Founded 2024 · Charleston, SC
Court Club started at a backyard cookout in summer 2023 when three of us — burned out from running, bored of golf, and looking for something we could do together — borrowed a sad set of plastic paddles and a wiffleball from a neighbor and got hooked. By the end of August we were renting court time twice a week.
The annoying part wasn't the sport. The sport is great. The annoying part was getting started. The "starter kits" online were either A) cheap warehouse trash with paddles that flexed like cardboard, or B) hyper-serious $400 sets aimed at competitive players. Nothing in the middle. Nothing for the average friend group that just wanted a real first kit.
The best kit is the one that gets actually used. That means it has to feel good in your hands on day one, hold up for a year of weekly play, and come with everything — including the encouragement — to keep showing up. We don't sell paddles. We sell a recurring Tuesday night.
We worked with a paddle manufacturer in South Carolina that makes equipment for two pro tour pickleball brands. They let us spec a paddle that hits the sweet spot: graphite face, polymer honeycomb core, 7.9oz balanced weight. Then we matched it with USAPA-spec outdoor balls and a canvas mesh tote we designed ourselves.
The result is the kit we wish someone had handed us at that 2023 cookout.
9,800+ kits shipped across all 50 states. A partnership network of 80+ clubs and rec centers offering 10% off court rentals to Court Club members. A 4.9-star average across 3,100+ verified reviews. And a growing community of group chats that finally have a Tuesday plan.
If this is your first paddle, welcome. If you're a repeat customer buying a kit for a friend who keeps borrowing yours — thank you. That's word of mouth, and it's the only marketing we trust.
— The Court Club team