Serving the racquet sports needs of Kalamazoo, Michigan, since the 1970s, West Hills Athletic Club has grown and expanded with the fitness industry. From a 12-court privately owned tennis-only facility, West Hills has grown into a thriving racquet sports facility with the September 2025 completion of the Latitude 42 Pickleball Complex. With the addition, West Hills offers 10 indoor tennis courts, 14 dedicated pickleball courts and more than 15,000 square feet of workout space, and happy members thanks to the amount of court times now available.
Owned by Western Michigan University since 1998, the club operates like a private business and is open to all community members via membership or passes. Associate Director Chad Ward says West Hills knew it was time to expand when demand was outpacing court availability.
“Tennis was being held back because we were using four of the ten tennis courts for pickleball,” Chad says. “On top of that, we couldn’t offer reserve time to pickleball members due to leagues. The community showed they needed more court availability and we listened!”
Chad says the club combined its experience with online and in-person research, along with listening to member feedback, to create the best pickleball courts possible.
The Latitude 42 Pickleball Complex at West Hills is a 37,000-square-foot facility with 13 dedicated indoor courts and one outdoor court.
“We decided against four-foot fencing common in many clubs and use 10-foot sliding nets between courts instead,” Chad says. The nets are easy for members to move and prevent high out-of-bounds shots from reaching other courts and players. Players also comment that they like the feeling of separation and fewer distractions from errant balls.
Lighting is another feature in the new space that receives positive feedback. The club decided to use indirect lighting in the new facility after player feedback and visiting other clubs. Chad says when players return from playing elsewhere, they are happy to be back at Latitude 42 since they don’t have to look into a light. “Indirect lighting like we use here means the lights don’t become a part of play by ‘blinding’ players.”
The complex also has five elevated courts that look over eight courts. These higher courts are fantastic for spectator viewing during championship matches and are a great vantage point. Chad adds that courts are championship-size with an eye on the future, noting that if Western Michigan University adds a pickleball club or if it eventually becomes a varsity college sport, the complex is ready and able to host tournaments.
While the pickleball complex isn’t visible from the rest of the facility, it is connected and easy to access for gym goers. Chad says that connectivity is increasing interest and playing from club members who haven’t played pickleball before.
“We have a lot of new players checking out the facility and grabbing a paddle, which is great,” says Chad. “Members get to talking in the fitness center and hear their friend is coming to the Complex after their workout. It’s hard not to check out the new space and try something new when it’s so easy to do.”
Like all clubs with a large membership, there might be times when players get a little unruly. Chad noted this doesn’t happen too often, and their strong player culture typically weeds out poorly behaved players. The staff will only intervene when necessary, through direct conversations and, if need be, removal from the league.
The strong player community that self-regulates problematic behavior is nurtured through a fun variety of open play sessions and leagues. The additional space has led to an increase in reserved court time and growth of open plays such as ladies’ night, Friday evenings and Sundays.
Chad says they weren’t sure what their members would do with all the space. However, they have found out it’s everything! “We keep offering different activities such as daytime leagues and classes, and they keep filling!”
To bring in new members, West Hills also works with young professional groups to offer pickleball time, with many players returning on their own.
West Hills expansion to the Latitude 42 Pickleball Complex offers great insights for clubs seeking to expand. Through research, maintaining and growing programming, and for multi-use clubs, taking advantage of a captive audience in current members can help ensure the investment pays off.
