We collect only what's necessary to run this site. We don't sell your data, don't run ad networks, and don't share your information with third parties for marketing purposes.
Home Golf Setup ("we," "us," or "our") operates the website at homegolfsetup.com and all associated subdomains. We are an independent review site for home golf simulators, launch monitors, and training aids, funded primarily by affiliate commissions.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect information when you visit our website. It applies to all pages at homegolfsetup.com and any email communications we send.
We are the data controller for personal information collected through this site. We do not have a formal Data Protection Officer, but all privacy-related queries should be directed to hello@homegolfsetup.com.
Plain-English version: We're a small independent website. We collect the minimum data needed to run the site and send a newsletter. We are not an advertising business and don't behave like one.
We collect different categories of information depending on how you interact with the site. Here is a complete breakdown:
| Data type | Category | When collected | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email address | Essential | Newsletter signup only | Stored when you voluntarily subscribe to our email list. Never collected passively. |
| Page views & navigation | Analytics | Every page visit | Which pages are visited, time on page, referral source. Anonymised — no personal identifier attached. |
| IP address | Analytics | Every page visit | Used to derive approximate geographic region (country/state level only). Anonymised before storage — last octet removed. |
| Browser & device type | Analytics | Every page visit | Browser name, OS, screen size. Used to ensure the site renders correctly. Not linked to identity. |
| Affiliate click data | Affiliate | When you click a product link | A cookie is set by the destination retailer's affiliate program. We receive aggregate commission reports — not individual click-level data linked to your identity. |
| Contact form submissions | Essential | If you contact us | Name and email submitted via any contact form. Stored only for the purpose of responding to your query. |
| Tool usage data | Analytics | When you use a free tool | Anonymous inputs to our calculators (budget, room size, etc.). Not stored server-side — processed client-side in your browser only. |
| Passwords / payment data | Never collected | — | We do not have user accounts, payment processing, or any form that collects sensitive financial information. |
We do not collect names, phone numbers, postal addresses, payment information, social media profiles, or any data that identifies you personally — unless you voluntarily provide it by contacting us directly.
We use collected data for exactly the purposes described below — and no others. We do not use your data for behavioural advertising, profiling, or automated decision-making.
| Purpose | Legal basis (GDPR) | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Send newsletter | Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) | Email address used only to send the newsletter you subscribed to. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in every email. |
| Improve site performance | Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)) | Anonymised analytics used to understand which pages are useful, where navigation breaks down, and how to improve content. |
| Respond to queries | Contract / legitimate interest | Contact form data used solely to reply to your message. Not added to mailing lists without explicit consent. |
| Track affiliate performance | Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)) | Aggregate affiliate reports used to understand which products are bought. We do not have access to individual purchase data linked to your identity. |
| Security & abuse prevention | Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)) | Server logs used to detect and prevent malicious traffic, spam, and attacks. Retained for 30 days then deleted. |
What we never do with your data: sell it, rent it, share it with advertisers, use it for targeted advertising, run it through ad networks, or use it to build a profile about you for any purpose outside the five listed above.
A cookie is a small text file stored in your browser when you visit a website. We use a minimal set of cookies — far fewer than most websites. Here is the complete list:
| Cookie | Type | Duration | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| _session | Essential | Session (deleted on close) | Standard Laravel session cookie. Keeps you in the same session as you navigate between pages. Contains no personal data. |
| XSRF-TOKEN | Essential | Session | Security cookie that prevents cross-site request forgery attacks. Required for forms to work safely. No personal data. |
| cookie_consent | Essential | 12 months | Stores your cookie preference (accepted / declined analytics). Without this we'd ask you every visit. |
| _ga, _ga_* | Analytics | Up to 2 years | Google Analytics — anonymised page view tracking. IP anonymisation is enabled. Set only if you accept analytics cookies. |
| Retailer affiliate cookies | Affiliate | 30–90 days (set by retailer) | Set by the destination retailer (e.g. Amazon) when you click a product link. We do not control these cookies — they are governed by the retailer's privacy policy. |
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling analytics cookies has no impact on your ability to read content or use our free tools. Disabling essential cookies may break form submissions and the cookie preference feature.
We do not use advertising cookies, retargeting pixels, Facebook Pixel, Google Ads remarketing tags, or any cookie whose purpose is to track you across websites for advertising purposes.
We use a small number of third-party services to run this website. Each service is listed below with a description of what data it receives and a link to its own privacy policy.
