Effective Date: June 2, 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how TeeMates LLC (“TeeMates LLC,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, shares, and protects information about you when you use the TeeMates mobile application and related services (collectively, the “Service”). By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.
TeeMates is a social golf application that helps golfers find and organize tee times, connect with friends and groups, chat, track head-to-head “duels” and course “territory” standings, and view course weather. The data controller responsible for your personal information is:
We collect the categories of information described below. The specific data depends on the features you use.
With your permission, we access your device’s precise (GPS) location while you are using the app to show nearby golf courses and tee times, to power distance/radius filtering, and to display course locations on a map. You can disable location access at any time in your device settings; some features will be limited if you do. We also store any home/saved location you enter.
If you choose to invite friends by text message, we request access to your device contacts so you can select people to invite. When you send an invitation, the invited person’s name and phone number are used to deliver the invitation and may be stored as a guest invitation record associated with the relevant tee time. We do not use your contacts for advertising and do not sell them. We only access contacts after you grant permission and only to the extent needed to send invitations you initiate.
With your permission, we access your camera and photo library so you can set a profile photo and share images in chat. Images you upload are stored in our cloud storage (Google Firebase Storage) and may be visible to other users in the relevant context (e.g., your profile, a conversation, or a group).
If you enable notifications, we register and store a push token (Firebase Cloud Messaging / Apple Push Notification service) tied to your device so we can send tee-time, invitation, message, reminder, and territory/duel notifications. You can manage notification preferences in the app and in your device settings.
The app displays advertising through Google AdMob. AdMob and its partners may access device and advertising identifiers and limited usage data to serve and measure ads. On Apple devices, we will request your permission through Apple’s App Tracking Transparency framework before any tracking that uses the device’s advertising identifier across apps or websites; if you do not grant permission, ads will be limited to non-personalized advertising. You can review or change your ad-personalization choices at any time in the app under Settings → Ad Privacy, and you can reset, manage, or revoke ad tracking in your device settings.
Certain information we collect is considered “sensitive personal information” under the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) and similar U.S. state laws — specifically your precise geolocation and your account log-in credentials. We use sensitive personal information only to provide the Service you request (for example, using precise location to show you nearby courses and tee times) and for other purposes permitted by law. We do not use or disclose sensitive personal information to infer characteristics about you or for cross-context behavioral advertising. See Section 8.4 for your right to limit the use of sensitive personal information.
Where the GDPR or UK GDPR applies, we process personal data on the following legal bases: (a) performance of a contract, to provide the Service you request; (b) your consent, for location, contacts, notifications, camera/photos, and personalized advertising (which you may withdraw at any time); (c) our legitimate interests, in operating, securing, and improving the Service; and (d) compliance with legal obligations.
We share information only as described here. We do not sell your personal information for money.
Your profile (name, photo, handicap, home course, stats, duel ratings, badges), your messages, and your participation in tee times and groups are visible to other users you interact with, consistent with the feature you use and any privacy settings (e.g., public vs. private groups).
| Provider | Purpose |
| --- | --- |
| Google Firebase (Google LLC) | Authentication, database (Firestore), file storage, cloud functions, and push messaging (FCM). |
| Google Sign-In | Optional sign-in with your Google account. |
| Google AdMob | Serving and measuring in-app advertising. |
| Google Maps Platform | Maps, place search/autocomplete, and geocoding. |
| Apple (APNs, WeatherKit, App Store) | Push delivery, course weather data, and app distribution. |
| SMS / carrier services | Delivering tee-time and invitation text messages you initiate. |
We may disclose information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of TeeMates LLC, our users, or the public.
If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to this Policy.
We do not sell personal information for monetary consideration. However, the use of advertising and analytics identifiers for personalized advertising may be considered “sharing” or “sale” under certain U.S. state privacy laws (such as the CCPA/CPRA). Where you decline App Tracking Transparency permission or opt out, we limit advertising to non-personalized ads and honor applicable opt-out signals.
We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. When you delete your account, we delete or de-identify your personal information within a reasonable period, except where we must retain certain data to comply with legal, tax, accounting, fraud-prevention, or dispute-resolution obligations. Content you shared with others (such as messages or group activity) may persist in those contexts where deletion is not technically feasible without affecting other users.
The table below summarizes typical retention by data category. Where a fixed period is not set, we keep data for as long as needed for the purpose described and then delete or de-identify it.
| Data category | Typical retention |
| --- | --- |
| Account & profile (email, name, phone, photo, golf profile) | Life of your account; deleted or de-identified after account deletion. |
| Location data (precise / saved) | Precise location used in-session; saved location kept until you change/delete it or close your account. |
| Contacts used for invitations | Guest invitation records kept for the related tee time, then removed on a rolling basis. |
| Chat messages & shared images | Life of the conversation; may persist for other participants after you delete your account. |
| Advertising identifiers | Managed by Google / AdMob per their retention controls; limited when you opt out. |
| Device, log & diagnostic data (incl. IP) | Retained for a limited period for security and debugging. |
You can view and update your profile, preferences, and notification settings in the app. You can delete your account from within the app; doing so will begin deletion of your personal data as described in Section 7.
You can grant or revoke location, contacts, camera, photo, notification, and tracking permissions at any time in your device settings.
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or port your personal information; to opt out of targeted advertising, sale, or sharing; to limit use of sensitive information; and to be free from discrimination for exercising these rights (CCPA/CPRA, and similar laws in Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, and other states). EEA/UK users have rights under the GDPR, including the right to object to or restrict processing and the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. To exercise any right, contact us at matthew.efstathios@teemates.club. We will verify and respond as required by law. You may use an authorized agent where permitted.
We do not sell your personal information for money. However, our use of advertising identifiers for personalized advertising may be considered “sharing” (cross-context behavioral advertising) under the CPRA. California residents — and residents of other states with comparable laws — have the right to opt out of this sharing and to limit the use of sensitive personal information. You can exercise these rights through the privacy controls in the app, by declining App Tracking Transparency on Apple devices, or by contacting us at matthew.efstathios@teemates.club. We also honor recognized opt-out preference signals, including the Global Privacy Control (GPC), where required by law. We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights.
The Service is not directed to children under 16, and you must be at least 16 years old to use it. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If we learn that we have collected such information, we will delete it. If you believe a child under 16 has provided us information, contact us at matthew.efstathios@teemates.club.
We use technical and organizational measures designed to protect your information, including encryption in transit, access controls, and security rules on our database and storage. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
We and our service providers are based in, or process data in, the United States and may process your information in countries that may not provide the same level of data protection as your jurisdiction. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards (such as standard contractual clauses) for such transfers.
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom and we are required under Article 27 of the GDPR or UK GDPR to designate a representative, our representative’s contact details are listed below. Until a representative is appointed, you may direct EEA/UK data-protection inquiries to us at matthew.efstathios@teemates.club, and you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.
The Service relies on and may link to third-party services (such as Google and Apple). Their handling of your information is governed by their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to review. We are not responsible for the practices of third parties.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated version with a revised “Last Updated” date and, where required, provide additional notice. Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.
If you have questions or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, contact TeeMates LLC at matthew.efstathios@teemates.club.