Protecting Your Members, Your Data & Your Club’s Reputation
Golf clubs are now a major target for cybercrime — from email phishing to ransomware and financial fraud. Cyber Essentials is the UK’s government-backed cybersecurity standard designed to stop 98% of common cyber attacks.
At LinksGuard, we specialise exclusively in protecting golf clubs, guiding you through Cyber Essentials from start to finish — simply, clearly, and without technical jargon.
With experience in both cyber security and the golf industry, we guide your club through every step.
Cyber Essentials is increasingly required by insurers. Many policies will not pay out without certification.
Your club processes membership records, card payments, bookings and payroll — all highly valuable to attackers.
Clubs rely on legacy systems, email communication and small administrative teams, making them vulnerable.
Certification shows your club meets national cyber standards, and you take the protection of member and visitor data seriously
Many insurers, partners, and associations including England Golf, recommend Cyber Essentials as part of good club governance. Certification may also strengthen your eligibility for cyber liability coverage.
At the heart of Cyber Essentials are five essential security controls: simple, practical measures that protect your club from the most common online threats. Together, they form a strong foundation for cyber safety and can reduce the risk of attack by up to 80%.
We’ll help your golf club put these controls in place so your systems, member data, and reputation stay protected — showing members, staff, and partners that your club takes cyber security seriously.
1. Firewalls and Internet Gateways
A firewall acts as a barrier between your club’s network and the internet, controlling what traffic is allowed in and out.
It’s like the entrance gate to the course — only authorised visitors are let through, keeping intruders out and protecting what matters inside.
2. Secure Configuration
Devices and systems need to be set up correctly to avoid unnecessary risks.
Just as a well-prepared fairway keeps the game running smoothly, removing default settings and unused features helps systems run securely and efficiently.
3. User Access Control
Access to club systems and data should be based on role and responsibility.
Much like members and staff have different privileges around the clubhouse, digital access should be limited to only what each person needs to do their job.
4. Malware Protection
Malware is the digital equivalent of an unwanted visitor on the course — disruptive and damaging.
Protection tools such as antivirus software help identify and remove these threats before they cause harm.
5. Security Updates (Patch Management)
Software and systems need regular updates to stay secure.
It’s like maintaining the greens — small, consistent attention keeps things in top condition and prevents bigger problems down the line.
When a golf club chooses LinksGuard to support them through Cyber Essentials, we make the whole process simple and stress-free. We start by getting to know how your club operates, the systems you use, how staff log in, and where risks might sit. From there, we turn everything we’ve found into a clear, easy-to-understand plan that shows exactly what needs to be improved and why.
But rather than leaving your team with a list of actions, we do the work for you. We apply security updates, strengthen settings, set up MFA, secure devices, improve passwords, and make sure your club meets every requirement of the Cyber Essentials standard. We also prepare all the policies and documentation you need, written in plain English and tailored specifically to the way golf clubs actually function.
Once everything is in place, we handle the entire certification process on your behalf, completing the 80 question questionnaire, submitting it to IASME, and guiding you right through to the point where your club becomes officially certified. And if you’d like us to continue looking after things, we can keep your systems patched, monitored and secure all year round, making future renewals effortless and ensuring your club stays protected long after the certificate arrives.
Let’s take the stress out of the process and guide you from start to finish.
Choose the plan that fits your needs. Simple, transparent, and designed to grow with you.
Cyber Essentials Certification & foundational support for golf clubs that just want Cyber Essentials certification
Ongoing protection, training, and management for Golf clubs wanting full-year support and proactive security upkeep
Complete cyber security partnership — compliance, prevention & resilience for golf clubs seeking a managed cyber security function
is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged.
This is where we take a deeper look at your club’s technology and day-to-day processes. We review your devices, user accounts, network setup, Wi-Fi, passwords, updates, and anything else that Cyber Essentials covers. It’s not intrusive and doesn’t disrupt your staff — it simply helps us understand exactly where the club stands today so we can guide you clearly on what needs to change.
Once we know what needs fixing, we create a clear plan to bring the club up to Cyber Essentials standard. If you already have an IT support provider, we simply work alongside them and guide any changes needed. Whether we handle the fixes or collaborate with your IT team, we make sure everything meets the certification requirements with minimal disruption.
Cyber Essentials requires a set of simple but important policies to be in place. Instead of giving you basic templates, we create a full set tailored specifically for golf clubs — covering passwords, device usage, patching, admin access and more. Everything is written in clear English, ready for staff to follow and easy for committees to approve. These policies form a key part of your certification and ongoing compliance.
The Cyber Essentials questionnaire is long, technical and often confusing, with lots of follow-up questions and evidence requests from the independent assessor. It can easily become a frustrating, time-consuming back-and-forth.
We handle all of this for you. We complete the entire assessment, provide the evidence, respond to assessor queries, and manage the whole process end-to-end so you don’t have to deal with the complexity at all.
Cyber Essentials isn’t something you do once a year — the controls must be maintained continuously. Our ongoing service handles all the patching, monitoring, password management and updates your club needs to stay compliant every month.
This means no last-minute rush at renewal, no slipping out of compliance, and no unexpected issues. Your club stays secure day-to-day, and re-certification becomes quick and stress-free.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or need help completing the assessment, we’ve got you covered.
Golf clubs choose LinksGuard because we genuinely understand how they operate — the mix of staff and volunteers, the seasonal changes, the ageing systems, and the need for clear communication without technical jargon. We specialise solely in this sector, so everything we do is designed around the real-world challenges clubs face. Our approach is friendly, practical and completely done-for-you, handling every part of the Cyber Essentials journey from system fixes to assessor conversations. Clubs trust us because we make the process simple, we take the stress away, and we consistently deliver a smooth,
Why is Cyber Essentials important for golf clubs?
Golf clubs hold sensitive data — from member contact details to payment information — and often use multiple systems across the clubhouse, pro shop, and office.
Cyber Essentials helps protect this data and ensures your club operates safely and confidently online.
What is the difference between Cyber Essentials & Cyber Essentials Plus?
Cyber Essentials: A self-assessment questionnaire reviewed by a certification body, like us. It covers five key security controls: firewalls, secure configuration, access control, malware protection, and patch management.
Cyber Essentials Plus: Includes all the above but adds an independent technical audit and testing. This provides stronger assurance to clients, regulators, and stakeholders.
How long does it take to become certified?
Most clubs can complete Cyber Essentials in a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on the complexity of their IT environment and readiness. Cyber Essentials Plus usually takes longer because it involves independent testing.
At LinksGuard, we can offer a cyber security gap analysis to identify the steps needed to get your club ready for certification.
How often does certification need to be renewed?
The Cyber Essentials certification lasts for one year.
Annual reviews and renewal ensures your club stays up to date with best practices and remains protected as technology and threats evolve.
We already have an IT company - do we still need Cyber Essentials?
Yes. Having an IT company is a great start, but Cyber Essentials is about proving that your club’s systems meet a nationally recognised security standard.
Your IT provider may already handle many technical aspects, but certification gives you independent assurance that key protections are in place and working as they should.
It also demonstrates to members, partners, and regulators that your club takes cyber security seriously and follows best practice.
What happens if I don't meet the requirements?
If any gaps are identified, we help you address them quickly and effectively. Our experts guide you through necessary changes, ensuring your business is prepared for successful certification.
