Blending sport, entertainment and hospitality, California SMASH is setting the bar for the next generation of pickleball clubs on the West Coast.
When Brett Drogmund discovered pickleball during the pandemic, it wasn’t long before his developer instincts kicked in. A former Disney executive turned South Bay real estate developer, Drogmund had spent years creating custom-built properties, including a food hall that stalled during COVID. Then he picked up a paddle with his son and found himself asking why no one had created a pickleball social club in the region.
That question set off two years of travel and research, including visits to more than 40 pickleball venues across the U.S. The result is California SMASH Pickleball and Social Club, a 30,000-square-foot indoor venue in El Segundo, California set to open later this summer.
Where Sport Meets Social
California SMASH isn’t just large — it’s meticulously designed. Every detail, from the court lighting to the bar layout, was tested and customized. Nine regulation-size padded indoor courts are surrounded by murals, vibrant colors and unexpected social touches. There are no chain-link fences, only plush aesthetics that give the space a “California bungalow beach club” feel.
The venue is built on what Drogmund calls a “50/50 model:” 50% sport, 50% social, because the joy of pickleball is that, “it’s such a connective tissue to people,” he said. That philosophy inspired the business tagline: Where sport meets social.
That vision comes to life through SMASH Social Club, the on-site restaurant and bar designed as a destination in its own right. A 166-seat indoor-outdoor space, it serves California-inspired cuisine led by Michelin-experienced chef Alexander Robinson, formerly of the Four Seasons in Orange County. A central court — Court 9 — is wrapped by a full bar, where guests can sip cocktails while watching live play just feet away.
Originally planned as a glassed-in dining area, the bar was reimagined after a visit to a pickleball spot in Raleigh, North Carolina, where Drogmund realized people wanted to see the action up close.
“We are sort of the first pickleball venue in the world, as far as I’ve seen, to literally have just a massive wraparound bar that goes all the way around this court,” said Drogmund. “It’s kind of like a fishbowl. People are sitting and watching. So then we opened up this wall — anywhere in the venue, you can see this court.”
Built for the Long Game
The California SMASH model is designed for long-term viability, not just trend appeal. In a region where outdoor court access is limited and expensive, the team invested heavily in climate control, noise mitigation and lighting. The club features 75 tons of air conditioning and a custom-designed indirect lighting system to maintain perfect playing conditions year-round.
“People are starving for a really elevated space,” said Drogmund. “We’re taking an outdoor experience and elevating it. How good can the sport be, how good can the experience be?”
The courts are padded with a half-inch base under a seven-layer top coat to reduce joint strain and injury risk. Even the facility’s column layout was reengineered, with $300,000 invested to move structural columns and improve visibility and safety.
Programming at California Smash is equally ambitious. Mornings are reserved for exclusive members of the SMASH Founders Club, which offers a limited number of private play “waves” — two-hour booking blocks scheduled Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunchtime opens to the public, targeting the 4 million square feet of surrounding office space and the nearby LAX metro stop.
Afternoons and evenings feature clinics, happy hours and high-energy weekend events like Friday night’s “Neon City,” a glow-in-the-dark pickleball party complete with a DJ booth and disco ball. Saturdays feature tournaments and themed events like disco night, while Sundays lean into laid-back brunch service with “Malibu Mojitos” and casual play.
The facility also includes a 600-square-foot podcast studio that doubles as a speakeasy with its own bar, VIP entrance and glass door opening to the courts. Multiple VIP spaces and a massive 14-foot video wall enhance the venue’s entertainment offerings. One central court — Court 9 — is zoned for “assembly use,” allowing up to 200 people for fundraisers, cocktail parties or even weddings, something the team is already booking.
The layered design isn’t accidental.
“California SMASH is my love letter back to the state of California,” said Drogmund, who incorporated everything from his UC Santa Barbara colors to his passion for 1970s California beach music. “I put pieces of my life together into a building.”
Lessons for Operators
Drogmund knows California SMASH will turn heads, but he hopes it sets a thoughtful example for other pickleball entrepreneurs. He said while location is “obviously” No. 1, safety is No. 2 — and encouraged owners to “do something different.”
After investing years into the concept and securing a 30-year lease, he’s focused on building a club that’s not just scalable, but sustainable — economically, culturally and communally.
“We are creating this to push the sport and grow the sport,” said Drogmund.
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Trinity Rea
Trinity Rea is a staff writer at Peake Media, contributing to Pickleball Innovators and other industry publications. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ball State University and is currently pursuing a master’s in Emerging Media Design and Development.
