can withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawing consent will not affect the legality of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.
Rights Under CCPA/CPRA (for California residents):
- Right to Know: You have the right to request details about the specific pieces and categories of personal information we have collected about you in the last 12 months, the categories of sources of that information, the purpose for collecting it, and the categories of third parties with whom we share personal information.
- Right to Delete: Similar to GDPR’s erasure right, California residents can request deletion of the personal information we have collected from them (subject to certain exceptions like completing a transaction, security, legal compliance, etc.).
- Right to Correct: You can request that we correct inaccurate personal information that we maintain about you.
- Right to Opt-Out of Sale/Sharing: As noted earlier, GolfGuiders does not sell personal information for money, nor do we share it for targeted advertising in a way that falls under “selling” or “sharing” as defined by the CPRA. If that changes, we will provide a “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” link or mechanism for you to opt out.
- Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information: The CPRA gives California residents the right to limit how a business uses “sensitive personal information” if it’s used for secondary purposes. We do not use sensitive personal information (like precise geolocation, if collected, or any account log-in credentials, etc.) for purposes outside what is necessary to provide the Services (unless with your consent). If in the future we intend to use sensitive info for additional purposes, we will provide an opt-out or consent mechanism as required.
- Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights. That means we won’t deny you our Services, charge you different prices, or provide a different level of quality just because you exercised your privacy rights. However, please understand that fulfilling certain requests (like deletion) might prevent us from providing services (for example, if you ask us to delete all your data, we cannot maintain your account).
Exercising Your Rights:
- How to Make a Request: To exercise any of your rights, please contact us using the information in the Contact Us section below. Please specify which right you wish to exercise and provide information to verify your identity (we need to ensure it’s really you). For example, we might ask you to confirm certain account details or use our standard authentication measures. If you have an account, you can often expedite requests by making certain changes directly in your profile or settings.
- Authorized Agents (for California): If you are a California resident, you may designate an authorized agent to make requests on your behalf. We will require proof of the authorization (like a signed permission) and still take steps to verify the identity of the agent or yourself (for security, we might ask you to confirm directly that you provided the agent permission).
- Response Time: We aim to respond to privacy requests as quickly as possible. Under GDPR, we typically have one month (extendable by two more months for complex requests). Under CCPA/CPRA, we aim to confirm receipt within 10 days and substantively respond within 45 days (extendable by another 45 days if needed). If we need more time, we’ll let you know why and keep you updated.
- Additional Guidance: Sometimes, laws provide specific guidance on how to exercise rights. For example, CCPA regulations might require a separate toll-free number or a web form for certain requests. We will provide those methods if applicable. As of now, email contact is sufficient for most cases, but please check our website for any updated instructions or tools (we may introduce an in-app privacy dashboard or form for easier requests in the future).
Your Choices:
- Account Settings: You can access and update much of your personal data by logging into your account and editing your profile or settings. For example, you can change your display name, update contact information, or modify preferences.
- Marketing Preferences: As mentioned, you can opt-out of marketing communications. Use the unsubscribe link in emails, or adjust settings in the app (if available). Even if you opt-out of marketing, we may still send you necessary service or transactional communications (like an appointment reminder, account alert, or payment receipt).
- Location & Device Permissions: Through your device or browser settings, you can control whether we have access to things like your location, camera (for uploading a profile picture or scanning a QR code, etc.), or push notifications. It’s entirely your choice to grant or revoke these permissions, though some features may not function without them (e.g., a feature that suggests nearby golf courses won’t work without location permission).
- Cookies Preferences: Discussed above in Cookies and Tracking Technologies, you have control over cookies and tracking. You can opt out of third-party personalized ads by using tools like the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) Opt-Out or Your Online Choices (for EU users), or on mobile by resetting your advertising ID.
- Closing Your Account: If you decide to stop using our Services, you have the option to delete your account. You can typically find this option in your account settings, or you can contact us for assistance. Please note that if you delete your account, we will remove or anonymize your personal data within a reasonable period, except for information we are required or permitted to retain (see Data Retention below).
If you have any questions about your rights or need further assistance, please refer to the Contact Us section and reach out. We’re here to help and take your privacy inquiries seriously.

