Here's the plain-English version of how affiliate links work on this site, what they pay us, and exactly how we make sure they never influence what we write.
When you click a link on this site and buy something, the retailer may pay us a small percentage of the sale — usually 3–8% depending on the product category. This is called an affiliate commission. It costs you nothing extra; the price you pay is exactly the same whether you use our link or go directly to the retailer's site.
Affiliate programs are one of the main ways independent review sites stay funded without charging readers or accepting advertising. The alternative — display ads, sponsored posts, or brand partnerships — creates far stronger incentives to produce flattering coverage. We chose affiliate links precisely because the incentive structure is healthier: we only earn if you find the recommendation genuinely useful enough to buy.
That said, affiliate commissions are still a financial relationship with the companies whose products we review. We take that seriously. This page explains exactly what guardrails we've put in place.
"A product that earns us $0 in commission gets exactly the same testing protocol and honest scoring as one that earns us $200. If anything, we're harder on high-commission products — we know readers will be suspicious."
Every page on this site that contains affiliate links carries a disclosure notice at the top. This page is the full version. If you ever want to know whether a specific link is affiliated, or how a particular commission rate might create a conflict, email us at hello@homegolfsetup.com.
You click a product link on this site. The link contains a tracking code that tells the retailer's affiliate program the visit came from us. The retailer's website opens normally — you see the same page and the same price as anyone else.
If you add the product to your cart and complete a purchase, the retailer's system records that the sale originated from our link. If you don't buy — or you buy something different, or you leave and come back later — we earn nothing. There's no obligation to purchase.
The retailer pays us a percentage of the sale — typically 30 to 90 days after the purchase, once returns have cleared. The commission rate varies by retailer and product category. You are never charged this commission — it comes entirely from the retailer's margin.
Commissions fund the purchase of new products to test, the Trackman sessions we use as a baseline, and the time our team spends writing and maintaining reviews. No external investors, no ad networks, no brand sponsorships — just reader-driven revenue.
The review that led to your click was written before any commission was considered. Our testing protocol, scoring criteria, and editorial decisions are fixed and consistent across every product — regardless of which retailer carries it or what they pay us.
If you want to know whether a specific product or link is affiliated, or whether a particular commission rate could create a conflict, ask us directly. We'll tell you exactly what the relationship is and what it pays. Transparency is the point.
We participate in affiliate programs operated directly by retailers and through third-party affiliate networks. Below is a current list of the programs active on this site. Commission rates are approximate and vary by product category.
We want you to be able to identify affiliated links yourself — not just take our word for it. Here's what to look for.
Any page containing affiliate links shows a disclosure notice near the top — usually a small bar or callout that reads "This page contains affiliate links." If you see this, at least one link on the page is affiliated.
Affiliated links often contain tracking parameters like tag=, ref=, or aff_id= in the URL. You can hover over any link before clicking to inspect it in your browser's status bar.
Green buttons labelled "Buy now," "Check price," or "See on [Retailer]" are typically affiliated links. They route through our tracking before landing on the retailer's page. The price you see is always the retailer's standard price.
Price comparison tables show the current retail price for each product. Prices are verified weekly. The "Buy" links in tables are affiliated. If you find a better price elsewhere, use that — we want you to get the best deal regardless of whether we earn anything.
Our store deals section lists current promotions from retailers we work with. All links on store pages are affiliated. The deals are curated for accuracy — we don't invent discounts.
If you're unsure whether a specific link is affiliated, right-click the link, copy the URL, and paste it somewhere to inspect it. Or email us at hello@homegolfsetup.com — we'll tell you exactly what the relationship is.
Our affiliate disclosure practices are designed to comply with applicable laws and guidelines in the markets where our content is read.
We comply with the Federal Trade Commission's Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (16 CFR Part 255), which require clear and conspicuous disclosure of material connections between endorsers and marketers. Our disclosures appear near the top of every relevant page, in plain language.
We follow the UK Advertising Standards Authority's CAP Code guidance on affiliate marketing, which requires that affiliate content is clearly identifiable as commercial communication. Our disclosures satisfy the "obviously identifiable" standard required by ASA.
For readers in the European Union, our disclosures comply with the EU's Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, which prohibits disguised advertising. All commercial relationships are disclosed prominently rather than buried in legal copy.
As a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, we are required to include the following statement: "Home Golf Setup is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com."
Per FTC guidance, disclosures must be "clear and conspicuous" — meaning they should be hard to miss. We place disclosures at the top of pages, not in footers or pop-ups that require extra clicks. This page is linked from our site footer, which appears on every page.
This disclosure was last reviewed and updated in {{ date('F Y') }}. We review it whenever we join a new affiliate program or when relevant regulations change. If you believe our disclosures are incomplete or non-compliant, please contact us so we can correct this promptly.
Every commission we earn goes back into buying and testing more equipment. Browse the reviews below.