Pickleball’s rapid growth has brought to the fore a major infrastructure gap in the United States, with the country estimated to be falling short of nearly 25,000 courts needed to meet current demand.
The shortfall was identified by Tim Keightley, CEO of Center Court Pickleball in Arizona. It came even as the sport continues to attract players at a rapid pace. For developers and operators, the gap presents a potentially lucrative opportunity. But it also raises a bigger question for the industry: Which facilities will remain viable as pickleball moves beyond its current growth phase?
Keightley believes the answer will depend less on simply adding courts and more on understanding the people who will actually use them.
“My advice to anybody who’s involved in building the pickleball business is: Make sure you know who your demographic is, and are you where they need to be?” Keightley said.
Pickleball becomes younger
That calculation is becoming more complicated as the profile of the pickleball player changes. The sport is increasingly attracting younger participants, moving well beyond its earlier association with older adults and retirement communities.
According to Keightley, the median player age has declined from approximately 40 to 35. Gen Z players ages 13 to 25 now represent the sport’s largest demographic group.
Participation has also continued to grow. Keightley cited industry data indicating that participation has grown approximately 170 per cen over three years and 22 per cent during the most recent year measured. Globally, he said, nearly 80 million people now play pickleball.
But the sheer number of participants may not provide the clearest picture of the business opportunity. The frequency with which those players take to the court could prove equally important for operators deciding where to build, how many courts to provide and what additional services to offer.
A player who visits a facility once a month has fundamentally different requirements from someone looking for court time three or four times a week. Their contribution to a facility’s revenue can also be significantly different.
That makes location, customer demographics and the consistency of the playing experience increasingly important considerations for pickleball businesses.
The way forward
Keightley argues that operators should focus on serving the needs of their local markets rather than attempting to build facilities designed to appeal to every possible customer. Businesses that understand their audience, offer reliable playing conditions and avoid trying to become everything to everyone could be better positioned as competition increases.
The shift reflects a broader transition underway in pickleball. What began as a rapidly expanding recreational activity is increasingly being treated as a serious commercial sector, creating both opportunities and challenges for investors and operators.
“It reminds me of the health and fitness industry from 20 years ago,” Keightley said. “People suddenly went, ‘It’s no longer a hobby, it’s a small business. Wait a minute, it’s a company. Wow, this could be an industry.'”