Before Hot Shots had a home, its founders put up nets in an empty building and played a game to test the ceiling. The ceiling failed. That two-year search sets the tone for the September/October 2026 issue of Pickleball Club Magazine.
Then the doors opened, and customers started asking for new things: healthier food, morning coffee, and beginner classes at night. That pattern runs through every club in this issue, because the operators who grow are the ones still listening after opening day. These six stories will send you back to your own club with a few new questions to ask your players.
Read the full September/October 2026 issue here
Inside the Cover Story: What Hot Shots Is Learning From Its Customers
What started as friends tossing around an idea after a rained-out game turned into a two-year hunt for the right building. Founders Lisa Beaufait, Patty Paschke, and RJ Vassas finally landed a former returns warehouse with 22-foot ceilings and room for nine courts, including a stadium court with elevated viewing. The real lesson came after opening, when Hot Shots Pickleball Club started hearing directly from the people using it.
A few things you will find inside the cover story:
- How the founders researched clubs everywhere they traveled, eating, drinking, and playing at each one before building their own
- The tech stack behind the operation: CourtReserve for bookings, leagues, and lessons, plus GoTab and PourMyBeer for food, beverage, and the self-serve tap wall
- What a customer survey revealed, and how it shaped the new Rally & Recovery breakfast menu timed to the club’s Fall Classic Tournament weekend
- October daytime programming built from feedback, including Mid-Day Mahjong & Margs, Wellness Wednesday, and Euchre Fridays
- The one line of advice RJ Vassas would give anyone opening a club: “The market speaks.”
The full story starts on page 16 of the digital issue.
PIKL LA: Building the “Trader Joe’s of Pickleball”
When owner Moe Abramson describes the experience he wants in Los Angeles, he compares it to Trader Joe’s. It comes down to customer service, and every new employee hears the same thing on day one: “You’re here for the customer.”
PIKL LA runs almost like an academy, with weekly clinics, targeted drilling, and staff notes on player groups so instruction stays personal. Live Ball on Thursday nights splits players by court so stronger players find matched games. Pergolas, couches, and side games keep people around long after they finish playing.
Abramson is focused on branding next, with franchising on the table if the fit is right. His advice for other operators, and how he thinks about competition, is in In the Kitchen on page 8.
Pickle Paradise: What Makes a Good Game?
In its first year in Elk River, Minnesota, Pickle Paradise expected court reservations and open play to carry the business. Instead, leagues and organized programming drew a stronger response than anyone predicted. Vice President Matt Russo is refreshingly honest about the programs that sounded great on paper and drew almost nobody.
Inside the Drop Shots feature on page 24, you will find:
- The “No Partner, No Problem” tournament, where players register solo, rotate partners, and still track individual results
- Why leagues end with a tournament instead of a standings table, and how that keeps players engaged through the final week
- How the team separates first-timers from players looking for competitive, DUPR-based matches
- The simple test for every program: if it fills, it meets a need; if it does not, check the timing, skill level, and format
Courts & Pints: A Community Center With 15 Courts
Visit Courts & Pints in Moorhead, Minnesota, at 9 a.m., and you will find an older crowd at open play. By evening, college students, families, and league players arrive, and late at night younger players take over the courts for free pizza. The 76,000-square-foot facility pairs 15 indoor courts with a restaurant, a bar, 48 taps, party rooms, and an arcade.
General Manager Dustin Betlach estimates about 60% of guests come mainly to play, while the other 40% come for everything else. Corporate events have become a major marketing channel, bringing in newcomers who leave wanting to play. How the team balances QR-code ordering with court-side service, and where the club goes next, is in Match Point on page 30.
Pivot Points: Two Clubs That Rewrote the Plan
Two more operators in this issue prove that the original plan is only a starting point:
- The Social (Sioux Falls, South Dakota): Owner Lynette Hofer opened an event venue during COVID, then added courts because she had the space. Today the courts host summer leagues, corporate team building, and even outdoor wedding ceremonies. One couple had guests form teams for pickleball, volleyball, and cornhole at their reception. Read it on page 12.
- Arch Pickleball & Badminton (St. Louis area): When Chesterfield Mall was slated for demolition, owner Marshall Pan lost his six-court home. Rather than rebuild the same club, he found a building of roughly 110,000 square feet and now runs 24 pickleball courts, six badminton courts, and table tennis. Shortly after opening, Arch hosted a collegiate national championship with about 500 players and 2,000 spectators. Read it on page 28.
Each story covers the specific programming, space, and growth decisions behind the pivot. The kind of detail you can borrow for your own club.
Flip through the full issue now
What Club Operators Will Take Away From This Issue
Whether your facility opened last month or has been running for years, this issue leaves you with something worth borrowing:
- A post-opening research habit from Hot Shots: survey customers and let their requests shape your menu and daytime programming
- A hiring standard from PIKL LA: give every new employee one clear line about who they serve
- A programming filter from Pickle Paradise: keep what fills, and fix or drop what does not
- A revenue lens from Courts & Pints: 40% of guests come for something other than pickleball
- A space strategy from The Social: courts can double as event space when they are not in play
- A growth mindset from Arch: a forced move can be the chance to build for the next 10 to 20 years
How to Read the September/October 2026 Issue
- Read it free online: the full digital edition is available now in the issue viewer
- Get every issue first: subscribe to Pickleball Club Magazine and get club-business insights in your inbox
- Catch up on recent stories: browse In The Kitchen for more operator interviews, like Crush Yard’s blend of pickleball and dining and how Score Hub grew to 16 courts through programming variety
- Plan for the slow months: read how pickleball clubs lessen the impact of seasonal fluctuations
- Missed the last issue? The July/August 2026 issue featuring The Fort in Fort Lauderdale is still live
FAQ: The September/October 2026 Issue
What is in the September/October 2026 issue of Pickleball Club Magazine?
The issue features a cover story on Hot Shots Pickleball Club, plus features on PIKL LA (Los Angeles), The Social (Sioux Falls, South Dakota), Pickle Paradise (Elk River, Minnesota), Arch Pickleball & Badminton (St. Louis area), and Courts & Pints (Moorhead, Minnesota). The unifying theme: the homework does not stop at opening day.
Where can I read the September/October 2026 issue for free?
The full digital edition is available in the online issue viewer at BlueToad. No login is required to flip through the issue.
What is the cover story about?
The cover story follows Hot Shots founders Lisa Beaufait, Patty Paschke, and RJ Vassas through a two-year search for a building and the changes they made after opening based on customer feedback. It starts on page 16.
Who is Pickleball Club Magazine for?
Pickleball Club Magazine is the business resource for pickleball club owners, operators, investors, managers, and industry suppliers. It is not a consumer pickleball publication; every story is written for the people running facilities.
How often is Pickleball Club Magazine published?
The magazine publishes bimonthly, six issues per year, with new operator stories published weekly at pickleballclubmag.com.
