For some pickleball players, the ability to play 24/7 is a pipedream. For members of the 24-Hour Pickleball Club in Lexington, South Carolina, it is an everyday occurrence. Owner Dan Handford became a fan of pickleball after playing on a business trip. Upon his return to Lexington, he decided to open a facility based on the popular 24-Hour Fitness chain of gyms that didn’t require staff and operated solely through an app. While the club is open 24 hours, they have also added amenities and staff from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
To allow members 24-hour access, the club developed an app that manages the club in place of a staff member, including court reservations, waiver signing and even unlocking the club after staffed hours to play on their eight indoor courts.
“Whether players are members or not, everyone who plays needs to download the app, create an account and sign a waiver liability,” Club Manager Joseph Yi says. “Players can’t enter the club after hours unless they have a paid booking through the app.”
The proprietary app senses when the booked player is close and automatically opens the door. When the building isn’t staffed, areas such as the pro shop are closed. For players’ safety and security, 24-Hour Pickleball has 22 cameras inside and outside the building, along with signage that alerts visitors to the monitoring. Joseph says they haven’t had many instances of foul play during late-night hours.
“Like most clubs, our busiest hours are from 4:00 to 10:00 PM,” says Joseph. “We don’t have a ton of late-night bookings, and most are high school and college students who are usually done by 1:00 AM.”
While the original premise for the club was hands-off, 24-Hour Pickleball soon pivoted into a full-service club with a manager, pro shop, coaches, a space for private events, three full-time staff members and even a marketing manager. While the club isn’t licensed to sell food, it does have a liquor license.
“We have four outdoor courts and a nice outdoor area with a pizza oven that is great for birthday parties, etc.,” Joseph described. “We also have an indoor area we use for our networking events that have been very successful.”
Held monthly, 24-Hour Pickleball has had great success with its networking lunches that feature connections and conversation around a specific topic. Attendees are invited to further those connections through a game or two of pickleball after the meeting. The club also hosts monthly round robins, private parties and tournaments.
The club prides itself on making connections and being a place for the community. The club is happy to work with members and facilitate the usage of the space for clubs and outside groups with which members are affiliated. To encourage a sense of belonging, the club maintains a small initiation fee year-round.
“We are one of the only inside, dedicated pickleball courts in the area,” Joseph says. “In the summer, it can get up to 100 degrees, and of course, many people want to play inside.” Joseph adds that while they want everyone to play pickleball, one reason for the initiation fee is to encourage people to stay with the club and build a community.
As pickleball continues to grow and expand in the area, 24-Hour Pickleball continues to grow, too. The club is constantly looking to better its offerings and trying new things to grow and evolve, just as its business model did. Through adaptability, community focus and sustainable growth, 24-Hour Pickleball is demonstrating that a key to success may not be just longer hours, but creating a space that players want to keep returning.
