Serve, dink, repeat
Ace Pickleball opens in Farragut
Ace Pickleball Club opened its newest location 6 a.m., Saturday, March 14, at the former Perceptics building, 11130 Kingston Pike, behind Wendy’s, with a ribbon cutting Friday, March 13.
“It’s a love for racquet sports, having played many over the years,” owner Don Jacobson III said. “Pickleball is one that I can enjoy with the most people. I can play with my children. I can play with my parents. I can play with my friends, co-workers, and associates.
“It’s a fun game,” he said. “It’s very easy to learn, and you have that social aspect of, for me most important, putting your phone down for a little while and just having a friendly competition.”
At Ace, players do not have to have a reservation.
“We are always prioritizing open play,” general manager Linda Rand said. “Open play means you can come in with no reservation. You don’t need to have a partner. You don’t even have to know how to play.
“Even if you’re just curious, you can come in; we’ll set you up with an intro lesson so you can learn the rules, learn to keep score and just the basics of the game,” she said. “You can come in any time and hop on any court that best suits your skill level.”
“We offer cushioned courts — performance-grade courts like you would find outdoors but they are softer on your joints,” Rand said. “When you are playing indoors in a climate-controlled facility, you are likely to play three times longer than playing outside.”
Although the courts feel the same as playing on an outside court, the player’s body will notice the difference, according to Rand.
There are 15 ½ courts available and are separated by skill level, from beginner to intermediate to advanced, where members can enjoy unlimited play.
She explained Ace is membership-based and has a monthly membership fee.
The club is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday; from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays; and from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
“We’re excited about opening,” Jacobson added, saying people can try out the club free for the first 30 days of its opening.
For more information about Ace Pickleball Club, call 865-281-5030 or visit www.acepickleballclub.com/knoxville-tn
“That membership is all inclusive, no additional fees,” Rand said.
In addition to play, the membership covers use of an automatic ball machine, paddle demonstrations and members can borrow equipment as well.
“We’ve got balls and premium paddles that we rotate out on a quarterly basis,” she said. “So if you’re interested in these high-quality paddles and you’re not ready to invest in a purchase and want to try it out before you buy it, you can try those here as part of your membership.
“We also offer a tournament that is exclusive to our members and there is no expense to participate in that tournament either,” Rand said.
Another perk is Ace has a lounge upstairs where members can schedule private events.
In choosing where to open, “we looked at a lot of locations in Eastern Tennessee and really fell in love with the Knoxville market, specifically Farragut as it’s such a growing community,” Jacobson said. “We saw that there was a lot of the players located here.”
“And, we found a great partner who was looking to have a long-term tenant,” he added. “The stars lined up and it worked out great for both of us.
“We’re looking forward to being her for a very long time,” Jacobson added.
