In a landscape where most pickleball clubs are barely a few years old, Palatine Picklers occupies a rare position. Founded in 2015, it represents one of the earliest organized pickleball communities in suburban Chicago, long before the sport’s explosion into the mainstream. For club owners studying longevity, sustainability, and community loyalty, the story of founder…
Despite having only opened in September 2023, the team at Sure Shot Pickleball is eager to expand their potential revenue streams and find ways to better serve their members. Located just outside of Chicago in Naperville, Illinois, Sure Shot began offering gift cards to their indoor facility just about a month after their opening. Their facility includes 27,000 sq. ft. of space consisting of 11 dedicated pickleball courts with outdoor surfaces. The facility also features state-of-the-art lighting, ventilation, and fans to ensure year-round comfort for players. Mark Murman, one of the four co-founders of Sure Shot, notes that their goal was to “create a really nice community and pub feel” throughout the club, offering a lounge area at the front of the space in addition to an event room and maintaining a liquor license to serve alcoholic beverages to guests.
