Center Court Pickleball Club to Open three Metro Phoenix Locations

Author: Corina Vanek
‍Arizona Republic

An indoor, high-end pickleball club plans to launch in the Valley, already selecting two locations and zeroing in on a third.

Center Court Pickleball Club aims to create a pickleball environment with a health club feel. The locations will have amenities like players' lounges, locker rooms with showers, massage and cryotherapy chairs, retail stores for gear, food and beverages. The locations will also have a “tap wall” with traditional beer and wine, but also healthy drinks for members, CEO Wayne Morris said.

Morris, a pickleball fan who has a background in hospitality and health clubs, said the sport has a “resource problem,” with a lack of places for players to play.

Many different “eatertainment” companies, pickleball-centric businesses with a focus on food and beverages, have become popular, but those facilities don’t always focus on a serious player or offer a high-end indoor setting. Other indoor venues can feel more warehouse-like, Morris said, and are not designed as high-end.

Pickleball is played with a light, plastic ball, similar to a whiffle ball, so weather conditions and heat can affect play a lot, Morris said. An indoor court that is regulation-sized can better cater to serious players.  

“It’s really important in pickleball for people to be safe,” Morris said. “Part of our mission is to help people play pickleball for the rest of their lives.”

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Pickleball is one of the few sports people can compete at a high level at any age, he said, but often can get injured from not warming up or stretching. Center Court offers warm-up and stretching areas for players, and recovery items like cryotherapy.

Along with higher-end amenities, the facilities will also each have a “featured court” if they host tournaments or games, but that court also will be available for members. In the Gilbert location, which is taking over a shuttered gym, the featured court is in a former swimming pool, so it is sunken and allows spectators can get a better view.

Locations to open mid-2024

Center Court has leased locations in Gilbert and Glendale, and is close to finalizing a location in Scottsdale, Morris said. The Gilbert location, at Williams Field Road and Val Vista Drive, is the company’s first and is planned to open in late spring of 2024. The Glendale location, at 59th Avenue and Bell Road is planned to open shortly after, in the summer, and the Scottsdale location will open around the same time.

The Gilbert location totals about 30,000 square feet and will include 10 courts. The Glendale location will be larger, 47,000 square feet with 16 or 17 courts, Morris said.

Membership pre-sales will begin about 90 days before opening, Morris said. Individual memberships will cost about $139 per month. Center Court will also offer “crew memberships” for members who want to link their membership with friends, teammates or competitors for a discounted rate. The crew memberships will cost about $115 to $120 per month.

The locations also will have special events or parties, or could host tournaments and other play, Morris said.

Morris recently moved to Arizona from New Orleans to launch the business, and has added high-level pickleball professionals to the team, including Ryan Trefry and Jessica Wilcox, he said.  

Reach the reporter at cvanek@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter @CorinaVanek.

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