One of the most common assumptions I hear from golf clubs is: “Our IT company has us covered.” And in many ways, that’s true — your IT provider keeps your systems running, fixes problems, installs updates and helps staff stay productive. They’re a vital part of the club’s daily operation.
But cyber security is not the same thing as IT support.
Most cyber attacks don’t happen during office hours or when someone is actively watching the systems. They happen quietly, in the background, at the worst possible moments — overnight, on weekends, early mornings or bank holidays. And that’s exactly why 24/7 cyber monitoring, known as MDR (Managed Detection & Response), is becoming essential for clubs.
In this article, we’ll look at why IT support alone can’t stop modern attacks, how MDR actually works, and why so many clubs are now combining both to protect their members, finances and reputation.
Your IT provider is there to keep things working. But cybercriminals aren’t trying to break computers — they’re trying to slip quietly into systems without being noticed.
IT support is reactive.
Cyber attacks are proactive.
And that mismatch is exactly where clubs are exposed.
IT support doesn’t monitor your network for suspicious behaviour at all hours.
It doesn’t watch for ransomware.
It doesn’t alert anyone when a login attempt comes from a foreign country at 2am.
That’s what MDR does — it watches constantly.
MDR isn’t complicated. The easiest way to describe it is this: it’s a digital security guard for your entire club.
It monitors your systems day and night, looking for anything out of the ordinary — strange logins, unusual file movements, unusual network activity or attempts to access parts of your system that shouldn’t be touched.
When something doesn’t look right, MDR immediately investigates and, if needed, isolates the threat before it spreads.
Golf clubs often operate with small teams who already juggle multiple tasks. No one has time to check logs, monitor alerts or look for suspicious patterns. And because clubs rely heavily on cloud systems, email and multiple devices across the clubhouse, a small breach can escalate very quickly.
Clubs also operate outside of normal business hours — evenings, weekends, event days, early mornings. Those are the exact times attackers know no one is watching.
I’ve seen MDR stop attacks that would have caused severe disruption — sometimes within seconds of the threat appearing.
Without monitoring, these incidents could have shut the club down temporarily.
This is something many clubs don’t fully realise: MDR and IT support actually work beautifully together. They’re not competing services; they’re complementary ones.
IT support keeps everything running.
MDR keeps everything protected.
It’s the same as having a greenkeeper and a tree surgeon — different jobs, same goal. Both are essential, but for completely different reasons.
Cyber attacks don’t work office hours — but your defences can. 24/7 monitoring gives your club a digital safety net, catching threats before they turn into downtime, stress or a Saturday rush-hour disaster.
Whether you’re curious about how MDR works, want to know if your club is properly protected, or simply want an honest conversation about risk, I’m here to help.
If you’d like help with anything in this blog — or any other cyber security concern at your club — you can book a free, no-obligation chat with me anytime.