First private indoor pickleball courts in Wasatch Back open

Pickleball players enjoy the courts at Kellsey Pickleball's soft opening Thursday, Oct. 12, in Heber City. Photo: TownLift

Kellsey indoor Pickleball courts located in Heber City will celebrate is grand opening on Saturday October 15

Matt Allen looked flushed and happy Thursday at the soft opening of his Kellsey Pickleball facility as he came off one of the five courts to talk about the launch.

The club is in Heber City, in a converted warehouse-type space, a stone’s throw from the Heber Valley Airport. Thursday and Friday are its soft opening, with a grand opening on Saturday and again on Monday.

Allen, who relocated to Heber City from Massachusetts several years ago, said the club has been a dream shared by him and his wife, Jina. It’s named for their late daughter, Kellsey. The couple also have three other children, and the club, he said, is for all his kids — and for the burgeoning number of pickleball players in the area.

It also complements Matt’s other business, building outdoor pickleball and tennis courts. “We build courts all the time,” he explained.

He came to pickleball after playing many other sports, he said, including a stint as a semi-pro rugby player. He picked up pickleball several years ago, during the height of the Covid pandemic. Now he and Jina compete together.

The club is offering two levels of memberships. The first is free. Registration allows members to book courts, at $24 per hour; for doubles, that would be $11 per player for two hours’ court time.

The second membership level, Pink, named for Kellsey’s favorite color, is $125 a year, and comes with a longer booking window and a $22 per hour court fee.

Asked if he was charging enough for indoor court time that could be in high demand, Matt said, “Money doesn’t buy you happiness. We’re in it for the potential of the sport.”

He’s already looking to expand, he said, adding four more indoor courts next-door.

The soft opening continues with free drop-in play on Friday. The club is at 551 Powerline Road.

There will also be free play on the courts at the grand opening on Saturday, from 2 to 10 p.m., and again on Monday, Oct. 16, from 4 to 10 p.m.