Acton, Massachusetts, located a few miles outside of the historic city of Boston, is part of a polarizing New England climate. In the fall and winter, the temperatures drop to levels that prohibit outside recreation. In the spring and summer months, however, this climate boasts warm weather with communities ready to participate in all the outside sports, namely, pickleball. Kevin Curley, owner and founder of Ridge Pickleball Club, took a chance on an outside pickleball club in Massachusetts, hoping to be the perennial club around the area and the supreme club for outdoor pickleballers during the spring and summer months. Through the club’s origin story, the strategy to pair with an existing country club, and his programming philosophy, Curley has what it takes to build a pickleball club that lasts.
Curley began his pickleball journey by going to the top: Flushing Meadows, New York, at the 2021 Pickleball US Open. Having hearing the proverbial (and literal) “noise” of pickleball, Curley set his eyes on seeing the biggest and the best play the game. At the time, Curley had a heavy hand in the tennis industry, working with fifteen indoor courts in the Acton area. After watching the players compete at a high level, the speed and athleticism at which they played left Curley wanting more. Curley quickly saw the direction that the game was heading, and he decided to get on board.
Having been in the racquet sports space for a long time, Curley was able to create a plan that would allow his future pickleball club to be profitable and attractive immediately. Curly quickly partnered together with Quail Ridge Country Club, a club that already offered golf, tennis (at the time), swimming, gym, social areas, and a restaurant. Curley and his team agreed together to start the process of converting the outdoor clay tennis courts into pickleball courts, and start the Ridge Pickleball Club. This Pickleball Club would be a members only club featuring nine dedicated pickleball courts, with the plans to create two more stadium-style courts.
The decision to build an outside pickleball club was controversial given the New England climate. Four to six months of the year is unplayable due to weather, so most racquet clubs in the area make the decision to be indoor only clubs. “Most racquet clubs opt to be inside, but Massachusetts has beautiful summers, and when it’s nice outside, people want a place to play”. Curley made the bold and unpopular decision to be an outdoor pickleball club, with the dream and vision to become the outdoor destination for pickleball in the area.
As his partnering club transitioned the clay tennis courts to a blacktop surface, Curley took it from there, hitting the ground running. Curley launched a three step process to make his club vision into a reality. Step one was getting the pickleball courts made and ready for play. Curley noted the extensive amount of thought that went into the design, orientation, and layout of the courts themselves. One of the biggest mistakes he saw in other layouts was the placement of lighting around the courts. Partnering with Tweener LED Lighting allowed Curley to get lights that were linear across the fences, avoiding anyone’s direct line of sight when the ball was in the air. Once the courts were ready for use, Ridge Pickleball Club could start generating revenue. Cash flow was essential to be able to get to step number two: building a staging area. Having an area where players could sit down, hang out, and socialize in between games was essential to Curley’s vision. This social space is important in adding to the “club” feel, opposed to just a bunch of connected courts.
The third and final step in Curley’s vision were the stadium courts. The goal with the stadium courts was plain and simple: to host high-level tournaments, programs and events. “Having stadium courts is a tier separator for pickleball clubs, and it allows you to be considered for more opportunities within the pickleball world.” Curley noted that the number of pickleball clubs in the country is growing by the day, and having something to differentiate your club from the rest is starting to become more and more needed. “Having stadium courts be the difference maker in getting opportunities to host big time tournaments and events”, Curley said.
Early on, Curley had decided the best strategy for his pickleball club was to work with an established club. Curley said that “partnering with Quail Ridge Country Club gave us an existing infrastructure. Restaurants, lights, lobby, clubhouse, everything was already here for us. Having a facility that already has the footprint is easiest way to get into the game and business.” Working with Quail Ridge Country club gave Curley the ability to offer a plethora of benefits to his members that he would not have the capacity to offer otherwise. Any of the amenities that the Ridge Pickleball Club members wanted beyond pickleball could be added on to their membership a la carte. Curley also has hosted events and parties that are connected to the clubhouse. These events typically serve alcohol to their patrons, something only available through the club’s liquor license. Curley harped on the multitude of added benefits that his club has, noting “We love partnering with [Quail Ridge Country Club]… Trying to provide all these benefits to members by ourselves would make the cost of the membership much higher.” Giving access to added benefits gives further appeal to their pickleball members, and is essential in adding to the “exclusive club” feel.
