Privacy Policy

GolfBuddy — Effective February 22, 2026

GolfBuddy ("we", "our", or "the app") is developed by Dave Ellis. This policy describes how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use the GolfBuddy iOS application.

What We Collect

We collect the following data to provide and improve the app:

• Account Information — Email address, Apple ID (if using Sign in with Apple), display name, and username.
• Profile Data — Golf handicap, home course, and profile photo.
• Location — Approximate location used to filter nearby golf courses. Location is accessed only while the app is in use and is not stored on our servers.
• Contacts — With your permission, we access your device contacts to help you find friends who also use GolfBuddy. Contact data is used only for matching and is not stored on our servers.
• Messages — Messages you send to friends within the app are stored to enable the messaging feature.
• Push Notification Tokens — Device tokens provided by Apple Push Notification service (APNs) via Firebase Cloud Messaging, used to deliver notifications you have opted into.
• Weekend Status — Your availability status and related details (course, playing partners) that you choose to share with friends.

How We Use Your Information

• Authenticate your account and maintain your profile.
• Connect you with friends and display weekend availability.
• Deliver messages between you and your friends.
• Show golf courses near your location.
• Send push notifications for friend requests, messages, and status updates.

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.

Third-Party Services

GolfBuddy uses the following third-party services:

• Firebase Authentication — For secure account sign-in and management.
• Cloud Firestore — For storing user profiles, friend connections, messages, and statuses.
• Firebase Cloud Messaging — For delivering push notifications.

These services are provided by Google LLC and are subject to Firebase's Privacy Policy and the Google Privacy Policy.

Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we will remove your profile, messages, statuses, and friend connections from our systems. Some data may persist in backups for a limited period before being permanently deleted.

Data Security

We use industry-standard security measures, including encrypted connections (TLS) and Firebase's built-in security rules, to protect your data. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure.

Children's Privacy

GolfBuddy is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

Your Rights

You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data at any time by contacting us at the email address below.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy or your data, contact us at:

davellis30@gmail.com