Pickleball Club Design: Learning Lessons & Best Practices

What separates a good pickleball club from a great one? For a growing number of facility owners, the answer lies in intentional design — spaces built not just for play, but for connection, comfort and community.

That philosophy was the focus of Game-Changing Design: Building Pickleball Clubs with Purpose, a recent Pickleball Innovators webinar featuring four leaders behind some of the industry’s most forward-thinking facilities: Lisa Beaufait and Patty Paschke, co-founders of Hot Shots Pickleball Club in Ohio; Joe Paletta, co-founder of Let’s Go Pickleball & Padel in Georgia; and Paul Starita, founder of The Flying Pickle in Idaho.

Together, they shared how thoughtful design, acoustics, lighting and culture shape unforgettable experiences for players — and long-term success for operators.

Designing the Player Experience

For every panelist, the conversation began with one shared truth: pickleball club design starts with the player.

“We first considered the pickleball playing experience — so lighting, acoustics, the colors, what’s on the background of the courts, the type of court surfacing, the size of the courts, the spacing between the courts, and technology on courts,” said Starita. “The next thing that we looked at was the social experience. What is happening between the courts? How do we create a play-then-stay culture instead of just play and leave?”

At Hot Shots Pickleball Club, that approach led to features like a court concierge desk — a welcoming space where players can ask about court assignments, book lessons or connect with pros. “That was something that has been very useful in our club and kind of helped connect people that don’t know each other,” said Paschke. “It’s been a great asset already.”

At Let’s Go Pickleball & Padel, design started from the ground up — literally. “It would have been a lot quicker and easier and cheaper [to retrofit], but we couldn’t find the ceiling heights that we needed; we couldn’t find the pillars to be wide enough,” said Paletta. “We focused on three things — lighting, sound and court quality. We made those three things what we built the club around. So we took deficiencies in other clubs and turned them into a shining star for us.”

The Science of Sound

Few design challenges spark more discussion than acoustics. As indoor clubs multiply, managing sound has become as essential as adding courts.

“Pickleball is loud,” said Starita. “We baked in acoustics everywhere that we could. We did an acoustic study on the building, first and foremost, and then products that you buy will have different acoustic ratings. Anywhere we could find an excuse to bake in acoustics, we did that — and there’s a huge difference.”

Paletta added that their club worked with acoustic engineers to ensure sound-absorbing materials were visually appealing too. “Everything that we’ve done from a visual standpoint is backed up from an acoustic standpoint,” he said.

For Hot Shots, smart layout decisions also made a difference. A cinderblock wall separates the bar and dining area from the courts, while sliding glass doors allow members to choose between being part of the action or enjoying a quiet meal, explained Beaufait.

Courts That Perform

Court quality, the panel agreed, is one of the most visible — and most felt — differentiators between facilities.

“We looked at the standards that the PPA requires, and we piggybacked,” said Paletta. “All of our courts are Cushion X courts.”

Paschke shared that Hot Shots prioritized not just performance but aesthetics as well. “We chose red kitchens to match our brand and layered gray tones to make the environment feel comfortable and relaxed,” she said.

Court spacing and flow were also emphasized. “The other thing that was really important to us was to create space between the courts for people to get to their own court,” added Paschke. “We’ve been to some other places where you have to walk across somebody else’s court to get to your court assignment. So it was very important for us to create an aisleway where everybody can walk and then wait for their court to be available.”

In addition, good lighting, the panelists agreed, can make or break the player experience.

“If you have tall enough ceilings, I think the only way to go is uplighting, because that’s one of the heartaches that we find from players — their complaint is if the lighting is bad, or if they look up and they’re blinded by the downlights,” said Paletta.

Lessons Learned

Every operator had stories of trial and error — and a few expensive lessons.

For The Flying Pickle, one mistake came from a well-intentioned cleaning routine. “We got the wrong kind of court cleaner, and I didn’t realize we were ruining our courts,” said Starita. “We were literally eating through the layers that we had just laid down. And so we had to get a new cleaner, and then I had to resurface my courts within the first year of being open because we had eaten through that layer. So that was an expensive, agonizing mistake that we made.”

Hot Shots found themselves short on retail space. “Our pro shop wasn’t big enough,” said Paschke. “If you’re in an area where there’s not a lot of other options, [remember that] pickleball players love pickleball things.”

And for Let’s Go Pickleball & Padel, the biggest challenge came during construction. “A misplaced door beam threw off our court measurements by over two feet,” said Paletta. “We had to tear out and rebuild four courts. Double-check everyone’s work — even your architect.”

Beyond Design: Building Culture

While the panelists discussed countless design details — from mezzanines to pro shops — they all returned to one shared point: design only matters if it supports culture.

“No matter how good of a design your club is, at the end of the day, the experience is going to be what brings people back, right?” said Starita. “It’s the culture that our employees and members set the tone for every day.”

For Hot Shots, culture starts with connection. “I think the connection that we’ve made in the community by being on the courts outside, playing and getting to know folks, and then having them come in and bringing that culture from the outside in — it’s like getting to do what you love times ten,” said Beaufait.

Ultimately, the message was clear: great design isn’t about luxury or scale — it’s about intention. The clubs that thrive will be those that treat every design choice as an opportunity to enhance the experience, build relationships and let pickleball’s magic shine.

Rachel Chonko

With over a decade spent covering the business side of sports and fitness, Rachel Chonko brings a wealth of experience and a true passion for active communities to Peake Media. As Editor-in-Chief, she’s focused on helping pickleball clubs and fitness facilities thrive, from guiding growth strategies to showcasing the latest industry trends. Rachel also hosts the Club Solutions Magazine Podcast, where she interviews leaders in fitness and pickleball to share insights and success stories with the wider community to give her listeners a competitive edge.

After taking up pickleball herself, Rachel has come to appreciate the sport’s unique blend of social connection and active living — a mix that’s perfectly in line with her editorial philosophy. Connect with her on LinkedIn, or check out her articles below for a deep dive into the energy and culture driving pickleball’s rapid rise.