Vast majority of golf clubs are not prepared for data protection changes
By Alistair Dunsmuir
A new survey has found that three quarters of all small to medium sized businesses are not prepared for data protection changes that come into effect in 2018.
While the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a European Union directive, British golf clubs will still need to comply with it from May 2018 until at least March 2019, when the UK leaves the EU.
According to research from Close Brothers, three quarters of small and medium-sized enterprises have yet to start preparing for the new regulation, which includes provisions for the EU to levy fines on golf clubs found guilty of a compliance failure.
Perhaps more worryingly, about two thirds of golf clubs are not even aware of the GDPR’s implications, even though most golf clubs operate databases.
“The GDPR regime includes requirements for new processes such as the employment of data controllers, privacy impact assessments and greater choice for customers, including the right to be forgotten – businesses will also be required to disclose all data breaches to regulators,” said David Thomson of Close Brothers. “Some of the rules sound deceptively simple, but many firms will struggle to cope because they don’t even have a clear idea of what data they currently hold on customers, or where and how it is stored.”
The survey does include some positive findings – for example, 73 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises say they don’t share customer data with third parties – many businesses simply do not know whether they would be compliant with the new law.
“All organisations must take the GDPR seriously and SMEs are no exception,” added David Thomson. “Making an investment now in order to prepare and protect your business is essential if you do not want to risk incurring significant financial penalties – or the major reputational damage that a public breach of the new regulation would undoubtedly cause.”
For more information about how what golf clubs need to do to prepare for the GDPR, please visit
By Alistair Dunsmuir
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