Privacy Policy
Last updated: February 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how GolfAssist ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, stores, and protects information when you use the GolfAssist.ai service ("Service"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and complying with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
1. Who We Are
GolfAssist.ai is a service that provides AI-powered Telegram bot management tools for golf clubs. For the purposes of data protection law, GolfAssist is the data processor and the subscribing golf club is the data controller for member data processed through the Service.
2. What Data We Collect
From Golf Clubs (Customers)
- Contact name and email address
- Club name and details
- Billing information (processed securely by Stripe — we do not store card details)
- Menu items, pricing, and club configuration data
From Club Members (End Users)
- Telegram user ID (a number assigned by Telegram)
- First name and surname (as provided when ordering)
- Membership number or PIN verification status
- Order history (items ordered, timestamps)
- Competition entries (event, handicap if provided)
- Messages sent to the bot
Automatically Collected
- Service usage data (message counts, API usage)
- Error logs for troubleshooting
We do not collect: Payment card details (handled by Stripe), precise location data, health information, or any special category data under GDPR.
3. How We Use Your Data
| Data | Purpose | Legal Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Club contact details | Account management, support, billing | Contract performance |
| Billing information | Processing payments via Stripe | Contract performance |
| Member Telegram ID | Delivering bot messages and notifications | Legitimate interest |
| Member names | Processing and displaying orders | Legitimate interest |
| Order data | Order processing, revenue reporting | Legitimate interest |
| Competition entries | Managing competition entries and results | Legitimate interest |
| Messages to bot | AI processing to generate responses | Legitimate interest |
| Usage data | Service improvement and monitoring | Legitimate interest |
4. AI Processing
Messages sent to our bots are processed by third-party AI services (currently Anthropic's Claude) to generate natural language responses. Messages are sent to the AI provider for processing and are subject to their data handling policies. We do not use your data to train AI models. AI-processed messages are not stored by the AI provider beyond the duration of the request.
5. Data Sharing
We share data only with the following third parties, and only as necessary to provide the Service:
- Anthropic — AI processing of messages (messages are processed in real-time and not retained)
- Telegram — Message delivery platform
- Stripe — Payment processing (we never see or store your card details)
We do not sell, rent, or share your data with advertisers, marketing companies, or any other third parties. Each golf club's data is kept completely separate from other clubs.
6. Data Storage & Security
Your data is stored on secure servers. We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including encrypted connections (TLS/SSL), access controls, and regular security reviews.
Club data is logically separated — no club can access another club's data.
7. Data Retention
- Active subscriptions: Data is retained for the duration of the subscription.
- After cancellation: Data is retained for 30 days to allow for data export requests, then permanently deleted.
- Billing records: Retained for 6 years as required by UK tax law.
- Conversation messages: Recent conversation history (last 10 messages per user) is held in temporary memory and cleared when the service restarts.
8. Your Rights (UK GDPR)
Under UK data protection law, you have the following rights:
- Right of access — Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Right to rectification — Request correction of inaccurate data
- Right to erasure — Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
- Right to data portability — Request your data in a machine-readable format
- Right to restrict processing — Request we limit how we use your data
- Right to object — Object to processing based on legitimate interest
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@golfassist.ai. We will respond within 30 days.
For club members: Your golf club is the data controller for your data. Please contact your club directly for data access requests. Your club can then request data exports from us.
9. Cookies
The GolfAssist.ai website does not use cookies for tracking or advertising. If we introduce cookies in the future, we will update this policy and provide appropriate consent mechanisms.
10. Children
The Service is not intended for use by children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.
11. International Transfers
Your data may be processed by AI providers located outside the UK. Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including standard contractual clauses or adequacy decisions, in compliance with UK GDPR.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify subscribing clubs of material changes at least 30 days before they take effect. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last revised.
13. Contact & Complaints
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data rights:
Email: hello@golfassist.ai
If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO): ico.org.uk