Jan. 22, 2025

This paid piece is sponsored by GreatLIFE Golf & Fitness.

Today’s GreatLIFE has even more to offer members than it did a year ago.

There’s the expanded Harrisburg fitness center, which added 8,000 square feet and new offerings such as basketball.

There’s the addition of the fitness center at 3400 S. Southeastern Ave., which late last year became GreatLIFE at Avera McKennan Fitness Center.

And there’s a growing number of member benefits, offering consistent ways to save literally from morning to night every day of the week.

“The vision is to make a membership so valuable that even if you don’t golf or work out a lot, it’s worth the membership,” president Nick Ovenden said.

“We always encourage people to come in and talk with a GreatLIFE team member to find out what is there for you because there truly is something for everyone and it’s our job to connect you to the right resources.”

Weeks into managing GreatLIFE at Avera McKennan Fitness Center, “it’s going well, which has been so fun to see, and the people have been wonderful,” Ovenden said.

“We hired on over 50 team members who were there already, and it’s been great to see that team come together and serve our members. Change can be tough, so we’ve recognized how important it is to be present, to be talking to people and create connections and listen and offer solutions as we can.”

In Harrisburg, “usage has gone up every month since we opened the new addition, which is awesome,” he added. “We’ll want to see where it levels off before we decide on next steps and where it makes sense to grow next.”

Behind the scenes, GreatLIFE recognizes that “we’re nothing without our people,” Ovenden said. “We’ve focused a lot on developing our team from a leadership standpoint – giving them the tools to serve our member better.”

More than 50 team members set a one-year record for going through GreatLIFE’s internal leadership program, which is so comprehensive that qualifying participants even can earn college credit for it.

“That’s awesome participation,” Ovenden said. “We’ll continue to grow that program and potentially have even more exciting additions to offer our team members as a part of it.”

More broadly, throughout the organization this year, the focus is on “keeping it simple,” he continued. “There can be a tendency to overcomplicate things, when really we want to make sure we’re doing the basics well.”

That starts with a consistent GreatLIFE goal: Every team member should meet someone new every day.

“Relationships are what we’re all about, and that’s how you foster them,” Ovenden explained. “We happen to have the platform of golf or tennis or working out to bring people together, but it’s all about building the relationship around that.”

Internally, GreatLIFE leaders strive to have quality one-on-one meetings with their teams consistently, he added.

“And then finally, every team member is encouraged to reflect every day on what you personally learned,” he said. “Find something we can change so we get a little better every day.”

GreatLIFE is unique in the golf and fitness landscape in that it truly offers something for anyone looking to be active, Ovenden said.

“We’re not a niche company. Everyone is GreatLIFE,” he said. “And sometimes, our buffet of solutions is so vast that members don’t even know what they don’t know. That’s why it’s our job to make sure we’re meeting them and learning why they’re members, what they’re looking for and then helping them connect to the best solution.”

By consistently listening to members, GreatLIFE has been able to expand its offerings to meet demand.

“People have wanted to learn to golf, so we’ve created new programs at the Golf Academy that have taken off. Club fittings can be a huge difference with getting you into the right equipment, so we’ve focused more on that,” Ovenden said.

“People want to work out with friends, so we have almost 200 classes now with the addition of Avera, and there’s a variety of classes. And we added small-group training for those who want a more personalized, higher-intensity workout but still want to work out with friends.”

GreatLIFE’s Recovery Lounge has seen an increase in the past year as more people understand the science behind its offerings, especially the power of cold water therapy.

“It’s fun to have that, and that’s what I love about our industry is there are so many new things, and we get to go through them and decide what makes sense for our membership base,” Ovenden said.

With the addition of and the expansion in Harrisburg, “I feel really good about where we’re at in terms of what we offer,” he said. “That said, we’ll always look for different ways and new offerings and value to members.”

Looking ahead to golf season, GreatLIFE is coming off a year when it saw more rounds than ever – and not because the weather necessarily cooperated.

“Our director of golf, Jason Crisp, has done a phenomenal job working with the pros to maximize our tee sheets and make sure we open it up,” Ovenden said. “We have fewer tournaments on purpose, so there’s more opportunity for open play, and being creative has really allowed more people to get on the courses.”

Pace of play is still less than four hours for 18 holes, “which is outstanding,” he continued. “That’s the gold standard.”

GreatLIFE will upgrade its cart fleet at Rocky Run Golf Course this year and continues to look for new ways to update “and make the member experience as consistent as possible in every location,” he said.

“The minute you stop wanting to grow, you start to go backward, and that’s not where we ever want to be.”

To begin living your “GreatLIFE” in 2025, stop in any location, or browse all that’s available here.