GolfNow continues to grow through acquisition, this time adding ACTIVE Network’s golf division. The deal, which had been rumored for several months, adds another 1,100 golf courses to the company’s software client base.
This is GolfNow’s fourth acquisition in the last 18 months. It acquired BRS Golf, a British tee-sheet service with 750 courses last summer. It also acquired FORE! Reservations, an American counterpart with more than 2,000 golf courses. More recently, it acquired Crescent Systems, which had 300 to 400 clients.
With the ACTIVE Network acquisition, it has added close to 4,000 golf course software clients, and serves another 4,000 through tee times. It hopes to release its own software – GolfNow One – in the near future. The company serves an estimated 7.5 million golfers through its tee time services.
GolfNow, which is a division of the Golf Channel, has said its goal is to streamline operations for golf courses, allowing them to work with just one technology vendor. With the recent acquisitions, it is now the leader in golf management software in addition to tee times.
GolfNow said it will implement ACTIVE’s technology systems to bolster its technology offerings for municipal course operators, multi-course operators and resort operations.
“GolfNow will utilize the robust product offering from ACTIVE’s golf division to better serve our course partners, helping them take advantage of best-in-class technology to better communicate and interact with golfers, which together helps us grow the game,” said Jeff Foster, senior vice president, GolfNow New Media Group.
ACTIVE Network started in other events and added golf s one of many additional markets. It grew largely through acquisitions. It acquired Tee Time King in 2005 which had previously acquired Fairway Systems and brought with it 350 courses. It acquired Jencess Software and Technologies in 2007 with an estimated 450 courses. Vista Parnters, a private equity company, acquired ACTIVE last September for more than $1 billion, and the new ownership decided to sell off the golf division, which was a very small part of the company.
GolfNow said ACTIVE’s golf division will broaden it’s technology solutions platform.
“The addition of ACTIVE golf division’s technology platforms, combined with our existing GolfNow Connect, GolfNow Reservations, and GolfNow One platforms will offer course partners a diverse set of resources and support solutions to fulfill every possible business technology need,” said Will McIntosh, senior vice president of business and strategy for GolfNow New Media Group in a press release. “We are confident that our broad product lineup will ensure that we offer all the necessary tools, from a basic solution for tee time booking, to the most sophisticated needs, including point of sales, food and beverage and help our partner golf courses run their businesses more efficiently.”
EZLinks, one of GolfNow’s top competitors, said its company continues to evolve as well, investing in the development of new technology, partnerships and services to keep itsgolf courses a step ahead of the competition.
“Our growth strategy has remained consistent for 18 years, we grow our business by focusing on our clients’ success,” said Gary Cohen, CEO of EZLinks. “Golf courses have a choice of which software will help their business to succeed today and in the future. EZLinks is proud to be the software partner of choice for seven of the top 10 management companies, numerous municipal courses and hundreds of independent golf course owners and operators.”