Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Golf Oasis (also known as 高尔夫江湖, "Golf Jianghu"). Golf Oasis is a mobile-first web application for golf score tracking, available at golf.koo63.com.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our service. By registering an account or using Golf Oasis, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use the service. For questions, contact us at [email protected].

Operator: Golf Oasis is operated by an individual developer. It is not affiliated with any golf association or governing body.

2. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

• Account registration: username, email address, password (stored as an Argon2id hash — we never store plain-text passwords)
• Profile information: display name, profile avatar image (optional)
• Game data: golf scores you enter, venues you play, game invitations you send or receive
• Friend connections: friend requests sent/accepted, handicap rates you set

Information Collected Automatically

• Log data: IP address, browser type, operating system, pages visited, timestamps
• Session data: authentication cookies required for login sessions (HttpOnly, Secure flags set)
• Language preference: stored in your account after you select a language

Information from Third Parties

• Google AdSense: if you accept cookies, Google may collect data about your browsing behaviour to serve personalised advertisements. See Section 5 for full details.
• Cloudflare Turnstile: our CAPTCHA provider may collect anonymised challenge-response data to verify you are a human. See Cloudflare's Privacy Policy.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Create and manage your account and authenticate your sessions
• Provide the core golf scoring features: games, venues, friends, and real-time score updates
• Send email verification and password-reset emails via transactional email service (PHPMailer)
• Deliver in-app notifications for game invitations and friend requests
• Analyse aggregate usage patterns to improve the app (no individual profiles are sold)
• Display advertisements through Google AdSense (only after you give cookie consent)
• Comply with legal obligations and prevent fraud or abuse

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes.

4. Cookies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your browser. Golf Oasis uses the following categories of cookies:

Managing Cookies

When you first visit Golf Oasis, a cookie consent banner appears at the bottom of the screen. You can Accept All or Decline non-essential cookies. Your choice is saved to localStorage under the key cookieConsent.

To change your preference, clear your browser's localStorage for golf.koo63.com (browser Settings → Privacy → Site Data) — the banner will reappear on your next visit.

Most browsers also allow you to block or delete cookies directly. Note that blocking essential cookies will prevent you from logging in.

5. Google AdSense & Advertising

What Google AdSense Does

Google AdSense is an advertising service provided by Google LLC. When you accept cookies and AdSense loads, Google may:

• Set advertising cookies on your browser (e.g. IDE, DSID) to track you across websites
• Use your browsing history to show personalised advertisements
• Collect your IP address, browser type, device identifiers, and interaction with ads
• Share data with Google's advertising partners

Data Collected by Google

When AdSense is active, Google may collect:

• Pages you visit on Golf Oasis and other participating websites
• Approximate geographic location derived from IP address
• Device type, browser version, and operating system
• Ad click behaviour (whether you clicked an ad)

This data is governed by Google's Privacy Policy, not ours.

Opt Out of Google Personalised Ads

Even after accepting cookies, you can opt out of Google personalised advertising:

• Visit adssettings.google.com to manage your Google ad preferences
• Use the NAI opt-out tool to opt out of interest-based advertising from participating networks
• Use the DAA opt-out tool for additional US-based ad network opt-outs
• Install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on

6. Third-Party Services

Golf Oasis uses the following third-party services that may process data:

We do not use Facebook Pixel, TikTok Pixel, or any social media tracking tags.

7. Data Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell or trade your personal information. We may share information only in the following limited circumstances:

With Other Users (by Design)

Your username and avatar are visible to other Golf Oasis users when you:

• Appear in game scorecards shared by the game host
• Send or receive friend requests
• Appear in game invitation lists

Your email address is never visible to other users.

With Service Providers

We share minimal data with the third-party services listed in Section 6 solely to provide the service's function (e.g., sending your email address to our SMTP provider to deliver a verification email).

Legal Requirements

We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Golf Oasis, its users, or the public. We will notify affected users when legally permitted to do so.

Business Transfers

If Golf Oasis is acquired or merged with another entity, your data may be transferred as part of that transaction. You will be notified via email and/or a prominent notice on our website before your data is transferred.

8. Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the service.

• Account data (username, email, password hash): retained until account deletion is requested
• Game scores and history: retained indefinitely as long as the account exists; deleted when the account is deleted
• Email addresses in transactional emails: log files retained for up to 90 days
• Server access logs: retained for up to 90 days for security monitoring
• Notifications: automatically cleared after 30 days

To request deletion of your account and all associated data, email [email protected] from your registered address.

9. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data:

• HTTPS / TLS: all data between your browser and our server is encrypted in transit
• Password hashing: passwords are hashed using Argon2id — we never store or log plain-text passwords
• HttpOnly session cookies: session tokens are inaccessible to JavaScript, reducing XSS risk
• CSRF protection: all state-changing requests require a valid CSRF token
• Rate limiting: login attempts are rate-limited to prevent brute-force attacks
• CAPTCHA: Cloudflare Turnstile on login and registration forms prevents automated abuse

Despite these measures, no internet transmission is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security. If you discover a security vulnerability, please disclose it responsibly to [email protected].

10. Children's Privacy

Golf Oasis is not directed at children under the age of 13 (or the applicable age of digital consent in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us at [email protected]. We will delete such information promptly.

If you are between 13 and 18, please review this policy with a parent or guardian before registering.

11. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

To exercise any of these rights, email [email protected] with the subject line "Privacy Request — [Right Name]". We may require identity verification before fulfilling requests.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

For urgent security issues, please include "SECURITY" in the subject line. For GDPR data requests, include "GDPR REQUEST".

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make significant changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• Display a notice on the Golf Oasis app dashboard for logged-in users
• For material changes affecting your rights, send an email notification to your registered address

Your continued use of Golf Oasis after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. If you disagree with the updated terms, please stop using the service and contact us to delete your account.

We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.