1. Who we are and what these terms cover
These Player Terms of Service ("Terms") are a binding agreement between you ("you", "player") and PlayGolf (Pty) Ltd (registration number 2025/388768/07) ("PlayGolf", "we", "us"), the operator of the PlayGolf mobile app and related services (the "Platform").
They apply when you use the Platform to discover, book, pay for, play in, or interact with golf days — events created and run by third-party organisers (golf clubs, societies, charities, companies, and similar). By creating an account, completing a booking, or otherwise using the Platform, you accept these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not accept them, please do not use the Platform.
2. Eligibility and your account
- You must be at least 18 years old, or have the consent of a parent or guardian who accepts these Terms on your behalf and remains responsible for your use.
- You may use the Platform as a guest (identified by your cellphone number) or as a registered user. A guest booking can be claimed to an account later by verifying your cellphone number via a one-time PIN (OTP).
- You agree to give accurate, current information and to keep your contact details up to date. You are responsible for activity that takes place through your account or your verified cellphone number.
- To keep entries unambiguous, one cellphone number maps to one active entry per golf day.
3. Our role — a booking and payments platform, not the organiser
This is the most important thing to understand:
- PlayGolf is an intermediary. We provide the technology that lets organisers list golf days and lets you book, pay, score, and stay in touch. The golf day itself is provided by the organiser, not by PlayGolf. The organiser is responsible for the event — the venue, format, schedule, rules, prizes, catering, conduct on the day, and any related promises.
- Payments. When you pay through the Platform, we collect the payment as agent for the organiser via a third-party payment gateway, together with any platform booking fee shown to you before you pay. Your contract for attending and playing the golf day is with the organiser; your contract for using the Platform is with us.
- We are not responsible for the acts or omissions of organisers or other players, except as these Terms or South African law require.
4. Booking a golf day
- A booking may be for a single slot, a 2-ball, or a 4-ball, and may be combined with other bookings into a playing group on the day.
- The person who creates a booking is the "captain/booker" for that booking. The captain may add player details, fill open slots, and (subject to clause 6) swap players.
- Where a slot has no named player yet, it is a placeholder that can be filled in later. Adding a cellphone number invites that person to confirm their details and (where owed) pay.
- A booking is confirmed once the required payment is completed (or, for an each-pays-own booking, once each player's slot is settled). Confirmation does not guarantee the organiser will run the event — see clause 6.
5. Prices, fees and payment
- All prices are shown in South African Rand (ZAR) and, unless stated otherwise, include applicable VAT.
- For most golf days the price shown at checkout is the full price — PlayGolf's fees are paid by the organiser and nothing is added to your price. Some events created under our earlier pricing may include a platform booking fee; where one applies, it is shown before you confirm.
- Payment is processed by our third-party payment provider. We do not store your full card details. You authorise the charge shown at checkout.
- Split payment. A booking can be set so that each player pays their own slot, or so that the captain pays for everyone. The captain is responsible for amounts they elect to cover.
- You are responsible for any fees your bank or card issuer charges you.
6. Changes, cancellations, refunds and swapping players
- Player swaps. Close to the day a player sometimes cannot attend. Using Manage team, the captain can remove a player from a slot they control and bring in a replacement; a player can also remove themselves and nominate a replacement. When a player is removed, their paid seat is held for the team as a credit — the replacement plays on it. A player who paid for their own slot can only be removed by themselves, not by the captain. Swaps close once scoring for the team has started.
- Organiser changes/cancellation. The organiser may change or cancel a golf day (date, venue, format, or the event itself). Where this happens, the organiser's published cancellation and refund policy for that event applies.
- Refunds. Refund eligibility and amounts are determined by the organiser's policy for the event. Platform booking fees may be non-refundable. Where a refund is due, the organiser pays it to you directly (for example by EFT), not through the payment gateway.
- No-shows. If you do not attend without arranging a swap or a refund under the applicable policy, your entry fee is generally not refundable.
7. Handicaps and scoring
- Where you enter a WHS Handicap Index, you confirm it is accurate and current. If you have no official handicap, the event's default handicap is used. PlayGolf computes the Course and Playing handicap from the chosen tee and the event's settings; the Platform displays these values — it does not assign or verify your official handicap.
- You agree to play and score honestly and to follow the organiser's and the venue's rules. Scoring, results, leaderboard standings, and prize decisions are the organiser's responsibility; PlayGolf provides the tools but does not adjudicate disputes.
