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Privacy Policy

Course Connect, operated by Modern Rise Pty Ltd ABN 77 641 447 654, is a Melbourne-based business. We know that working with us means trusting us with data, and we take that seriously. This policy sets out how we collect, use and look after personal information, in line with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). It applies to the information we handle through our website and the services we provide to our golf club clients.

1. Two kinds of personal information we handle

(a) Information we collect for our own purposes. When you visit our website, enquire about our services, or become (or work for) a client, we collect personal information directly from you for our own business purposes. For this information, Course Connect is the entity responsible.

(b) Information we handle on behalf of a golf club client. Golf clubs collect information about their members and customers using their own systems and platforms. We do not collect this information from golfers ourselves. The club is responsible for obtaining any consents required and for any privacy disclosures its members or customers are entitled to.

When a club engages Course Connect, we access and work with extracts of data solely on the club's instructions, to provide our services to that club. The club remains responsible for its relationship with its members and customers, and for maintaining its own privacy policy.

In relation to a club's data, we will never:

  • use it for our own purposes;

  • combine, compare or benchmark one club's data against another club's data; or

  • sell it, or share it with anyone for their own commercial purposes.

2. The kinds of personal information we collect and hold

When you visit our website, contact us, or work with us as a client, we may collect your name and contact details, any information you provide when you get in touch, and, for clients, billing details. We also collect technical and usage information automatically when you use our website (see section 12).

On behalf of a golf club, we handle the personal information the club makes available to us to deliver our services, on its instructions.

Golf clubs would rarely have any reason to collect or hold sensitive information (as defined in the Privacy Act), and we do not collect sensitive information through our services. If any sensitive information were to form part of the data a club provides, we would handle it with the additional protections the Privacy Act requires.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. Our services are directed at golf club businesses, not at individuals under 18.

3. How we collect personal information

We collect personal information directly from you when you contact us or deal with us as a client, and automatically through cookies and analytics when you use our website (see section 12).

For the avoidance of doubt, any data held in a club's systems is collected by the club, not by Course Connect.

4. Why we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information

We collect, hold, use and disclose personal information to:

  • respond to enquiries and provide information about our services;

  • provide, administer and improve our services to clients;

  • carry out services on behalf of a club and on its instructions, directed at that club's own members, customers or prospective customers;

  • manage our client relationships, including billing and support;

  • maintain the security of our systems;

  • comply with our legal obligations; and

  • for related purposes you would reasonably expect.

We use each club's data only to provide our services to that club. We do not sell personal information.

5. Marketing

From time to time we may send you information about Course Connect's services. You can opt out of these communications at any time. Where we use online advertising, you can control the ads you see through your browser and ad-platform settings.

Separately, a golf club may run its own marketing to its members and customers. Where we help deliver it, we act on the club's instructions, and it remains the club's marketing, not Course Connect's. The club is responsible for the consents and opt-outs required for it. If you wish to unsubscribe from a club's communications, please contact that club directly.

6. Third parties

Providers Course Connect uses. To run our services, we use trusted providers for the infrastructure behind them, such as our secure data environment, our website and our business operations software. These providers handle information only to provide infrastructure to us, under our control and instructions. We choose providers that maintain strong security standards (see section 8).

Platforms a club uses. A club uses its own platforms to run its business and may instruct us to use them on its behalf. We are not responsible for those platforms' servers, terms, privacy practices, or their independent acts, omissions or security failures, to the extent permitted by law. The terms governing our liability are set out in our services agreement, not in this policy.

Professional advisers and the law. We may also need to share personal information with our own professional advisers, such as our lawyers, accountants or insurers. We do this only where it is necessary for them to advise or assist us, and only to the extent needed. These advisers are bound by confidentiality and may not use the information for anything else. Apart from this, we disclose personal information only where the law requires or authorises it, or where you have consented.

7. Sending information outside Australia

Our data environment is hosted solely in Australian data centre regions.

A club's own platforms may handle information overseas, under the laws and terms of the providers and countries involved. Where information from a club's systems is handled overseas, we take reasonable steps to support the club in ensuring it is handled consistently with the Australian Privacy Principles.

8. How we keep information secure

Our data environment exists on a platform that maintains internationally recognised, independently audited security certifications including ISO/IEC 27001, 27017 and 27018, and SOC 1, 2 and 3. The platform is also assessed under the Australian Government's Information Security Registered Assessors Program (IRAP). Data is encrypted in transit and at rest.

Access to club data is restricted to authorised people only, on a least-privilege basis, and is logged. We collect and move only the information needed to provide our services.

No system can be completely secure, but we take our obligations seriously and continually work to protect the information we hold.

9. Data breaches

We have processes to identify, contain, assess and respond to data breaches. If a data breach involving personal information we hold is likely to result in serious harm to an individual, and we cannot prevent that risk through remedial action, we will notify the affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) in line with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

Where a breach involves information we hold on behalf of a club, we will work with the club to assess and respond to it.

10. How long we keep personal information

We keep personal information only for as long as we need it for the purposes in this policy, or as required by law. When we no longer need it, we take reasonable steps to destroy it or permanently de-identify it.

Where we hold information on behalf of a club, we deal with it (including its return or deletion at the end of our engagement) in accordance with our agreement with the club.

11. Accessing and correcting your personal information

If your data has been collected by Course Connect, you can ask us to access the personal information we hold about you, and to correct it if it is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete or misleading. Contact us using the details below; we will respond within a reasonable time and may need to verify your identity first. If we decline a request, we will explain why in writing.

If your data has been collected by a club, please contact the club directly, as they will be the organisation able to assist with your request. If you contact us, we will direct you to the club.

12. Cookies and website analytics

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to help it function, remember your preferences, and understand how the site is used, including via third-party analytics providers. You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings, though please be aware that disabling cookies can result in some parts of the site not working as intended.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The current version will always be on our website, and the "Last updated" date shows when it last changed.

14. Contact us

If you've got a question about your privacy, want to make a request, or something doesn't feel right, we'd like to hear from you. You can reach us at matt@courseconnect.au and we'll look into it and get back to you as soon as we can.

If you're unhappy with how we've handled it, you can raise it with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.