Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Alsager Golf & Country Club is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your personal information is handled securely, responsibly and transparently.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect your personal information when you visit our website, contact us, become a member, book a round of golf, attend an event or use our facilities.

We are committed to complying with applicable UK data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).

By using our website, you acknowledge that your personal information will be processed as described in this policy.

2. Who We Are

Alsager Golf & Country Club is a members-owned golf and country club offering golf, bowling, memberships, hospitality, weddings, private functions and corporate events.

For the purposes of applicable data protection legislation, the organisation responsible for determining how and why your personal information is processed is:

Alsager Golf and Country Club (1992) Ltd

Audley Road
Alsager
Stoke-on-Trent
ST7 2UR

Telephone: 01270 875 700
Email: admin@alsagergolfclub.co.uk
Website: https://alsagergolfclub.co.uk

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us using the details above.

3. Information We Collect

We may collect and process different types of personal information depending on how you interact with us.

Information You Provide Directly

When you contact us, complete an enquiry form, apply for membership or make a booking, we may collect:

  • Your full name

  • Email address

  • Telephone number

  • Postal address

  • Details of your enquiry or booking

  • Membership information and preferences

  • Golf booking and competition details

  • Event requirements, including weddings, private functions and corporate bookings

  • Payment and transaction information

  • Any additional information you voluntarily provide

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, including:

  • IP address

  • Browser type and version

  • Device type and operating system

  • Pages visited and time spent on the website

  • Referring websites

  • Cookie information and website usage data

This information may be collected through website hosting services, server logs, cookies and analytics tools.

Membership and Golf-Related Information

Where relevant to the administration of club membership, competitions and golfing activities, we may also process:

  • Membership category and status

  • Golf handicap and playing records

  • Competition entries and results

  • Affiliation details with relevant golfing organisations

  • Subscription and payment records

  • Communications relating to club activities

We only collect personal information that is necessary for the purposes described in this policy.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use personal information to operate our club, provide our services and respond to enquiries.

This includes:

Responding to Enquiries

To respond to questions submitted through our website, by email, telephone or other communication channels.

Managing Memberships

To process membership applications, maintain membership records, manage subscriptions and communicate important club information.

Golf Bookings and Competitions

To administer tee time bookings, golf competitions, handicaps, results and other golfing activities.

Weddings, Events and Private Functions

To respond to event enquiries, prepare quotations, manage bookings and coordinate the services required for your event.

Payments and Administration

To process payments, maintain financial records, issue invoices and meet accounting or legal obligations.

Club Communications

To provide relevant updates about membership, facilities, bookings, competitions, events and changes to club services.

Marketing Communications

Where permitted by law, to send information about club events, membership opportunities, special offers and other services that may be of interest to you.

Website Improvement

To monitor website performance, understand how visitors use our website and improve the experience we provide.

Security and Legal Compliance

To protect our website, facilities, members and visitors, prevent fraud and comply with applicable legal obligations.

5. Our Legal Basis for Processing Personal Information

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal information.

Depending on the circumstances, we rely on the following legal bases:

Contractual Necessity

Where processing is necessary to provide a service you have requested or to fulfil our obligations under a membership agreement, booking or other contract.

Legitimate Interests

Where processing is necessary for the legitimate interests of operating and improving our club, managing enquiries, maintaining security and providing appropriate services, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.

Legal Obligations

Where we are required to process or retain information to comply with applicable laws, including accounting, taxation and regulatory requirements.

Consent

Where you have given permission for a particular activity, such as receiving certain marketing communications or the use of non-essential cookies.

Where consent is the legal basis, you may withdraw it at any time.

In limited circumstances, we may process information to protect someone’s vital interests or where another lawful basis applies.

6. Marketing Communications

We may occasionally contact members, customers and individuals who have expressed an interest in our services with information about:

  • Club news and announcements

  • Membership opportunities

  • Golf competitions and events

  • Weddings and private functions

  • Special offers and promotions

  • Other relevant club activities

We will only send electronic marketing communications where we have the appropriate consent or another lawful permission to do so under PECR.

You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions included in our emails, where available, or by contacting admin@alsagergolfclub.co.uk.

Opting out of marketing communications will not prevent us from contacting you about essential membership, booking or administrative matters.

7. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to improve functionality, maintain security and understand how visitors interact with our content.

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website.

These may include:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These support essential website functionality, security and navigation.

Analytics Cookies

These help us understand website traffic, visitor behaviour and how our website is performing.

Functional Cookies

These may remember certain preferences and improve your browsing experience.

Third-Party Cookies

Certain external services, such as booking systems, embedded content or other website integrations, may use their own cookies.

Where required by law, we will request your consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device.

