3rd Shot Pickleball just celebrated its grand opening and owners are already looking to expand. Courtesy
Will Ratcliff, co-owner of 3rd Shot Pickleball in south Reno, is in a rare place for a first-time business owner.
Ratcliff and his business partners recently celebrated the grand opening of 3rd Shot Pickleball at Sierra Center Parkway with a sold-out crowd of more than 600 pickleball enthusiasts, and despite having nine courts spread across 28,0000 square feet, 3rd Shot Pickleball is already exploring options to expand.
“One of our biggest problems is we need more courts,” Ratcliff said. “Right away we were packed. I would love to have three more courts.”
3rd Shot Pickleball had a soft opening Nov. 11, Ratcliff said, and the facility has been operating almost at full capacity since. It’s a scenario being played out at pickleball facilities and courts across the U.S. as the sport enjoys unprecedented growth. According to USA Pickleball, the national governing body for the sport, pickleball participation increased more than 223 percent from 2020-24.
Pickleball isn’t just a sport for those who age or injury out of more strenuous activities, either. The largest segment of participants is players ages 25-34, with more than 2.3 million active pickleball players, USA Pickleball reports.
Ratcliff told NNBW that the partners began spreading word throughout the local pickleball community that a new facility would be coming online in late 2024, and it’s been non-stop pickleball since the doors opened.
The opening of 3rd Shot Pickleball (the third shot in pickleball is extremely crucial as it allows the server to move from defense at the rear of the court to an offensive position at the front of the court) was a journey lasting more than two years, Ratcliff said. Back in 2015, however, when he first picked up pickleball at the Steve Randall Community Recreation Center in Truckee, he was instantly hooked.
“When I started playing, it became a really big thing, and eventually I started competing (in tournaments). When you start competing, you start looking for places to play. I played all over Lake Tahoe and Olympic Valley and all over Reno.”
Ratcliff played indoors when pickleball courts opened at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, but those courts are seasonal from October through January, leaving a void for indoor pickleball action.
“There’s no other indoor pickleball courts in Reno, so there’s definitely a need in the market,” Ratcliff said.
What Reno really needed, Ratcliff thought, was a club for pickleballers that had everything under one roof so players could play all day. In addition to the nine courts, 3rd Shot Pickleball offers food, drink and professional-quality pickleball equipment.
Miles Construction built out the facility for 3rd Shot Pickleball. The building formerly housed a Fallas discount store and required extensive retrofitting. Tenant improvements included all new lighting, mechanical and HVAC systems, floor surfacing, sound baffling, court netting, and bar and food areas.
3rd Shot Pickleball signed a three-year lease with two five-year options, Ratcliff said. The venture was funded by a mix of private equity investors. Max Ireland, general manager of 3rd Shot Pickleball in Wheat Ridge, Colo., told NNBW that the business is more of a partnership and not a franchise due to the rules governing the franchising model.
“It’s a lot stricter,” Ireland said. “Will has a lot of leeway – if he doesn’t want to run things the way my club does, then he can.
“We are very particular about who we partner with because of the way we have structured this,” Ireland added. “We built these clubs for pickleballers. As core pickleball players first, we selected certain things like court materials, lighting and sound baffling to make sure the courts play great.”
Membership at 3rd Shot Pickleball starts at $68 a month. Drop-in play for non-members is $12 per person, or $15 for a two-hour open play session. In addition to league play and instructional time, the facility can accommodate a range of activities, from private parties to employee appreciation or team-building events.
3rd Shot Pickleball has five locations (two are in development): Wheat Ridge and Longmont, Colorado; Reno; and Evansville and Indianapolis, Indiana. The Wheat Ridge location features 13 courts, while the two locations under construction will have 15 and 16, Ireland said.