The Pickleball Club Welcomes its Members to Their New Facility in Lakewood Ranch
By: Travis Cornwell
The Pickleball Club, a brand-new, healthy living, private pickleball complex featuring 12 indoor pickleball courts and numerous exclusive amenities has officially opened in Sarasota near Lakewood Ranch. The 33,393-square-foot facility will feature tournament-level courts, an outdoor activity center, constantly rotating food trucks, Pickles Café, Dink’s Pro Shop, permanent nets, luxurious locker rooms, and a HEPA-filtered air-conditioned environment – perfect for avoiding harmful UV rays and inclement weather conditions.
Located at 1300 Sarasota Center Blvd., the vision started four years ago before anyone even knew what Pickleball was. Now it is the fastest-growing sport in America. A survey was done with the community of Sarasota to determine the need for a facility where guests could go indoors and enjoy the game they love. “If you’re from this state you know how hot and humid it can get in the summer months. But it isn’t all about climate control it’s about the indirect lightning we have so you aren’t looking into the sun. You don’t have to worry about wind either,” says Founder and CEO, Brian McCarthy.
The Pickleball Club’s main goal is to have that social aspect amongst its members. Having that sense of coming together to connect and make new friends at an affordable price. Some of the other features include a player lounge as well as every court having a camera on it. “That is one of the best features in my opinion. You can go back and watch your play for the day and upload it to YouTube if you’d like. Which is available in the cloud for our members,” says McCarthy. The Club is open seven days a week from 7 am to 11 pm.
The Club will feature a variety of events for its members to enjoy. Meet & Greets will be held monthly for new members to get acquainted with the Club staff, and the facility, and to answer any questions. There is even a unique online system to reserve courts, join a league or sign up for tournaments, join a clinic, or reserve a time for a private lesson. Which is available for non-members too. There will also be food trucks, holiday, and corporate events. As well as tournaments, the Pickleball Club is a sponsor of the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) where they anticipate hosting a few regional tournaments per year.
The clubs’ motto is Play For Life. Which is also the name of their 501C3 foundation. With its mission to engage youth, veterans, and first responders in pickleball for fun, recreation, instruction, and rehabilitation.
This club is the first to open while others are in development. Locations include Port Saint Lucie, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Venice, and The Villages, with 15 clubs planned across the state of Florida in the next five years.
