LIL Rhody PICKLEBALL

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2025-03-11

I really want this pickleball facility to succeed. It is clear that the owners, Kevin in particular, have taken care to think about the amenities and provide a nice and very playable indoor facility. There is no doubt that is is extremely convenient for residents of EG and NK in particular (but also beyond, in terms of providing options to existing pickleball clubs like OSP). Having said this, this review is an attempt to provide some constructive feedback for the owners to really consider in order to make this place successful and appealing. Full transparency, I am not a member. Would I sign up to become one? Depends if they hear the feedback provided here! Pros: * Really nice court surfaces and courts. It is a nice place. You walk in and you feel the energy. * Staff is working quite hard and seem quite nice. It would be helpful if they knew pickleball, but that is okay. They respond quite promptly to requests and are doing their best. * Great location. So convenient! * Good lighting. So many indoor places have poor lighting and one can barely see the ball. Not so at Lil Rhody. * Restrooms are usually quite clean. * Court Reserve is a very good platform to organize the calendar. I have had no issues signing up, and I love the feature where you can see who else signed up before you sign up (although this has some cons too, as I will discuss below). Cons: * They really need to figure out their act. The owners seem to know how to run a business, but really do not seem to know much about pickleball. This would be fine if they tried to complement their lack of expertise with some externally hired help, but what is somewhat concerning is that they also do not seem to try and hire the professional expertise they need. Not sure what's up with that and why they cannot get any local pros who are really well-regarded and play at a really high level (5.0 or at least 4.5+) to help guide this aspect. * The drop-in categories (the reason one would want a membership) are a mess, especially at the "advanced" level. I take "advanced" in pickleball to mean that the player can do a few things such as third shot drops, dink rallies, knows where to be on the court (court positioning), and has some kind of a soft game. The issue right now is that a lot of intermediate advanced (3.5-3.8) or even intermediate folks (3.0-3.4) are signing up for the "advanced" slots. The thought process seems to be "I'll get better if I play up". No, you won't. You'll simply play what you know and then it really isn't fair on anyone, including yourself and the advanced player who comes in expecting a certain level of play. So, Lil Rhody needs to figure out a system quickly to place people appropriately, and offer opportunities for intermediate players to improve their game without needing to sign up for advanced slots. Part of this process might involve simply (and gently, kindly) telling people the truth about their level of play. You cannot have your cake and eat it too ...this is an athletic club in a particular sport! * As a non-member, I have been to drop-ins where there are 12-16 people signed up to play on two courts! There should be no more than 10 slots for two courts. I think because there has been so much investment in the club, the owners want to recoup investment quickly and are prioritizing quantity over quality. But in order to get people to sign up (and to attract higher level players who are already committed to the sport and will give you unending business if they are happy), you need to also ensure that the experience is good when people have actually signed up and shown up. * The club is noisy. I always leave with a headache. Sound absorption is an urgent and serious need. I hear that this is something the club is going to do soon. Soon is good. * Lastly, what's up with the Fox news playing on the TV in the facility? Who wants to see any kind of news when you are trying to be out there having fun? Play pickleball tournaments on the TVs, so that people are inspired and can learn something by watching! Leave politics and news out of it!

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2024-09-21

I just want to call out an unfair review with three stars about this facility. Kevin knows pickleball very well. Have you seen him playing? He’s constantly trying to improve the facility and listens. Pro PB players are on tour not here to teach you. There are only teaching pros and Lil Rhody has them teaching some mechanics for beginners. Does it look like it can hire 50k plus retired pros?? Kevin is trying to be flexible to make it work for his business. The rating has no absolute mathematical value. There are only good, bad, and ugly. Sure he might have faced some unanticipated business decisions but I wouldn’t call it a mess and insulting his intelligence. Plus what’s Fox News screen without sound got to do with your PB playing? Several screens are on golf, PB, tennis, etc without sound. What’s wrong with that? Fox and MSNBC are disgraceful but does Kevin have to satisfy your ideological preferences? Yes it’s noisy but if it bothers you plug your ear or play tennis. Leaving a review is anyone’s right but you have to be fair. The facility is not perfect (noise and relatively low ceiling) but it deserves more than three stars.

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2024-02-28

Brand new, and improved, place for playing pickleball. Newbies to super advanced players visit regularly, plus they offer lessons, court rentals, and league play - plus a small pro shop. Great playing surface and the recent addition of safety mats on the walls is a big plus. Awesome owner and staff, too !! See you there soon !!