Tucked away in southeastern Texas, Pickleball Hideout provides a great place to take a moment to get away from the stresses of life and enjoy a game of pickleball. Pickleball Hideout was established in December of 2023, has 6 premier indoor courts, and offers a variety of standard pickleball events like clinics, open play, and private parties. The folks at Pickleball Hideout have also hosted a bi-monthly event that may be less commonplace in the pickleball world—namely, glow nights.
Before he started Pickleball Hideout, Karl Woyton ran an indoor glowing mini-golf course that used blacklight to create a fun, fluorescent atmosphere. Later, when founding Pickleball Hideout, Woyton thought to himself, “Why not do this with pickleball?” His idea worked, and glow parties at Pickleball Hideout have sold out consistently, providing a reliable source of revenue and club culture.
When it comes to glow pickleball, accessories and decorations are the name of the game. All of the court lines at Pickleball Hideout are painted with white, fluorescent paint. The walls and nets are lined with glowing stars, diamonds, and other shapes made from neon construction paper. In most glow events this club has put on, even the participants get decked out in all sorts of glowing get up: neon shirts, glowing necklaces, and even body paint. Music has also contributed to the party spirit of glow pickleball at the club. Participants can rock out to rock music, 50’s, and especially 80’s music over Pickleball Hideout’s sound system.
Glow events have attracted players of all ages and demographics: private companies, bachelor’s parties, church groups, and even cheerleading teams have come to Pickleball Hideout for a session of pickleball under the black lights.
Glow parties at Pickleball Hideout have served mainly as casual, entertaining attractions for beginning and intermediate players. The emphasis is more fun than competitive, as the dark room, bright colors, and loud music all contribute to a playful, more light-hearted atmosphere. This relaxed party atmosphere of glow pickleball serves as an excellent way to welcome beginning players into the game. Both the casual gameplay and the darkness of the room can help alleviate the pressure to perform well. Woyton says, “It’s a beautiful thing to be under the black light because people can’t see the mistakes that you’re making.”
Some owners may be concerned about the safety of glow pickleball and whether the dark room negatively affects players’ reaction times; however, the difference in visibility between glow pickleball and standard “white light” pickleball seems to be only marginal. Woyton says, “It’s a little bit harder but not much; the depth perception is a little bit different.” The darkness may affect gameplay in a minor way, but it by no means prevents players from enjoying an engaging, relatively competitive game of pickleball. Woyton says, “It just takes a little bit of playing to get adjusted to it. It’s not that hard once you get acclimated to the lights.”
For Pickleball Hideout, the Franklin X-40 is the glow pickleball of choice. Woyton calls it the “best glowing ball on the market.” When the lights are dimmed, and the black light projectors are switched on, the X-40’s “glow like a light bulb.”
Those at Pickleball Hideout have also taken care to purchase a quality set of blacklight lamps to elevate both player safety and experience. There are a total of twelve blacklight lamps around the courts. These lamps are LED, low voltage, low watt, and project light up to 60 feet away. The lamps are placed on each side of the facility, six on one side and six on the other, and aimed towards the center of the courts to provide optimal glow brightness.
The Pickleball Hideout crew has already enjoyed plenty of success with their glow parties, but they anticipate adding to their playful glow environment with more decorations. Currently, the team is considering outsourcing to a company that provides custom wall decorations in order to improve the look and feel of the space.
Woyton encourages club owners who plan on hosting glow events not to be afraid of going overboard with bright decorations. Bright accessories and props not only contribute to a light-hearted atmosphere but also help ensure that the gameplay is engaging and relatively competitive. Woyton also noted that putting glow tape on the net, having bright court lines, and even putting bright tape on the end of players’ pickleball paddles can add to the overall glow experience. Woyton concluded by saying “When you turn the lights on, it’s gotta have some pop.”
While most pickleball clubs don’t currently host glow events, this trend could potentially shift in the future. Glow events can entertain players of all ages and are a great way to make a club stand out. Whether you are a new player looking for an introduction to pickleball or an experienced player searching for a new way to play a familiar sport, glow parties may be the exciting next step.
