The Picklr opens in Greenville, expanding indoor pickleball year-round

Greenville’s Eastside got a new year-round stop for pickleball travel as The Picklr opened at North Hills Shopping Center on April 18, giving the area eight pro-quality indoor courts inside a 25,701-square-foot facility. The club is built for more than casual drop-ins. It includes a pro shop, locker rooms, showers, private and community event space, plus programming for leagues, tournaments, reservations and open play.

The opening matters because it shows where the sport is heading: into weather-proof, retail-based venues that can anchor weekend play, coaching visits and small group trips. The Picklr also added AI coaching technology in Greenville, putting the club in the training category as much as the rec-play category. For players planning retreats or short road trips, that combination of court access, lessons and on-site amenities is becoming a key decision point.

The company behind the club was founded in 2021 by Jorge Barragan and Austin Wood. Barragan first discovered pickleball in 2016, then lost his tech job during the pandemic and decided to build the kind of dedicated indoor space he had wanted to find. The Picklr says that idea has now scaled quickly, with partnerships that include Pickleball Inc. and Super Bowl champion Drew Brees, and with more than 500 locations sold worldwide.

That growth tracks with the larger court shortage still shaping the sport. USA Pickleball said Pickleheads added 4,000 new locations in 2024, bringing that database to 15,910 courts nationwide, while total known courts reached 68,458. SFIA and Pickleheads also reported in November 2024 that participation kept climbing across age groups and regions, even as facility demand continued to outpace supply. Greenville’s new club fits that pattern closely: when public gyms and outdoor courts can be weather-dependent or crowded, private indoor clubs are stepping in as reliable destinations.

North Hills Shopping Center gives The Picklr another advantage. Aston Properties has been working through a multi-million-dollar renovation of the former Bi-Lo site, and Sprouts Farmers Market already opened there as part of the redevelopment. Chris Fry, the club manager, said the space was built with Greenville’s active community in mind and is meant for players from first-timers to seasoned competitors. Barnes Connell said pickleball gives people a reason to gather, and North Hills is leaning harder into that role with each new tenant.