Privacy Policy for Home of Golf Africa

Effective Date: 01 June 2025

Welcome to Home of Golf Africa (homeofgolf.africa). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your personal information is handled responsibly. This Privacy Policy outlines our practices regarding the collection, use, and protection of your information when you visit our website or upload golf event information.

 Information We Collect

 1. Visitor Information

When you visit our website, we use Google Analytics to track data about your visit. This information may include your IP address, browser type, pages visited, and the time spent on our site. This data helps us understand how our visitors interact with our website and improve our services.

Note for European Visitors: We are aware of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and strive to comply with its principles. While South Africa is not an EU member state, we respect the privacy rights of our users from Europe and take appropriate measures to protect your personal data.

 2. Event Information

If you are a local user and choose to upload your golf event information, we collect the following personal information:

– Name

– Telephone number

– Email address

– Location information

You provide this information willingly, and we appreciate your trust in sharing it with us.

3. Newsletter Subscription

We offer users the option to subscribe to our newsletter, where you can receive updates, news, and special offers related to golf and our events. If you choose to subscribe, we will collect your name and email address. This information will be used solely for the purpose of sending you our newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time by following the instructions provided in the newsletter or by contacting us directly. We value your privacy and will never share your information with third parties.

Consent Management

We use a cookie consent banner to obtain your consent before setting any non-essential cookies, including those used for analytics and advertising (such as Google Analytics and the Facebook Pixel). You may manage your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by selecting “Preferences” on the consent banner at the bottom of the page. Adjust your preferences and click Save & Close.

Analytics Tracking Information

Essential

Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website.

Cookie IDPurposeDuration
_fbpUsed by Facebook to deliver advertising3 months
wpconsent_preferencesThis cookie is used to store the user's cookie consent preferences.30 days

Statistics

Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us understand how visitors use our website.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a powerful tool that tracks and analyzes website traffic for informed marketing decisions.

Learn more
Cookie IDPurposeDuration
__utmzContains information about the traffic source or campaign that directed user to the website. The cookie is set when the GA.js javascript is loaded and updated when data is sent to the Google Anaytics server6 months after last activity
__utmvContains custom information set by the web developer via the _setCustomVar method in Google Analytics. This cookie is updated every time new data is sent to the Google Analytics server.2 years after last activity
__utmxUsed to determine whether a user is included in an A / B or Multivariate test.18 months
_gaID used to identify users2 years
_galiUsed by Google Analytics to determine which links on a page are being clicked30 seconds
_ga_ID used to identify users2 years
_gidID used to identify users for 24 hours after last activity24 hours
_gatUsed to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests when using Google Tag Manager1 minute
_gac_Contains information related to marketing campaigns of the user. These are shared with Google AdWords / Google Ads when the Google Ads and Google Analytics accounts are linked together.90 days
__utmaID used to identify users and sessions2 years after last activity
__utmtUsed to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests10 minutes
__utmbUsed to distinguish new sessions and visits. This cookie is set when the GA.js javascript library is loaded and there is no existing __utmb cookie. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to the Google Analytics server.30 minutes after last activity
__utmcUsed only with old Urchin versions of Google Analytics and not with GA.js. Was used to distinguish between new sessions and visits at the end of a session.End of session (browser)

Marketing

Marketing cookies are used to follow visitors to websites. The intention is to show ads that are relevant and engaging to the individual user.

Cookie IDPurposeDuration
frUsed by Facebook to deliver, measure, and improve the relevancy of ads3 months
_fbpUsed by Facebook to deliver advertising3 months

Facebook (Meta) Pixel

We use the Facebook (Meta) Pixel to understand how visitors interact with our website and to deliver relevant advertisements on Facebook and Instagram. The Meta Pixel collects information such as your IP address, browser information, pages visited, and actions taken on our website. This data may be shared with Meta Platforms, Inc. and used for advertising and analytics purposes. For more information about how Meta processes your data, please visit Meta’s Data Policy.

You can opt-out of Facebook’s interest-based ads by adjusting your ad preferences on Facebook or by using online tools such as the Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out tool.

 How We Use Your Information

The information we collect is used solely for the following purposes:

– To manage and display your golf event information.
– To communicate with you regarding your submissions.
– To analyse and improve our website and services.

We do not share your information with third parties for any purpose, nor do we sell any collected information. Your privacy is important to us, and we take reasonable care to store and keep your information safe.

 Data Retention

We retain your personal information for up to five years. After this period, your information will be securely deleted or anonymised.

Data Sharing

We respect your privacy and do not sell any personal data collected through our website to third parties.

When you submit personal information as part of a booking enquiry for golf or accommodation, we may share the relevant details (such as your name, contact information, and enquiry specifics) with the appropriate establishment’s booking desk. This is done solely for the purpose of facilitating communication between you and the establishment to process your booking request.

If you subscribe to our newsletter, your information is used exclusively to send you updates and news from Home of Golf Africa. We do not share newsletter subscriber information with any third parties for marketing or any other purposes.

We may share anonymized or aggregated data (which does not identify you personally) for analytics and website improvement purposes. Otherwise, your personal information is not shared with any third parties except as required by law or with your explicit consent.

 Cookies and Tracking

We do not use any additional cookie applications beyond those necessary for Google Analytics. There is no need to create an account to use our website, and as such, no account cookies are stored. Therefore, there is no account information eligible for removal requests.

International Data Transfers

Some of the third-party services we use (such as Google Analytics and Meta Pixel) may transfer your personal data outside of South Africa and the European Economic Area (EEA), including to the United States. We ensure that such transfers are made in accordance with applicable data protection laws and that appropriate safeguards are in place.

 Your Rights

As a user, you have the following rights regarding your personal information, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

  • Right of Access: You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you and to receive a copy of that information.
  • Right to Rectification: You have the right to request corrections to any inaccurate or incomplete personal information we hold about you.
  • Right to Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”): You may request the deletion of your personal information where there is no compelling reason for us to continue processing it.
  • Right to Restrict Processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances, such as if you contest the accuracy of the data.
  • Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and to have that information transmitted to another data controller where technically feasible.
  • Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information for direct marketing purposes, or where we are processing your data based on our legitimate interests.
  • Right to Withdraw Consent: Where we rely on your consent to process your personal information, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.
  • Right to Lodge a Complaint: If you believe that your data protection rights have been violated, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority or supervisory authority.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, or if you have any questions or concerns regarding your personal information, please contact our Data Protection Officer using the contact details provided in this policy.

If you have any questions or requests regarding your personal information, please contact our Data Protection Officer.

 Data Protection Officer

In terms of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), our Data Protection Officer is:

Mr. C Marais 
Organisation: GJMA (Pty) Ltd 
Address: 124 York Street, George, 6529, Western Cape, South Africa 
Email: talk2us@homeofgolf.africa

 Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.

 Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please feel free to reach out to us at talk2us@homeofgolf.africa. We are here to help!

Thank you for being a part of the Home of Golf Africa community. We appreciate your trust and are committed to safeguarding your privacy.