We do not use: Facebook Pixel, TikTok Pixel, Pinterest tags, LinkedIn Insight Tag, Twitter conversion tracking, Hotjar, FullStory, Intercom, Drift, or any session recording / heatmap software. We do not run Google AdSense or any display advertising network.
When you click a product link on this site, you may be redirected through a tracking URL before arriving at the retailer's page. This redirect records that a click originated from our site so we can receive affiliate commission if you complete a purchase.
We do not receive personally identifiable information through this process. We receive aggregate reports (e.g. "20 sales of product X this month") but not data that identifies which individual made each purchase.
The tracking cookie set during this process is controlled by the retailer's affiliate program, not by us. It is typically retained for 30 to 90 days. If you clear your cookies before purchasing, the commission attribution is lost — but this has no effect on your privacy or the price you pay.
For a full explanation of how affiliate links work and which programs we participate in, see our Affiliate Disclosure page.
We keep data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose it was collected for — and no longer.
| Data type | Retention period | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Newsletter email address | Until you unsubscribe | Kept until you unsubscribe or request deletion. Deleted within 5 business days of request. |
| Contact form data | 90 days | Kept for 90 days to allow for follow-up correspondence, then permanently deleted. |
| Server / access logs | 30 days | Standard web server logs retained for security monitoring. Automatically purged after 30 days. |
| Analytics data | 14 months | Google Analytics default retention of 14 months for aggregated, anonymised data. |
| Session cookies | Session only | Deleted when you close your browser. No persistent tracking between visits. |
| Affiliate click cookies | 30–90 days | Set by retailer, controlled by retailer's policy. We have no control over these cookies. |
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect the data we hold against unauthorised access, disclosure, or destruction.
Specific measures include:
| Measure | Detail |
|---|---|
| HTTPS everywhere | All traffic between your browser and our server is encrypted using TLS. HTTP connections are automatically redirected to HTTPS. |
| CSRF protection | All forms on this site include CSRF token validation to prevent cross-site request forgery attacks. |
| No password storage | We do not have user accounts, so we do not store passwords. There is no login system on this site that could be compromised. |
| Access controls | Database and server access is restricted to authorised personnel only, using SSH key authentication with no password-based access. |
| Minimal data collection | The best security measure is not collecting data we don't need. We apply this principle throughout the site. |
No website can guarantee complete security against all possible threats. If you believe your data has been compromised in connection with this site, please contact us immediately at hello@homegolfsetup.com.
Depending on your location, you have various rights over your personal data. We honour these rights regardless of where you're located — not just for readers in the EU or California.
You can request a copy of all personal data we hold about you. We will respond within 30 days with a complete account of what data we have, where it came from, and what we use it for.
You can request that we delete all personal data we hold about you. We will process deletion requests within 5 business days. Note: anonymised analytics data cannot be deleted as it contains no personal identifiers.
If we hold inaccurate personal data about you (e.g. an outdated email address in our newsletter list), you can request that we correct it. We will process corrections within 5 business days.
You can request a copy of your personal data in a structured, machine-readable format (CSV). This applies to data you actively provided — email address, contact form submissions.
You can object to processing based on legitimate interest at any time. If you object to analytics tracking, you can decline analytics cookies at any time via your browser settings or our cookie preference.
If we process your data based on consent (newsletter), you can withdraw consent at any time. Every newsletter email contains an unsubscribe link. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of prior processing.
To exercise any of these rights, email hello@homegolfsetup.com with the subject line "Privacy Request." We do not require you to prove identity for newsletter unsubscribe requests, but may ask for verification before processing access or deletion requests for contact form data.
If you are in the EU and believe we have not handled your data correctly, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. If you are in the UK, you can contact the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
This website is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. Our content concerns golf equipment purchasing decisions and is intended for adult consumers.
If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at hello@homegolfsetup.com and we will delete it promptly.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time — for example, when we add a new third-party service, change our data practices, or when regulations change. The effective date at the top of this page will always reflect the most recent version.
For material changes — ones that meaningfully affect your rights or how we use your data — we will notify newsletter subscribers by email before the change takes effect. For minor changes (updated service links, clarified wording), we will update the page without a separate notification.
We recommend checking this page periodically if you are concerned about your privacy. The version history below records significant changes.
| Date | Change summary |
|---|---|
| May-2026 | Initial policy published. Covers data collection, cookie usage, third-party services, affiliate tracking, data retention, security, and reader rights. |
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, want to exercise your data rights, or have a concern about how we handle your data, please get in touch. We take privacy queries seriously and respond to all messages within 5 business days.
Browse our reviews knowing exactly how this site works — and how we protect your data.