Brandon Fiume is the founder and president of several Texas-based businesses, and he built three of those businesses — Tour Greens Houston, Celebrity Courts, and Tour Greens South Texas — by combining a sharp business acumen with an uncanny sense of timing.
These three businesses have only grown as demand rises for tour-quality backyard putting greens, pet turf, artificial lawns, and other synthetic turf installations. However, one of Fiume’s most important strategic moves was made before he ventured into the turf world. Instead of jumping headlong into the recreation industry, Fiume started as an owner-operator in a space he was deeply familiar with: The window and door business.
“My father has owned and operated a window and door business for over 45 years, establishing it as one of the largest in Texas, and he remains actively involved in the industry today.,” he says. “He taught me how to build the infrastructure and operate a window business.” Following in his father’s footsteps, Fiume opened his own window business installing name-brand windows and doors in early 2012.
But why transition from window and door installations to designing custom-putting greens and backyard game courts? This pivot point was another of Fiume’s key strategic moves: he identified a market boom on the horizon and grew his businesses along with it. This specific transition may not have been a viable one in every state, but the challenge of maintaining synthetic pristine lawns and high-end putting greens in Texas’s hot, drought-plagued climate has convinced many to turn to durable, maintenance-free synthetic turf.
After years of success in a different industry, expanding into building game courts for private home installations might seem like a big risk. But for Fiume, that risk was a calculated one that ultimately paid off. And thankfully, this career move didn’t mean starting from scratch. “The putting green business and game court design business actually follow the same fundamentals,” Fiume says. “I just took that structure and knowledge and transposed it into the turf and game court business.”
It also turned out to be a lucrative move. Interestingly, customized backyard putting greens and game courts have proven to have particular staying power on the market. “Our bread and butter is game courts, synthetic turf, and putting greens,” Fiume says. “That's like building a golf course in a client’s backyard using synthetic turf.”
Fiume identified the potential in artificial turf early on, but he didn’t just join that boom — he set out to be the best in the space. Today, Tour Greens leads the industry in high-end putting greens and turf installations, installing million-dollar setups for high-net-worth individuals, professional athletes, and celebrities. And as Fiume can tell you, the difference is in the details. His putting green installations feature details like Easy Breaks and Undulations, white sand bunkers, and multi-colored acrylic game courts. Additionally, the game courts are designed with high-quality acrylic-coated surfaces, providing durable foundations for sports like pickleball, tennis, and basketball. They have turnkey complete construction, including surfacing and cement preparation, to ensure high performance.
While there are many different factors that shape the outcome of any business venture, Fiume’s ability to grow companies with staying power essentially comes down to a dual focus. He focuses on data and market trends before making business decisions but is still not afraid to take calculated risks. That combination can be a powerful way to achieve success.