- Golf is a physical activity played at your own risk. You are responsible for your own health, fitness, conduct, and compliance with course rules and safety instructions.
8. Photos, posts and other content you share
- The Platform lets you post photos, captions, comments, and similar content to an event's photo wall and feed ("your content"). You keep ownership of your content.
- You grant PlayGolf a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host, store, display, and distribute your content within the relevant golf day and the Platform for the purpose of operating the service.
- You confirm that you have the rights to what you post, and that it does not infringe anyone's rights or break the law. Be considerate of others who appear in photos.
- We may remove content that breaches these Terms, and you can ask us to remove your content. Removing content does not always remove copies others may have already saved or shared.
9. Acceptable use and conduct
You agree not to:
- post or share content that is unlawful, defamatory, harassing, hateful, obscene, or that infringes others' rights or privacy;
- impersonate anyone, or enter another person's details without their permission;
- misuse payments, attempt fraud, or manipulate scores, side competitions, or raffles;
- interfere with, scrape, or attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Platform or other users' data;
- use the Platform for anything other than genuinely participating in golf days.
10. Device permissions and data
With your permission, the app may access your device contacts (to invite teammates), camera and photo library (to add photos and claim side competitions), and location (to record a side-bet claim at the hole). You can decline or revoke these permissions in your device settings; some features will then be unavailable. We use this access only for the stated purpose. See the Privacy Policy for how we handle personal information under POPIA.
11. Messages we send you
To run a booking we may send you transactional messages — booking confirmations, invites to join a fourball, payment and claim links, and organiser announcements for events you are in — by push notification, SMS, WhatsApp, and/or email. These are part of the service. Where messages are marketing rather than transactional, you can opt out, and we will only send them with the consent the law requires.
12. Side competitions, raffles and prizes
- Side competitions (e.g. nearest-the-pin, longest drive) and raffles are run by the organiser. Where you buy raffle tickets through the Platform, the payment terms in clause 5 apply.
- Eligibility, draws, winners, and the award and delivery of any prize are the organiser's responsibility. PlayGolf records claims and ticket purchases but does not provide the prizes.
13. Intellectual property
The Platform, its software, design, and content (other than your content and organiser/third-party content) belong to PlayGolf or its licensors. We grant you a personal, limited, non-transferable, revocable licence to use the app to take part in golf days. You may not copy, modify, reverse-engineer, or resell any part of the Platform.
14. Privacy
We process your personal information in line with our Privacy Policy and POPIA. The Privacy Policy explains what we collect, why, who we share it with (including organisers of events you join and our service providers), and your rights.
15. Third-party services
The Platform relies on third parties — including the payment gateway, mapping, messaging providers, and golf handicap/course data sources. Their services are governed by their own terms, and we are not responsible for them. Third-party data (such as course or handicap information) may contain errors.
16. Disclaimers
Except as the CPA or other law requires, the Platform is provided "as is" and "as available". We do not warrant that it will be uninterrupted or error-free, that information (including course data, computed handicaps, and leaderboards) is always accurate, or that a golf day will take place or meet your expectations — those are the organiser's responsibility.
17. Limitation of liability
To the maximum extent allowed by law (and without limiting your non-waivable CPA rights):
- We are not liable for the conduct of organisers or other players, for the running, safety, or outcome of a golf day, or for personal injury, loss, or damage arising from playing golf.
- We are not liable for indirect or consequential loss.
- Our total liability to you arising from the Platform is limited to the platform booking fees you paid to us for the booking giving rise to the claim.
18. Indemnity
You agree to indemnify PlayGolf against claims, losses, and costs arising from your breach of these Terms, your content, or your conduct on or off the course in connection with a golf day, to the extent the law allows.
19. Suspension and termination
We may suspend or close your access if you breach these Terms, misuse the Platform, or where we must to comply with the law. You may stop using the Platform at any time; bookings already made remain subject to the organiser's policies and these Terms.
20. Changes to these terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. We will post the updated version with a new "last updated" date and, for material changes, give reasonable notice. Continuing to use the Platform after changes take effect means you accept them.
21. Governing law and disputes
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. Disputes will be dealt with in the courts of the North-West Province, without affecting your right to approach the National Consumer Commission or other competent body under the CPA. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve the matter.
22. How to contact us
23. Your consumer rights
Nothing in these Terms is intended to limit or exclude any right you have under the Consumer Protection Act, the ECTA, or other South African law that cannot be excluded. Where any provision conflicts with such a right, that right prevails to the extent of the conflict.