CourtReserve Secures $54M Investment to Scale Pickleball Software
What's the Score?
CourtReserve, the foundational club-management platform used by thousands of pickleball clubs for scheduling and membership, has secured a massive $54 million growth investment from private-equity firm Mainsail Partners. This significant capital injection is intended to fund "faster innovation," rolling out slicker tools for managing membership, scheduling, lessons, leagues, and ladders, marking a bold transition for the company as it pivots its mission to embrace large-scale growth.
Hit it deeper!
CourtReserve was founded in 2016 by Tim and Ashley Owens, stemming from a simple need within their local racquet sports communities. The idea originated not in a boardroom, but with a "wall full of sticky notes"—ideas aimed at replacing the labour-intensive spreadsheets, phone calls, and emails used by racquet court managers, coaches, and players. Today, the platform serves thousands of clubs and millions of players, both across the U.S. and internationally.
The founders realised that to achieve their ultimate vision for the platform, they needed a specialised partner who understood the complexities of Software as a Service (SaaS) at scale. The $54 million investment from Mainsail Partners enables CourtReserve to scale its operations while staying true to its original mission of serving the community.
For club operators and players, the investment promises three major takeaways:
- Imminent New Feature Rollouts: Clubs should expect "slicker tools" for membership management, scheduling, organizing lessons, leagues, and ladders. The capital is earmarked for "faster innovation".
- Ramped-Up Training and Education: CourtReserve plans to expand its support, education, and training resources to help clubs more effectively grow their communities and bring people together through play.
- Customer-First Focus: The company maintains a "rigorous focus on delivering exceptional value that allows every customer to thrive".
The founders also revealed an important shift in their corporate philosophy. For years, their motto was "The dream is not for sale." However, they acknowledged that for the company to truly serve deeper, innovate faster, and create more measurable value, their dream had to evolve. Their new operating motto is: "The dream is to scale," representing a stronger, more long-term version of their original vision. This growth, they note, is driven by people who deeply care about helping others play more of the sport they love.
The World Pickleball Verdict
The massive $54 million investment in CourtReserve is a profound "siren call" that the infrastructural technology supporting pickleball is rapidly institutionalising. The shift in the company’s motto from preservation ("not for sale") to ambition ("The dream is to scale") reflects the broader industry’s realisation that managing pickleball’s explosive growth requires enterprise-level digital solutions. Clubs that embrace this coming wave of enhanced software and operational support stand to benefit significantly, ensuring the foundation of the sport can sustain its meteoric rise globally.