Pickleball Academy
Court, club and venue planning workbook
How to use this workbook
Work through only the modules relevant to the project. Record confirmed decisions, unresolved questions and information still needed. The live Academy can save the same decisions into Your Facility Plan and My Apollo Project.
This is a planning workbook, not a construction drawing, professional design, accreditation or approval document.
Understand the playing court and planning envelope
Separate the 20 × 44 ft playing rectangle from the larger clear area needed for safe, practical use.
□ What are the playing dimensions and non-volley zones?
□ How much clear space is available beyond the lines?
□ Is the project one court, multiple courts or a shared-use layout?
Set run-off, circulation and court spacing
Plan space around the court for movement, entry, waiting, adjacent courts and operational flow.
□ How much run-off is available at ends and sidelines?
□ How will players enter and leave without crossing active play?
□ Where will waiting players and spectators sit?
Assess conversions and existing assets
Understand whether an existing tennis court, hall or other hard-surface asset can support pickleball without creating layout conflicts.
□ What is the existing surface and condition?
□ Which existing lines, fencing and drainage can be retained?
□ Is the conversion temporary, shared-use or permanent?
Check the base and drainage before flooring
Confirm slab or asphalt stability, flatness, cracks, moisture, contamination and water management.
□ Is the base flat, stable, clean and dry enough?
□ Are cracks, joints or ponding present?
□ What repair or preparation is required before the finish?
Select the surface pathway
Compare modular tile and roll-format systems around drainage, repair, portability, seams, maintenance and playing feel.
□ Is the court indoor, outdoor or temporary?
□ Is modular repair or continuous surface feel more important?
□ How will seams, storage, drainage and maintenance be managed?
Plan nets, dividers and ball containment
Coordinate permanent or portable net systems with court separation, gates, fencing and ball-control requirements.
□ Permanent or portable nets?
□ Are divider barriers needed between adjacent courts?
□ Where do gates and containment sit relative to run-off?
Coordinate lighting and acoustics
Treat visibility, glare, operating hours and repeated impact noise as part of the facility brief from the start.
□ What hours and level of play drive the lighting requirement?
□ Are homes or sensitive receivers nearby?
□ Does an indoor venue need acoustic treatment or professional review?
Choose shade or covered-court pathways
Match weather protection to climate, operating hours, clear height, court count and project scale.
□ Is the priority sun, rain, wind or year-round use?
□ Does the project need shade, a fixed cover or a fully enclosed/air-supported option?
□ How will lighting and ventilation work under the cover?
Plan player and spectator infrastructure
Add benches, waiting areas, storage, amenities and spectator space around how the venue will actually operate.
□ Where do players wait between games?
□ What storage and amenity space is required?
□ How will spectators be separated from active circulation?
Scale from one court to a commercial venue
Coordinate court count, circulation, acoustics, lighting, technology, amenities and operating capacity for larger facilities.
□ What court count is viable for the site and operating model?
□ How will bookings, changeovers and waiting space work?
□ What building, egress and accessibility issues apply indoors?
Understand portable and tournament formats
Plan court rolls, setup labour, storage, portable nets and divider systems for halls, events and temporary programmes.
□ How often will the courts be installed and removed?
□ Can large flooring rolls be handled and stored safely?
□ Would semi-permanent installation reduce repeated labour?
Build the pickleball project brief
Combine dimensions, base, surface, equipment, lighting, containment, cover and venue requirements into one review package.
□ Are the site dimensions and base condition documented?
□ Which systems are required now and which are future stages?
□ What local works, approvals and specialist design remain outside product supply?
Facility Plan summary
Use this page to consolidate the project before moving into the Sports Project Brief.