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Entrepreneurs Invest $180 Million for 15 Indoor Private Pickleball Clubs in Florida

SARASOTA, Fla.—Commercial real estate entrepreneurs Brian and Valerie McCarthy, along with business partner Matthew Gordon, have set their sights on Florida for deploying more than $180 million to build at least 15 indoor private pickleball clubs. The first venture, under construction now is The Pickleball Club’s Sarasota location, by Lakewood Ranch. This, and all locations will be members only, privately-owned, for-profit sports clubs, fulfilling the niche for indoor amenity based pickleball play.

The company’s Lakewood Ranch location will open this December. It sits on 2.4 acres and will include 12 indoor courts, two outdoor courts, a retail shop and café in a 33,000-square-foot facility.

The entrepreneurs have purchased land for two additional Florida locations and are in negotiations for four more.

“Pickleball is the fastest growing sport nationwide with no signs of slowing down,” said co-founder Matthew Gordon. “We plan on being the market leader during this all important land-grab phase of the industry, given the tremendous demand for indoor court space.”

The Pickleball Club (TPC) has also purchased a 4.05-acre site in Bonita Springs for a 38,000-square-foot club with 14 indoor courts, and a 3.5-acre site in Port St. Lucie for a 33,000-square-foot club with 12 indoor courts. TPC will close on a 3.04-acre land purchase in Fort Myers in November 2022 for a 33,000-square-foot club.

Each club will include $1 million in technology, and will use high definition PlaySight technology, to integrate real-time video into lessons and clinics.

“The intensely technological, amenity-based customer experience will be like nothing else in the market today,” said Dominic Catalano, general manager for TPC.

The company currently has 47 shareholders and has raised nearly $5 million in equity over the past year and a half and is currently accepting accredited investors.

At the first location to open this winter, TPC has already hired its entire senior leadership team consisting of a staff of 15.

Posted on September 22, 2022
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