Privacy policy
This policy explains how BLC Golf ("we", "us" or "our") handles personal information when you use the app and its services.
For privacy enquiries, access or correction requests, or account deletion, email support@blcgolf.app.
You can also follow our account-deletion instructions.
1. Information we use
Your account and profile
We use your phone number to send a verification code, sign you in and match tour invitations to your account. We store your account identifier, profile details you provide (such as your name, display name, handicap and profile photo), preferences and relevant creation or update dates.
Golf activity and shared content
We store the tours, schedules, rounds, scores, teams, invitations and results you create or participate in. This includes information entered by other participants about a round or tour involving you. We also process posts, photos, comments and reactions you share through the Clubhouse, tour details and any tour records you choose to use, such as fines, auction entries or side bets.
Contacts and invitations
If you grant contacts permission and open the contact picker, the app reads contact names and phone numbers so you can choose whom to invite. The selected names and phone numbers are sent to our server and stored with the tour invitation or membership. We do not upload your entire address book through this feature. You can enter an invitation manually instead.
Photos, camera and scorecard scanning
Photos you choose to upload for profiles, tours or posts are sent to and stored by our service. If you use scorecard scanning, the selected image is sent through our server to Anthropic to extract course and score information. The image may contain personal information, such as names or handwritten scores. Only submit information you are entitled to share. Extracted course information is stored when you choose to save it.
Location and maps
With your device permission, the app accesses your location for course maps and distance calculations during scoring. Course locations and map points that you save are stored as course data. Map and place-search providers process the requests needed to display maps and find courses. You can turn location access off in your device settings. Versions that offer arrival notifications may request separate background-location permission for that feature.
Notifications, device storage and technical records
For notifications, we process a push token, installation and session identifiers, platform, app version or build, notification permissions and preferences, and delivery status. Our servers and providers process technical records, such as request times, IP addresses, authentication activity and errors, to operate and protect the service. The app stores sign-in information, settings and cached app data on your device.
If you enable biometric sign-in, your device performs the Face ID or fingerprint check. BLC Golf does not receive your face or fingerprint template.
2. Why we use this information
- Authenticate accounts, maintain profiles and connect invitations to the correct participants.
- Organise tours and games, calculate scores and standings, and keep participants' information in sync.
- Display shared golf activity, Clubhouse posts and results to the relevant group.
- Provide optional photo, scorecard-scanning, mapping and notification features.
- Respond to support and privacy requests, diagnose faults, prevent misuse and meet legal obligations.
3. Who can see your information
Tour organisers and relevant participants, including invited participants with access to the tour, can see information needed for the tour, such as names, phone numbers in member lists, handicaps, teams, scores and shared content. Clubhouse content is shown within the tours the viewer can access. Saved course templates and course map information can be available to other app users.
Other participants can copy or share information they can view. Uploaded tour or feed images can also be opened by someone who has the image link; avoid uploading sensitive documents or private contact details.
We use the following providers to run the features described above:
- Amazon Web Services and MongoDB Atlas: application hosting and database storage. Our documented backend and database region is Cape Town, South Africa.
- Twilio: phone-number verification and SMS delivery.
- Expo, Apple and Google: push notification delivery to supported devices.
- Google Maps / Places and Apple map services: maps and course search, depending on platform and feature.
- Anthropic: image processing for the optional scorecard-scanning feature.
- Amazon Web Services: hosting these public legal pages, including technical request logs. These pages do not add advertising or analytics scripts.
These providers may process information outside South Africa under their service terms and privacy practices. We may also disclose information where required by law or reasonably necessary to investigate misuse or protect people's rights and safety. We do not sell personal information or use it for targeted advertising.
4. Retention and deletion
We retain account and golf information while it is needed to provide your account, tour history and related services. Logging out or uninstalling the app does not delete server records.
You can request deletion of your account and associated personal information using the account-deletion page. We may need to verify ownership before acting. Deletion includes account and profile information and personal information associated with your participation and uploaded content. Shared golf records may be retained in a form that no longer identifies you.
Limited information may need to be retained for a legal obligation, security investigation or unresolved dispute, for as long as that purpose requires. Where an exception applies to a deletion request, we will explain what is retained and why. We will confirm the outcome when your request has been processed.
5. Your choices
You can edit profile information in the app and manage contacts, camera, photos, location and notification permissions in your device settings. Declining an optional permission limits its related feature. You can contact us to request access, correction, a copy of your information or deletion, and to raise a privacy concern. Depending on the laws that apply to you, you may also have rights to object to or restrict certain processing and to complain to your data-protection regulator.
6. Security
The production app communicates with our backend over HTTPS. We use phone verification and access controls to restrict account and tour access. No service can guarantee absolute security. Keep your device secure and do not share sign-in codes.
7. Children
BLC Golf is not intended for children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information, contact us so we can investigate and arrange its removal.
8. Changes and contact
We will update this page and its effective date when this policy changes. For questions about this policy or your information, contact BLC Golf at support@blcgolf.app.