Why the Future of Racquet Clubs Is Built Beyond the Court

Why the Future of Racquet Clubs Is Built Beyond the Court

As racquet sports continue their rapid expansion across the U.S., one truth is becoming increasingly clear: courts alone do not build successful clubs. Community, wellness, hospitality, and operational design are what determine whether a club thrives or simply survives.

That philosophy sits at the core of Morgan Brodey and Sarah Kovacs, and their team’s work at Beyond the Court (www.beyondthecourt.com).

What Is Beyond the Court?

Beyond the Court is a hospitality-driven development partner focused on the entire development process of how racquet clubs are designed, built, and operated, with particular attention to the revenue-generating opportunity that lives outside the courts themselves.

The firm’s differentiator is not just what they do, it’s how they think about racquet clubs as holistic businesses, not just sports facilities.

Revenue Lives Beyond Gameplay

In racquet clubs, hospitality is not a buzzword; it’s a business lever.

Clubs that focus solely on court count often miss the larger opportunity: Courts Attract People. Hospitality Keeps Them.

The most resilient clubs are diversifying revenue beyond court time.:

• Designing for the full guest and staff journey

• Integrating wellness, F&B, retail, and hospitality intentionally

• Building flexible spaces and activating utilization of space for off-peak hours

• Treating experience as an operational discipline, not décor

Experience Is Cheaper to Design Than to Fix

One of the most common mistakes in club development is underestimating experience design early and overpaying to retrofit it later.

Poor experiences compound over time:

• Confusing circulation impacts customer experience & opportunity to spend

• Inflexible spaces limit programming

• Operational blind spots strain staff and consistency

• Brand incoherence weakens expansion potential

Designing hospitality, operations, and flexibility upfront is significantly less expensive and far more scalable than fixing them once members have already formed opinions. 

The Takeaway for Owners and Operators

As racquet sports continue to grow, the clubs that stand out will be those that think beyond the court, and hospitality thinking becomes a strategic advantage, not an aesthetic one.

Keep an eye out for more pointers from Beyond the Court in our next issue.  

In the meantime, Beyond the Court can be reached at [email protected]