The pickleball landscape today offers players several options for community play, each with their own tradeoffs:
Full day commitment
Highly structured
Expensive
Popular
Weeknight Tournaments
$30
2-3 hour commitment
Semi-structured
Local community
Drop-in format
Unstructured
Variable skill matching
The Missing Middle: Weeknight Tournaments
One Quke club found the sweet spot between these extremes using Quke’s platform to run regular weeknight tournaments. Here’s what they discovered:
Players Will Pay a Premium for Quality
- Players happily pay $30 for organized weeknight events (double their open play rate)
- Events consistently sell out with 45-54 players per session
- Players get the tournament experience without the all-day commitment
Building Club Culture Through Competition
The club transformed from a simple court-rental facility into a vibrant community hub:
- Players develop rivalries and friendships through regular competitive play
- Automated skill-based grouping ensures fair, engaging matches
- Real-time standings and mobile score tracking add excitement
- Players keep coming back for an experience they can’t get at public parks
Lower Barrier to Tournament Play
With Quke’s platform, the club offers premium tournament experiences without the traditional overhead:
- No need for an experienced tournament director
- Automated player grouping and court assignments
- Simple mobile interface for players
- Seamless integration with existing systems
The Bottom Line
By offering structured weeknight tournaments, this club has:
- Created a unique value proposition beyond basic court access
- Built a loyal community of regular players
- Generated predictable weekly revenue
- Distinguished themselves from public facilities
Ready to transform your club’s events and build a stronger community? Contact us to learn how Quke can help you run successful weeknight tournaments.