Privacy Policy
Last updated: 07/01/2026
This Privacy Policy explains how US Golf Course Guide (“US Golf Course Guide,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and shares information when you use usgolfcourseguide.com and its related pages and features (the “Site”). We built US Golf Course Guide to be a clean, independent directory, and we try to keep our data practices just as straightforward.
Information We Collect
Information you give us
- Contact form. When you send us a message, we collect your name, email address, the topic you select, and your message.
- “Update a Course” submissions. When you suggest a new course or a correction, we collect the course information you submit and, if you provide it, your email address so we can follow up.
- Course-owner accounts (Clubhouse). If you register to claim or manage a course listing, we collect your name, email address, and a password (which we store only in encrypted/hashed form).
- Course claims. When you claim a course, we collect the information needed to verify your authority to represent it, including any proof-of-authorization documents you upload. These files are stored in a private, non-public location.
- Payment information. Paid listings are billed through our payment processor, Stripe. Stripe collects and stores your card details directly; we do not store your full card number on our systems. We retain limited billing records (such as your plan, status, and renewal date).
Information we collect automatically
- Usage and device data. Like most websites, we (and our service providers) automatically collect information such as your IP address, browser type, device information, the pages you view, and the dates and times of your visits, through server logs and analytics.
- Approximate location. We may derive an approximate location from your IP address to help with search and to serve relevant content.
- Precise location (only when you ask). If you tap “Use GPS” on our search, your browser will ask permission to share your device location. We use those coordinates only to run that one search for nearby courses. We do not track your precise location in the background.
Cookies and similar technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies for a few distinct purposes:
- Essential cookies keep you logged in to the Clubhouse or staff areas and protect against fraud and cross-site request forgery. The Site won’t work properly without these.
- Analytics cookies help us understand how the Site is used so we can improve it (see Analytics below).
- Advertising cookies are used by Google and other advertising partners to show ads (see Advertising below).
You can set your browser to warn you about cookies or to refuse them. If you block essential cookies, parts of the Site may not function.
How We Use Your Information
- To operate the directory and run searches;
- To respond to your messages, suggestions, and support requests;
- To create and manage course-owner accounts;
- To review and verify course claims and to manage paid listings;
- To process payments, subscriptions, and renewals through Stripe;
- To secure the Site, prevent abuse and fraud, and enforce our terms;
- To measure and improve the Site through analytics; and
- To comply with legal obligations.
Analytics
We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors find and use the Site. Google Analytics sets cookies and collects usage data such as pages viewed, approximate location, and device information. We may also enable Google’s advertising and audience-reporting features (for example, demographics and interest reporting), which rely on Google’s advertising cookies. You can opt out of Google Analytics across all sites using Google’s Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
Advertising
We display advertising, including ads served by Google AdSense. Google and other third-party vendors use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites.
- Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visits to our Site and others.
- You can opt out of personalized advertising by Google through Google Ads Settings.
- You can opt out of personalized advertising from many other companies through the Network Advertising Initiative and the Digital Advertising Alliance.
- For more on how Google uses information from sites that use its services, see Google’s Privacy & Terms.
Opting out stops personalized ads; you may still see non-personalized ads.
How We Share Information
We do not sell your personal information for money. We share information only as described here:
- Service providers. We share information with vendors who help us run the Site, including Stripe (payments), Google (analytics and advertising), our hosting provider, and our email-delivery service. They may use the information only to perform services for us.
- Course owners. Information you submit as part of a claim or listing is available to the course owner or staff handling that claim.
- Legal and safety. We may disclose information to comply with the law, enforce our terms, or protect the rights, property, or safety of our users, the public, or us.
- Business transfers. If the Site or business is sold or reorganized, information may be transferred as part of that transaction.
A note on “sale” and “sharing” under California law: Some privacy laws define “sale” or “sharing” broadly enough to include the use of advertising cookies that pass information to advertising networks. To the extent our use of advertising cookies is treated as a “sale” or “share,” you can opt out using the advertising opt-outs above, by disabling cookies, or by enabling a recognized opt-out preference signal (such as Global Privacy Control) in your browser.
Third-Party Links and Services
The Site links to third-party websites and services we don’t control — including course websites, driving directions, mapping services, and our Pro Shop advertising partner. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies, and we are not responsible for them. Maps on the Site use OpenStreetMap, and some location data is provided by GeoNames.
Data Retention
We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purposes described here, to run our business, and to meet legal, tax, and accounting requirements — after which we delete or de-identify it. Claim documents are retained for the period needed to verify and administer the claim.
Security
We use reasonable measures to protect your information, including encrypting stored passwords, keeping configuration and uploaded claim documents outside the public web root, and using protections such as CSRF tokens and rate limiting. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, so we can’t guarantee absolute security.
Children’s Privacy
The Site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us information, please contact us and we will delete it.
Your Privacy Rights
California residents (CCPA/CPRA)
If you are a California resident, you may have the right to: know what personal information we collect and how we use and share it; request access to or deletion of your personal information; request correction of inaccurate personal information; and opt out of any “sale” or “sharing” of your personal information. We will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights. To make a request, email golfpro@usgolfcourseguide.com or use our contact form. We may need to verify your identity before responding.
Residents of other states
Residents of other states with comprehensive privacy laws (for example, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, and Texas) may have similar rights to access, correct, delete, or opt out. You can exercise these rights using the same contact methods above.
“Do Not Track” and opt-out signals
Some browsers offer “Do Not Track” or Global Privacy Control signals. Where required by law, we honor recognized opt-out preference signals for advertising cookies.
Users Outside the United States
US Golf Course Guide is intended for users in the United States, and we operate the Site there. If you access it from elsewhere, your information will be processed in the United States under this policy.
Changes to This Policy
If we change this Privacy Policy, we will post the updated version here and revise the “Last updated” date above. Significant changes may be highlighted on the Site.
Contact Us
Questions about this policy or your information? Email golfpro@usgolfcourseguide.com, use our contact form.