Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com

In the coming days, the Brighton area will have its own pickleball facility. What is pickleball, for the uninitiated? It’s called a combination of badminton, ping pong and tennis, although less strenuous than the latter.

At one time no more than a novelty, pickleball has become immensely popular as an athletic endeavor and social pastime. It is considered great exercise and has been the fastest-growing sport in America for three years running. Pickleball had 8.9 million players in the US in 2023, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, and its growth rate has totaled 223.5% over the last three years.

The local club has four co-founders: married partners Kristen and Brennan Brown of Tyrone Township and husband-and-wife Ed and Lacey Miller of Grand Blanc. Kristen Brown says they feel fortunate to have a facility like the one in the final stages of readiness on Movie Drive at Brighton Towne Square (off Grand River Ave. and Challis Road).

Up until now, the club’s founding members have been playing all over, including the Wolverine Pickleball courts in Ann Arbor. But since they are residents of the Livingston County area, the Browns and Millers wanted to have a facility in their own backyard.”We found our sweet spot in Brighton,” Kristen Brown says.

The Browns and Millers have spent "in the hundreds of thousands of dollars,” virtually gutting the 28,000 square-foot building, putting in special flooring and new bright lighting for exclusive use as a pickleball center, which will feature nine courts.

Among its amenities, it will have a bar counter with eight craft beers on tap along with bottled beers, several varieties of wine and hard cider. There will be chairs, a TV set, and people will be able to watch other pickleball groups playing while relaxing.

All that's needed to finish the center is “to put on the finishing touches," as Brown says, and getting a certificate of occupancy from the city, which is expected any time now. “The city has been very supportive and helpful,” she adds.

Brown says the goal is to have an in-house league and eventually expand and play teams from other areas competitively, as well as hosting special events. For neophytes, there will be five instructors to give pickleball lessons.

On Thursday, the founders opened a membership pre-sale and quickly sold about 30 memberships, which are obtainable on a monthly or yearly basis.

The club has two monthly membership options - for $49 or $99. The $99 membership allows three hours of play each day. In addition, non-members are welcome, and there are guest rates.


Brown says they are looking to open in early August.