TL;DR
Life Time has announced its first ground-up pickleball location in the U.S., Life Time Pickleball Chanhassen in Minnesota, as part of its goal to have over 1,000 courts by 2024. The luxury athletic club operator is expanding its pickleball portfolio, with over 60 permanent courts currently operating across 12 of its Minnesota clubs.
Life Time has boosted its pickleball portfolio, announcing Life Time Pickleball Chanhassen in Minnesota, the luxury athletic club operator’s first ground-up pickleball location in the U.S.
The new facility will sit adjacent to the Life Time Chanhassen club in Minnesota and is expected to open early next year, boasting eight indoor and seven outdoor courts, a viewing area, a lounge and dressing rooms.
Life Time confirms it’s seeking additional locations for its pickleball endeavors to hit its goal of 1,000+ courts by the end of 2024. While it may sound like a lofty goal, the country club operator is filling a much-needed white space in the U.S., as a recent report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) and Pickleheads found that a $900 million investment and 25,000 courts are required to keep up with the ever-increasing demand for pickleball.
Expansion plans
“Life Time has been all-in on pickleball since 2021 and we aren’t slowing down as our members, and new members, continue to demonstrate their growing passion for this sport in Minnesota and beyond,” said Bahram Akradi, Life Time founder and CEO. “We’re committed to delivering the best experiences and serving our members with unmatched places and programs that help them live healthier, happier lives.”
Minnesota has proven to be a pickleball hotspot for Life Time, which currently operates over 60 permanent courts across 12 of its Minnesota clubs. The luxury lifestyle operator says over 250,000 pickleball enthusiasts have enjoyed the popular net sport on its Minnesota courts this year.
Pickleball partnerships
Aside from providing an enjoyable pastime for fans both young and old, Life Time has forged a relationship with Major League Pickleball and the Professional Pickleball Association to host tournaments featuring the world’s top pickleball players.
Life Time has also implemented DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating), an inclusive and accurate rating system and launched The Pickleball Classic, its own tournament series.
The club operator recently announced that its issuer credit rating from Moody’s Investor Service upgraded to a B3 due to its improving performance, including strong membership and revenue growth.
In this story
This story was originally published by Courtney Rehfeldt in Athletech News on September 7, 2023. Burnaze summarizes and links to the original reporting.
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