Having the feel of exclusivity was important for Curley as he laid out the strategy for his club, saying “Anyone can go five minutes down the road and play at a local park. They obviously do not have to pay anything for a court there. But what is your time worth? Of course there are as many downsides to easy access as there are benefits. With [Ridge Pickleball Club], the goal is to be membership only and provide an amazing experience for our members.” Curley felt convinced that the feel of exclusivity would serve his club well and ultimately bring more members in.
Looking for innovative ways to bring prospective members to come through their doors, Curley started offering trial passes for those interested in potentially joining the club. Curley hoped these passes would be a useful tool to encourage local pickleball players to come and get to know the identity of the club. The initial goal in offering trial passes was to try and grow their membership base. They soon found that their local pickleball community was more diverse than they originally realized and they needed to find a way to account for the variations within their prospective member base.
The solution that Curley and his team came up with was to offer two different types of trial passes. Calling it their “Try Pickleball Program (TPP), Ridge Club offered one type for novice players who have never played before and one for more experienced players. For those who have never played pickleball before, TPP was a program to attend a “learn-and-play” style trial, while prospective members who were familiar with the game could use TPP to attend open play sessions.
In order to pull off the variations of TPP, Curley highlighted the need to have a “Director of TPP” position, fully devoted to gauging skill level and communicating with prospective members. That position also needs a comprehensive understanding of the game, and the ability to see when the player is ready to move on. “Once a player is ready to move on, the Director of TPP at Ridge Club then makes a recommendation on what tier of membership they should get” Curley says.
Always looking to improve on the way they do things, Ridge Club began offering self-rated and DUPR rated open play to further ensure their members had the opportunity to play at the club within their skill level. Further, they started offering DUPR events for local players to attend and get their DUPR rating. After some time, Curley began realizing the need for a custom director rating system. Currently working with Racquet Desk to develop this software, Curley and his team want a custom rating software in order to gear communication toward every tier of rating very effectively. Offering clinics, training, open play, and even tournaments to each skill level would be much simpler with a club specific ratings software. “Everybody self rates these days, with this rating system that Racquet Desk is making, we will have the ability to communicate with each rating really effectively.” Curley plans to roll this rating system out to his club soon.
One of the biggest streams of revenue that Curley has is his partnerships with large organizations who implement regular programs for lots of different sports. Organizations like WPA, Nike Sports Camps, and USTA work with club owners like Curley, who provide the space to run camps and programs for pickleball. These camps often last a few days and provide full curriculum for all levels of play. Curley aptly views himself as not just a pickleball club owner, but a seller of space. “I am in the business of selling space, I need to maximize the space I have.” partnering with larger organizations and allowing players to sign up for these camps also allows Curley’s club to be featured and used by campers from all around the New England area. 
When talking about what advice to give to other pickleball club owners, Curley recounted two pivotal decisions that led to his success as pickleball club owner. The first was decision was to make everything permanent. Curley notes that “building permanent posts, fencing, staging area(s), and two stadium courts have all proved to be invaluable” in becoming a well-known, elite club in the Boston/Acton area. The other decision that paid dividends was the partnership with an existing country club. “From a development standpoint, if I have any recommendations for someone who wanted take on a venture like this, I would highly recommend finding a venue that you can partner with and build upon if your goal is to get into the outdoor [pickleball] business”.
In conclusion, Kevin Curley’s strategic approach and innovative vision have positioned Ridge Pickleball Club as a premier outdoor destination for pickleball enthusiasts in Acton, Massachusetts. By leveraging his extensive experience in racquet sports, partnering with Quail Ridge Country Club, and implementing a three-step development plan, Curley has created a vibrant and exclusive pickleball community. His focus on high-quality facilities, including stadium courts and a dedicated staging area, combined with adaptive programs like the Try Pickleball Program, highlights his commitment to enhancing the player experience. Curley’s ability to foresee trends and integrate complementary services has not only driven the club’s success but also set a benchmark for aspiring pickleball club owners across the nation.
