Brown Golf Management and GreatLIFE Golf announce merger

Brown Golf Management and GreatLIFE Golf & Fitness announced today that the two companies have agreed to a merger. Going forward, the companies will do business under the GreatLIFE name and use each company’s expertise and history to dictate the direction of any subsequent acquisitions.

The new GreatLIFE Golf’s portfolio will include fifty-three golf courses and five gyms located in nine states under the GreatLIFE Golf brand. In addition, GreatLIFE Golf & Fitness of South Dakota, which is a lifestyle brand, will continue to operate under the GreatLIFE umbrella with seven golf facilities, ten affiliate golf courses, twenty gyms and one bowling center.

John Brown, co-founder and CEO of Brown Golf, will assume the role of GreatLIFE Golf CEO, with Jason Harshbarger, co-owner and CFO of Brown Golf, assuming the role of GreatLIFE Golf CFO. Collectively, the GreatLIFE brand will represent seventy golf courses, twenty-five gyms and one bowling center.

John Brown

Brown said that both companies saw a lot of opportunity to expand their reach and provide a great product to a lot of people.

“We’re still rooted in the same principles,” Brown said. “What’s the best business decision for the operation moving forward? How can we get our golf clubs to continuously self-invest in update capital? How do we set our brand apart in the future?”

By using Brown Golf’s experience and infrastructure as a base and using it to expand on not only their offerings, but GreatLIFE’s as well, they feel they are well-positioned to make great strides in the golfing space.

“That’s where the really exciting part comes in for the new company,” Brown said. “I don’t think any one option is where our focus is. I think we’re looking to get into some creative opportunities and then based on our experience and our position, I think we’re going to get involved in some pretty unique stuff in the future.”

Jason Harshbarger

Harshbarger is excited to get to work making the best company possible.

“As owners and operators, we care about the people that we work for in the community as well as the industry, and those synergies just really aligned,” he said.