Membership Models

Our Co-founder and CRO, Ben Borton, wrote an exemplary article on the value of choosing a Membership model that fits your Club. You can read the article here.

To accompany the article, here are the Membership model equations:

One monthly/annual fee for unlimited play. Simple value proposition that appeals to high-frequency players. It requires guardrails (like a cap on the number of Open Plays or Reservations per member) to prevent hoarding and congestion during peak hours. The sweet spot is somewhere between 40 and 80 Members per court.

Base Capacity Formula:

Operating hours/day × Days/month × Players per court

= Playable player-hours per court per month

Member Capacity Formulas:

`Members per court = Playable player-hours per month ÷ Hours per member

Examples:

• 10 hours/member → 1,440 ÷ 10 = 144 members per court

• 14.4 hours/member → 1,440 ÷ 14.4 = 100 members per court

• 28.8 hours/member → 1,440 ÷ 28.8 = 50 members per court`

In an example:

• Open 12 hours / day

• 30 days / month

• 4 players / court

• = 1,440 playable player-hours per court per month

• 10 playable hours

• = 144 Members per court

The All-You-Can-Eat model requires the Hybrid Charging Strategy, which is where Members book a court and must invite others to the Reservation, who then pay for their respective spot. With this model, the front desk must engage with all Customers walking in the Club to ensure everyone is on a Reservation before stepping on the court. Clubs with a relaxed front desk may not have the bandwidth to engage with all Customers. If the All-You-Can-Eat model is your preferred model, beefing up your front desk staff is strongly suggested.

Members receive a fixed monthly allotment of free Open Play sessions (e.g., 10 open play passes). Provides clear value while giving the club predictable usage limits and control over when sessions occur. The Club can fill off-peak capacity while maintaining flexibility for non-members. The more hours of Open Plays offered, the greater the potential number of Members available.

Capacity Formula:

(Open play hours/day ÷ Session length) × Players/session × Days/month

= Open play slots per month per court

Value Perception:

Perceived value = Sessions included × Regular drop-in price

Member savings = Perceived value - Membership cost

In an example:

• 6 hours of Open Play / day

• 2 hour length of each Open Play

• 8 players / Open Play

• 30 days / month

• = 720 Open Play slots / month

• 10 Open Play Passes / Member

• = 72 Members fills all Open Play slots

The Metered model can leverage the Court+ Charging Strategy, in which any Customer (Member or Non-member) books a court and is on the hook for the full court rate. This is the easiest model for Customers to understand and adhere to. The front desk can engage with Customers walking in and is always confident any Reservation booked will have a full court rate paid.

No free play—Members get reduced rates on all court Reservations (e.g., 25% off) and programming (Open Play, Clinics, Leagues, Tournaments). Most scalable model with easy-to-understand value, minimal hoarding behavior, and no need for sales caps. Attracts "casual core" players who want community membership without heavy commitment.

Break-Even Formula:

Membership cost ÷ (Regular rate × Discount %)

= Break-even hours

In an example:

• $49 Membership

• ÷ ($40 / court × 25% discount on the court)

• = 5 hours / month for a Member to break even

The Discounted-Play model can leverage Court+ Charging Strategy with Non-member Day Pass fees, or the Hybrid Charging Strategy.