Feb. 25, 2026

This piece is sponsored by GreatLIFE Golf & Fitness.

Whether you’re a new golfer, an advanced one or someone just looking to enjoy the game a bit more, there’s a program waiting for you at the GreatLIFE Golf Academy.

Located at Willow Run Golf Course, the Golf Academy offers lessons, fittings and programming for nearly all ages.

Starting this season, the Academy will be led by Matt Drake, who returns to the place where he began his career.

“I’m very excited to be back and working with familiar faces,” he said.

Drake began interning at GreatLIFE while in college at Augustana University.

“Once I graduated, I turned professional and worked with Jason (Crisp) at Bakker Crossing for two or three years and then ran Fox Run in Yankton for almost four years,” Drake said.

He made his way back to Sioux Falls in roles at the Minnehaha Country Club and Sanford Sports Golf Academy before returning to GreatLIFE earlier this year.

“I got to know Matt when he was out there practicing while he was still in high school in Tea, and then his team at Augie practiced at Bakker, and he was on my team at Bakker,” director of golf Jason Crisp said.

“No matter who you run into, when someone knows Matt Drake they talk about his character and heart and attitude, and how much he cares for people. Those are qualities you can’t teach or train. It’s just part of who they are, and Matt has it in spades. I’m really proud to have him at GreatLIFE.”

Drake is joined by teaching professional Chris Gilman, and both will offer coaching there as well as throughout GreatLIFE’s footprint.

“If someone wants a lesson at Bakker or Central Valley or other places, Matt and Chris are available to do that,” Crisp said.

Inside the GreatLIFE Golf Academy, Drake plans to build on its success.

“It’s an awesome facility,” he said. “Our approach is to help grow the game here, from junior golfers to senior golfers. It’s all about working on making the game of golf a little more enjoyable. That’s everything GreatLIFE is about, so it’s about helping people fall in love with the game.”

Looking ahead, the GreatLIFE team is excited to connect more with female golfers, including at an event from 5 to 7 p.m. April 13 at Great Shots.

The Ladies Swing and Social will be held in partnership with the South Dakota Golf Association and the Minnesota PGA Section.

“We’ll be highlighting what opportunities there are in the community for women golfers — from leagues to couples’ events,” Crisp said. “We know if Mom plays golf, there’s an 80 percent chance a son or daughter plays, so it’s about developing opportunities for women and supporting the broader sport.”

GreatLIFE also is rolling out its junior programming for the year, focused on middle school and high school golfers as a way to introduce them to the game and build skills.

“We’ll be hosting Junior Golf camps at Willow, Bakker and Central Valley twice a week for three-week sessions, and those registrations will be coming out soon,” Drake said. “We’ll also open up participation in the GreatLIFE Junior Tour. Last year, we had 146 participants in partnership with a foundation that raises funds to give back to young golfers. Watch for sign-up in March.”

Additionally, the Golf Academy will offer individual lessons, junior group programming and adult programing as the season begins.

Technology inside includes the FlightScope, a tour-level launch monitor that uses advanced 3D Doppler radar technology to measure both club and ball data with exceptional accuracy. It tracks 28 key performance parameters, including ball speed, launch conditions, spin rates, club path, face angle and attack angle, helping golfers better understand how their swing influences ball flight.

The SAM PuttLAB is the industry standard for putting analysis and development, used by many of the best players and coaches in the world. It measures the key components of the putting stroke, including setup, stroke path, face angle, timing and impact dynamics, providing a clear picture of how the putter is moving through the ball.

Now is the time to take advantage of all that’s offered so you’re ready when the courses open — hopefully by mid-March.

“Golf used to be a seasonal sport in South Dakota, but with our facilities in the area now, it’s more year-round,” Drake said. “It’s awesome to be part of this golf community.”

Watch for more growth in the future, Crisp said.

“Matt is a visionary,” Crisp said. “He has a ton of great ideas, and I believe he will take the Academy to the next level when it comes to team and community collaboration. He has some awesome ideas, including how to execute them and spread the Academy’s success across the picture of golf in the community.”

For full details on the GreatLIFE Golf Academy, visit here.