ENOLA. Pa. (WHTM) – A 29,000 square feet Ace Pickleball Club is tabbed to open in Enola, Pennsylvania at Pennsboro Commons this April/May with Harrisburg, Pennsylvania father/son duo David and Bob Miller as the franchise owners.

“We think there’s a lot of growth with pickleball in the area and there’s a lot of opportunity for indoor pickleball spaces,” said Bob Miller.

The sport of pickleball has exploded in popularity recently with the demand for courts constantly increasing, especially in Cumberland County. In July, Smash Point Pickleball opened in Mechanicsburg and last month new outdoor pickleball courts opened in LeTort Park in Carlisle with the need for court space continues to grow. The Miller family plans to help meet that need.

“If you go to local townships, you’ll see a number of people playing,” Bob Miller said. “Lots of waits, weather issues and things of that nature. We think it’s a service that this area could really benefit from and we’re excited to get started.”

They chose to open an Ace Pickleball Club franchise location because they liked their model. Ace Pickleball has features such as specific lighting systems, sound systems and video systems that appeal to the Millers.

The facility will feature 10 courts and two halfcourts. They hope to have a mezzanine as well. With the video system, members will be able to watch games live and review game footage.

The new Ace Pickleball location will primarily operate based on memberships, but they will also offer free play. They will host leagues and tournaments along with fun, less competitive events such as glow-in-the-dark game nights.

“The actual gameplay and facilities are something that we think are really going to wow people from the moment they walk in the door,” Bob Miller said. “It’s going to be noticeable just how much the facility has to offer and enhance your pickleball playing experience.”

A focus for them will be on making pickleball accessible to those who have no experience with the game. Ace Pickleball has programs set up for their locations such as “Pickleball 101” and “Into to Pickleball” courses. The Millers plan to help people find their gear, offer a comfortable place to play and provide a community that is open to players of all levels.

“We’re going to open up pickleball to a whole lot of people that want to play,” said David Miller. “We’re going to be all about making sure people have access to it and can play.”

The Millers say the appeal of the sport is that it is quick to learn, there is a community aspect to it and it’s fun. David has lots of experience as a business owner and he currently owns a couple of Sports Clips locations. However, David and Bob are excited about this venture together centered around something they both enjoy.

“This type of business is really appealing to us,” Bob Miller said. “We’ve both been active in different athletic things in our communities for a number of years and [this is] something that we think’s going to be a lot of fun for us to do together, but also something that’s really going to benefit the area.”

Ace Pickleball Club was developed by former Sky Zone Trampoline Park team members and is set to have $200M+ invested in indoor pickleball with over 60 franchise locations in development by the end of 2024. They are anticipating having another 100+ franchise units to be in development by the end of 2024.