Data Security

The security of your personal information is extremely important to us. We implement a variety of technical, administrative, and physical safeguards to protect your data from unauthorized access, use, alteration, or destruction. Here are key measures we take:
Encryption: We use encryption to protect data in transit and at rest. For example, our website and app employ HTTPS/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer) protocols for secure communication, which means that data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted. Where feasible, we also encrypt sensitive information in our database. Passwords are stored using strong hashing algorithms (we never store plain text passwords).
Access Controls: Our employees and contractors only have access to personal data on a need-to-know basis. We maintain strict access controls and ensure that anyone with access to personal information is subject to confidentiality obligations. We regularly review who has access to systems that contain personal data and revoke access promptly when it’s no longer needed.
Third-Party Security: When we work with third-party service providers (like our data hosting service or payment processor), we choose reputable companies with strong security practices. We enter into Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) with them to ensure they provide the same level of protection to your data as we do. They are required to implement adequate security measures, use the data only for the agreed purpose, and notify us promptly if any issue arises.
Monitoring and Testing: We use security software and services to monitor our systems for vulnerabilities, intrusions, and anomalies. Regular security audits, penetration tests, and risk assessments are conducted (internally or by specialized external firms) to identify and address potential weaknesses. Our software is kept up-to-date with security patches to reduce risks of exploitation.
Data Breach Response: Despite our best efforts, no system can be 100% secure. We have a detailed incident response plan. If a data breach does occur that affects your personal information, we will act promptly to mitigate the damage. In the event of a breach that poses a significant risk to your rights and freedoms (for EU users, for example), we will notify you and the appropriate authorities (like the relevant Data Protection Authority) as required by law. We will provide details of what happened, the potential impact, and what steps we are taking to address it, including measures to secure data and prevent further unauthorized access.
User Responsibilities: You also play a role in keeping your data secure. We urge you to use a strong, unique password for your GolfGuiders account and to keep it confidential. Do not share your password with others and be cautious about account phishing. If you suspect any unauthorized access to your account, please change your password immediately and contact us. When using our Services on a public or shared device, always log out and clear cookies when you’re done to prevent others from accessing your account.
By taking these steps, we strive to protect the integrity and security of your personal information. However, if you have reason to believe that your interaction with us is no longer secure (for example, if you feel that your account security has been compromised), immediately contact us so we can help resolve the issue.

Data Retention

We keep your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, and to comply with our legal obligations. Here’s how we approach retention:
Account Information: We retain your account information (like your name, email, profile info, etc.) for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you services. If you choose to delete your account or if your account remains inactive for an extended period, we will initiate the deletion or anonymization of your personal data. There may be a short delay in fully deleting information from our servers and backups, but we aim to complete deletions within 30 days of request, unless stated otherwise.
Transaction and Payment Records: We keep records of transactions (purchases, bookings, receipts) for a period required by accounting and tax regulations. Typically, financial records are kept for a minimum of 7 years (or as required by local law) to meet audit requirements. Even if you delete your account, we might keep invoice data in our financial records, but we will disassociate it from your active profile.
Communications and Support: If you contacted us via email, chat, or support channels, we may retain those communications and any attachments for a certain period. This helps us in staff training, future queries, and establishing a history of your interactions with us. Typically, support tickets are retained for 2 years, unless you request an earlier deletion (where feasible).
Analytics Data: We use analytics data to improve our Services, and such data is often aggregated or anonymized. Aggregated data that no longer identifies a person may be retained longer for statistical purposes. Raw analytics logs (especially if they contain personal data or IP addresses) are typically rotated or deleted within a short period, such as 14 months, depending on the tool (for instance, Google Analytics defaults to 14 months for user-level and event-level data retention, unless configured otherwise).
Marketing Data: If you have opted in to receive marketing communications, we retain your contact details for that purpose until you opt out or unsubscribe. Once you unsubscribe, we will stop sending you marketing emails and will either delete your contact details or move them to a “do not contact” list to ensure we respect your opt-out going forward.
Legal Compliance and Protection: We may retain certain data for longer periods if necessary for legal compliance or to protect our or others’ interests. For instance:
- We may retain certain data for longer periods if necessary for legal compliance or to protect our or others’ interests. For instance:
- If there’s an open issue, claim, or dispute, we might keep relevant information until it is resolved.
- If we are required by law to keep information (e.g., to comply with regulatory data retention obligations, such as maintaining records of consents given, or to abide by court orders), we will keep the data as long as required.
- Backup archives might retain data for some additional time. Our backups are encrypted and secured; they are only accessed if needed for disaster recovery. When they expire, they are deleted or overwritten.
Deletion Process: When we delete personal data, we use commercially reasonable measures to ensure the data is irrecoverable. For digital records, that might mean secure deletion processes (like cryptographic erasure or data overwriting) and, for physical records (should we ever have any), proper shredding or incineration. We also ensure that third-party service providers we use delete data from their systems when it’s no longer needed (consistent with our retention practices).
If you have specific questions about our data retention policies for different types of data, please contact us. We can provide more concrete timelines or context depending on the nature of the data and the legal requirements in effect.

