As we initially reported in October, The Pickleball Club (TPC) recently confirmed construction is underway for its Village Park Center club, which is projected to open in fall 2024. Contractors are currently hard at work pouring concrete and ensuring site utilities are in place.
40,000 Square Feet
Located on a 4.7-acre parcel near The Villages, Florida, the 40,000-square-foot climate-controlled club will feature 16 indoor pickleball courts, 162 parking spaces, a players’ courtyard with two covered outdoor courts, and two bocce ball courts.
Inside, a 3,667-square-foot players’ lounge and mezzanine will overlook the downstairs courts, Dink’s Pro Shop, and Pickle’s Café, similar to its other facilities.
The Villages complex sits about 45 miles northwest of Orlando.
The Pickleball Club
The Pickleball Club, a firm founded in 2019, develops and operates private, membership-based, high-amenity indoor pickleball facilities throughout Florida. TPC’s first location is now open and operating in Sarasota near Lakewood Ranch, to much success.
ConnectCRE.com announced back in October that The Pickleball Club, LLC, had entered into a purchase agreement on the 4.69-acre parcel at 11750 NE 62nd Terrace near the Hampton Inn on County Road 466, Sumpter County, Florida. According to the company, this area contains one of the most active pickleball communities in the country. The complex will feature 16 courts inside a 40,773-square-foot building.
This is larger than their Orlando model, a climate-controlled facility covering about 30,000 square feet and featuring a dozen indoor courts.
Over $180 Million To Acquire Sites
The Pickleball Club is spending over $180 million to acquire sites and build at least 15 indoor private pickleball clubs throughout Florida. Land in Port St. Lucie, Bonita Springs, and a parcel in Fort Myers has been purchased.
We also reported that it was developing the members-only establishment in Orlando, which is similar to the one it opened in Sarasota earlier this year.
“We anticipate starting construction in April 2023 and planning an opening in early 2024,” said Brian McCarthy, the club’s chief executive officer.
Investing Over $1 Million In Technology For Its Clubs
The company invests over $1 million in technology, programming, and systems development at each of its clubs. This includes multiple software platforms for reservations, events, menus, and matching players together based on rankings. Each club will feature HD video systems by PlaySight Technology.
“The amenity-based customer experience will be like nothing else in the market today,” said Valerie McCarthy, TPC’s chief operating officer.
A Reported 230 Pickleball Courts At The Villages
The company currently has over 50 shareholders and has raised nearly $6 million in equity over the past year and a half. The Pickleball Club LLC owns all their clubs and is currently accepting accredited investors.
It will be interesting to see how the new facility performs. The Villages is already known as a pickleballing hotbed with a reported 230 courts available and open all year round. That might seem like a lot of courts to try and add to effectively, but one look at the Villages Pickleball Community Facebook page shows just how many locals are active in the sport and gives some idea of the potential market.
Even though it is a private group open only to Villages residents, it had a 3,000-strong membership at the time of writing!
