When most clubs think about cyber security, the first place their mind jumps to is email. And yes — email is a huge part of the problem. But there’s a whole other area where clubs are quietly exposed without even realising it: the clubhouse itself.
If you take a walk around your clubhouse on a busy day, you’ll probably see tills, tablets, office PCs, CCTV cameras, Wi-Fi access points, door control systems, TV screens, booking terminals, score input devices and maybe even a couple of laptops that people forgot were still connected. All of them work together to keep your club running smoothly. But every single one is also a potential doorway for a cybercriminal.
In fact, some of the worst incidents I’ve seen didn’t start with an email at all — they started with an old device in a cupboard, a forgotten Wi-Fi password, or a CCTV camera that hadn’t been updated in years. These aren’t dramatic hacks; they’re simple oversights that attackers know how to exploit.
In this article, we’ll explore the hidden cyber risks inside your clubhouse, how they actually get used by criminals, and what you can do to secure them — without needing new tech or complicated systems.
The clubhouse is the heart of your operations — which means it’s also full of connected devices. Most clubs don’t think twice about adding a new till, tablet or camera, because the focus is on convenience, not security.
But attackers don’t see convenience. They see opportunity.
Older CCTV systems, unpatched laptops, default passwords, shared devices, forgotten tablets from a past competition — they all create small cracks in your defences. And attackers only need one crack to get in.
One club I worked with had a five-year-old Wi-Fi access point still plugged in behind a bar fridge. No one knew it existed. But attackers scanning the network definitely did.
Every club is different, but there’s a surprising pattern in the devices that end up causing problems:
Old PCs or laptops left running because “they still just about work.”
CCTV cameras bought years ago that have never been updated.
Guest Wi-Fi networks with weak passwords shared hundreds of times.
Bar tills running outdated operating systems.
Smart TVs that are never updated.
Tablets used for competition scoring and then left in drawers still logged in.
None of these feel important in isolation. But when you add them all together, they become one of the biggest risk areas inside a golf club.
Cybercriminals don’t hack like the movies. They use scanners that continuously search the internet for devices with known weaknesses. If they find an outdated camera or a system using a default password, they don’t need to break in — the door is already unlocked.
Once inside, they can move across your network easily.
That’s how ransomware spreads.
That’s how booking systems get shut down.
That’s how clubs lose access to their entire network overnight.
The good news is that clubhouse issues are usually the easiest ones to fix.
Set one day a month to update tills, cameras, tablets, office PCs and clubhouse devices.
Split guest and staff networks, and update passwords regularly.
(Insert internal link here to your IT Security service when discussing Wi-Fi audits.)
If it’s not needed, unplug it.
If it’s outdated, replace it.
If no one knows what it does… investigate it.
Don’t leave default passwords in place. Ever.
These aren’t expensive changes — they’re just about being intentional.
Clubhouse technology shouldn’t be a guessing game. A quick walkthrough with the right knowledge can highlight issues that would otherwise go unseen — and fixing them is often faster than people expect.
Whether you want help reviewing your clubhouse devices, tightening your Wi-Fi setup or checking what risks might be lurking behind the scenes, 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.