International Data Transfers

GolfGuiders is based in the United States, and our website and app are designed to be accessible worldwide. Depending on where you are located, using our Services may involve transferring your personal information across international borders.
Data Storage and Processing: Your information is primarily stored and processed in the United States. However, we may use cloud services or service providers (such as data centers, content delivery networks, or customer support tools) that operate in other countries. This means your personal data might be transferred to or accessed from jurisdictions that may not have the same data protection laws as your home country.
Our Approach to International Transfers: Whenever we transfer personal data from the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or other regions with data transfer restrictions, to the United States or any other country, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information as required by applicable law.
- Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs): For data transfers from the EEA or UK, we often rely on European Commission-approved Standard Contractual Clauses. These are legal contracts that commit the recipient of the data (like us or our service providers) to protect the data according to EU privacy standards. We implement these clauses in our agreements with service providers whenever personal data from the EU/UK is processed outside of Europe.
- International Frameworks: We monitor for any recognized frameworks or certifications (e.g., future versions of the EU-U.S. or Swiss-U.S. data transfer arrangements, if they become available and applicable to us). At the time of the last update, the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework was a program that some companies can use to ensure protection of EU data in the U.S. If GolfGuiders becomes a participant in any such program, we will reflect that here.
- Adequacy Decisions: Some countries outside the EEA are recognized by the European Commission as providing adequate protection (like Canada, Switzerland, Japan, etc.). If we work with providers or transfer data to such countries, those are considered legally adequate for data protection by EU standards.
- Your Consent in Certain Cases: In the absence of other safeguards, we may ask for your explicit consent to the transfer, after informing you of possible risks. However, we try to avoid relying on this and instead use structural safeguards like SCCs.
Access by Foreign Authorities: It’s worth noting that when data is transferred to another country, it could be accessed by the courts, law enforcement, and national security authorities of that country in accordance with local laws. For example, data stored in the U.S. might be subject to lawful access requests by U.S. authorities. We have never received such requests for user data, and if we do, we will carefully review the legality and scope of the request and challenge it if it’s overly broad or inconsistent with international standards or our users’ rights.
Your Rights Remain Protected: Our own commitment to your privacy doesn’t change based on where your data is processed. We will still protect your data with the same security measures described in Data Security, and your rights (as described in Your Rights and Choices) remain applicable. If you have any concerns about an international transfer of your personal data, please contact us – we will provide details about the transfer and the safeguards in place so you can be comfortable with how your data is handled.