You can also manage or delete cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of some parts of our website.

Further details about the cookies used on our website may be provided through our cookie consent tool or a separate Cookie Policy.

8. Online Bookings and Third-Party Services

Our website provides access to online golf booking facilities and may link to external services used to manage tee times, competitions and other club activities.

When you use a third-party booking platform, that provider may collect and process personal information necessary to complete your booking.

Depending on the service, this may include your name, contact information, booking details and payment information.

Third-party providers may process information on our behalf or act as independent data controllers.

Where a third party acts as an independent controller, its own privacy policy will explain how it handles your information.

We recommend reviewing the privacy policies of any external booking services you use.

9. Sharing Your Personal Information

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share personal information with trusted third parties where necessary to provide our services, administer club activities or meet legal obligations.

These may include:

  • Website hosting and IT support providers

  • Golf booking and membership management platforms

  • Payment processing providers

  • Golf governing bodies and affiliated organisations, where relevant

  • Professional advisers, including accountants and legal representatives

  • Event suppliers and service providers where necessary to fulfil a booking

  • Regulatory authorities, law enforcement agencies or other organisations where required by law

Where third parties process information on our behalf, we require appropriate safeguards to protect personal information and ensure it is handled in accordance with applicable data protection legislation.

10. How We Protect Your Information

We take the security of personal information seriously and use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

These measures may include:

  • Secure website hosting and encrypted connections

  • Access controls for personal information

  • Appropriate password and account security measures

  • Secure storage and handling of records

  • Restricted access to information based on operational requirements

  • Regular review of our data protection practices

Although we take reasonable steps to protect personal information, no method of electronic transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

11. How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including satisfying legal, accounting and reporting requirements.

Retention periods depend on the type of information and the reason for processing it.

For example:

  • Enquiry information: retained for as long as necessary to respond to and manage the enquiry and any subsequent relationship.

  • Membership records: generally retained throughout your membership and for an appropriate period afterwards.

  • Booking information: retained as necessary to administer bookings, resolve disputes and maintain relevant records.

  • Financial information: retained for the periods required by applicable tax and accounting legislation.

  • Marketing information: retained until you withdraw consent, opt out or the information is no longer required for the relevant marketing purpose.

When personal information is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise or otherwise dispose of it in accordance with our retention procedures.

12. Your Data Protection Rights

Under UK data protection legislation, you have certain rights regarding your personal information.

Depending on the circumstances, these include:

Right of Access

You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

Right to Rectification

You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.

Right to Erasure

You can request the deletion of your personal information in certain circumstances.

Right to Restrict Processing

You can ask us to limit how we use your information in certain circumstances.

Right to Data Portability

You may request that certain personal information is provided to you or transferred to another organisation in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format.

Right to Object

You may object to certain processing activities, including processing based on legitimate interests and direct marketing.

Right to Withdraw Consent

Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

Rights Relating to Automated Decision-Making

You have rights relating to certain decisions made solely by automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at admin@alsagergolfclub.co.uk.

We will respond to requests in accordance with applicable data protection legislation, normally within one calendar month. Certain requests may be subject to legal exceptions or extensions where permitted by law.

13. Children’s Personal Information

Alsager Golf & Country Club welcomes junior golfers and may process personal information relating to children in connection with junior memberships, coaching, competitions and other club activities.

We recognise the importance of protecting children’s personal information and take additional care when collecting, using and storing it.

Where appropriate, we may seek the involvement or consent of a parent or guardian.

Information relating to junior members will only be used for legitimate club purposes, safeguarding responsibilities and the administration of relevant activities.

We will not knowingly use children’s personal information for inappropriate marketing purposes.

14. International Data Transfers

Some third-party service providers may store or process personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place as required by UK data protection legislation.

These may include transfers to countries recognised as providing adequate data protection or the use of approved contractual safeguards.

15. Links to External Websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including golf booking platforms, affiliated organisations and other external services.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of websites operated by third parties.

We recommend reviewing the privacy policies of any external websites before providing personal information.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our services, website functionality, legal requirements or data protection practices.

Any updates will be published on this page, with the date of the latest revision shown at the top.

We encourage visitors to review this policy occasionally to remain informed about how we protect personal information.

17. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, would like further information about how your personal information is processed or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact:

Alsager Golf & Country Club

Audley Road
Alsager
Stoke-on-Trent
ST7 2UR

Telephone: 01270 875 700
Email: admin@alsagergolfclub.co.uk
Website: https://alsagergolfclub.co.uk

18. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal information, we encourage you to contact us first so that we can investigate and address the matter.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent authority responsible for data protection.

Information Commissioner’s Office

Website: https://ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113

You can contact the ICO at any time if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.