On the banks of downtown Louisville, Kentucky’s waterfront sits Goodbounce Pickleball Yard. Founded by CEO John Flodder, Goodbounce is a place where entertainment, sport and wellness meet to create a unique community in the pickleball world.
The idea for Goodbounce came during Flodder’s commercial real estate days, when he encountered a 60,000-square-foot property in Dayton, Ohio. He thought, “I know what to do with it — make it indoor food and entertainment with pickleball.” Knowing he wanted to test the idea locally, he founded what is now Goodbounce.
Goodbounce combines food, beverage and recreation in a community-driven setting with six outdoor pickleball courts and a 15,000 square foot game yard. A second indoor facility sits just across the Ohio River in Southern Indiana.
Since its opening in 2023, Goodbounce has expanded into the world of wellness and recovery. “Now we’re undergoing a big transformation away from food and beverage and really getting into the recovery and health and wellness space,” said Flodder. “Adding in everything from fitness studios to cold plunge pools to saunas.” The facility has also brought in mental health coaching and partnerships with veteran’s groups.
This switch didn’t come out of nowhere for Flodder. He sees the food and beverage space as declining, with people drinking less and saving more, and younger generations turning their attention more towards wellness.
As such, Goodbounce has begun to host events and activities that support this shift, like a recent women’s retreat. “[It] was super cool to see people coming together to better their lives and utilizing sport and our space to do that,” said Flodder.
“We work really hard on our community and culture,” added Flodder. “We’re fun, active and social.”
With public and private courts popping up all over, having a strong community and safe culture is important. Public courts can sometimes experience cliques or poor behavior, but Goodbounce focuses on fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment.
“What I love about the sport of pickleball is that it’s extremely inclusive,” Flodder. “You can be five, you can be 85, and play.”
Goodbounce offers personalized instruction for everyone from those who just want to sharpen their skills to those who have never played before.
Goodbounce has also expanded into the padel scene with three state-of-the-art World Padel Tour courts, bringing in a new customer base to the facility. “It attracts the tennis crowd that wouldn’t typically play pickleball and the country club players that wouldn’t come out to our space either,” said Flodder. “Right now, we’re still the only one in the region with padel, with the next closest courts in Chicago.”
Still, Goodbounce faces challenges, with padel and pickleball still remaining newer concepts for much of the U.S. population. “The biggest [challenge] is having to teach an entire new game and build community from scratch,” said Flodder.
Even so Flodder remains committed to introducing padel and pickleball to the region and cultivating a strong, enthusiastic player base. “[We’re] just using sport as a way to continue to improve people’s lives,” he said.
After more than two years of growth and transformation, Flodder remains proud of the community he’s built. “I think a lot of people underestimate the amount of work and how long it takes to establish these things,” he said. “I think that’s our biggest differentiator.”
At Goodbounce Pickleball Yard, it may be the courts that draw people in, but it’s the culture and care behind them that keep people coming back.
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Jordan Meek is a staff writer for Pickleball Innovators, where she covers the rapidly evolving business of pickleball — from facility growth and technology to player experience and industry strategy. A graduate of Denison University with a degree in Journalism, she joined Peake Media in 2025 and brings a passion for storytelling and curiosity to every piece. Jordan is driven to spotlight the leaders shaping the sport and uncover insights that help operators thrive in the fastest-growing game in America.