Children’s Privacy

GolfGuiders’ Services are intended for a general audience and not directed to children under the age of 16 (or the equivalent minimum age in the relevant jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16 without verifiable parental consent. Here’s more detail:
No Intentional Collection from Young Children: If you are under 16, please do not attempt to register for GolfGuiders or send any personal information about yourself to us. If we discover that we have collected personal information from a child under 16 without parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.
Parental Supervision for Teens: For minors aged 16 to 18 (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction if higher), we advise that you use our Services only with the involvement and consent of a parent or guardian. We may allow such minors to use the Services (for example, a 17-year-old might use the app to learn golf skills), but it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to supervise and guide the minor’s use of the Services. Some content may require a level of understanding or capability (like making payments or scheduling sessions) that assumes adult supervision for minors.
COPPA Compliance (for U.S. users): The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the United States imposes certain requirements on websites/apps that collect information from children under 13. As stated, we do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from children under 13. If in the future, we wish to cater certain educational content or features to children, we will do so in a COPPA-compliant manner (for example, by using age-gates to prevent children from entering personal data, or obtaining verified parental consent where necessary).
GDPR and Minors: In the EU, the GDPR sets age 16 as the default minimum age for consent to data processing, though member states can lower it to as young as 13. We have set our own threshold at 16 globally to be safe. If we become aware of a user in the EU under the relevant minimum age who has provided personal data without parental consent, we will delete the data.
California Minors: If you are a registered user in California under age 18 and cannot remove content or information you have posted, you can request removal by contacting us (see Contact Us). We will then make reasonable efforts to remove the content from public view, although we cannot ensure complete or comprehensive removal (for example, if the content was reposted by others).
Tips for Parents: We encourage parents and guardians to educate their children about online safety and privacy. If you have any concerns about your child’s personal information in connection with our Services, please contact us and we will be happy to address them. We can provide a report of any information we may have inadvertently collected and honor any request to delete it, as required.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or other factors. We will make it easy to see when changes have been made by:
Effective Date Updates: At the top of this policy, we always state the “Last Updated” date. If this date has changed since you last read the policy, then it’s likely something in the policy has been updated.
Notification of Material Changes: If we make material changes to this Privacy Policy, we will provide a prominent notice. For example, we might display an in-app alert or a banner on our website, or send you an email notification (if we have your email) explaining the changes. “Material changes” could include things like: expanding what personal data we collect, changing how we use data in a way that you wouldn’t expect, or if we started sharing data with new types of third parties for different purposes.
Reviewing the Changes: We will provide access to the previous version of the Privacy Policy upon request so you can see what’s different. Sometimes we may also summarize the key changes in the notice we provide, to make it easier to understand.
Consent for New Uses: If a change would require us to get new consent from you (for example, if we started collecting sensitive personal data or wanted to use your data for a purpose that legally requires consent), we will do so before the new activity begins. In such cases, we might ask you to agree to the new Privacy Policy or specific new practices explicitly, which could be via a checkbox or similar mechanism.
Continued Use: By continuing to use our Services after any changes to this Privacy Policy take effect, you are deemed to have accepted the updated terms (unless it’s an activity that required your explicit consent, as mentioned). If you do not agree with any updates or changes, you should stop using our Services and delete your account if you have one, and as always, you can contact us with any concerns.
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information. Your privacy matters to us, and we want to keep transparency about our privacy practices.

Contact Us

Website Contact Form: You may also contact us through our website by visiting the “Contact Us” page and submitting a request. Please mention it’s regarding privacy or data protection so we can handle it accordingly.
Data Protection Officer (DPO): For GDPR inquiries, if we have appointed a Data Protection Officer, you can reach them at dpo@golfguiders.com. (As of the last update, we have not reached the threshold requiring a formal DPO, but we still have a privacy team overseeing GDPR compliance.)
EU/UK Representative: If required by GDPR Article 27, we will designate a representative in the EU and/or UK. Their contact details would be provided here. (This is applicable if we extensively monitor or process EU individuals’ data without having an EU office. At present, we mainly operate in the U.S., but we will update this if an EU rep is appointed.)

We aim to respond to all legitimate requests within the timeframe specified by applicable law (see the Your Rights and Choices section above for typical timelines). If you have an unresolved privacy or data use concern that we have not addressed satisfactorily, you may have the right to contact your local Data Protection Authority (for EU/UK users) or the California Attorney General’s Office (for California residents), or other relevant regulatory body. But we encourage you to contact us first, and we will do our very best to resolve the issue to your satisfaction.

Thank you for trusting GolfGuiders with your personal information. We take that trust seriously and are dedicated to keeping your data safe and your privacy protected. Enjoy your game with peace of mind!