The outdoor courts at Pickleball 603 in East Hampstead (Photo courtesy of Pickleball603)
The idea for opening a year-round pickle facility in NH has been bouncing around inside Ted Curtin’s head since a 2021 trip to Naples, Florida, which he calls “the center of pickleball,” where he asked people where they play when they are back home.
“The situations were all different, but none of them were good, you know,” says Curtin. Most people would be shoveling tennis courts, playing at the YMCA, or on wood floors. However, none were authentic to pickleball courts. “So when I came home, a lightbulb went off and I said okay, I run facilities, it’s what I do, so I started looking for spaces as soon as I got back.”
Curtin, who owns Hampstead Health & Fitness, which he has run for over a decade, opened Pickleball 603 next door to the fitness center in January 2024. It has six indoor tournament-sized courts and six outdoor courts. The courts at Pickleball 603 are 34 feet by 64 feet, making them different from the tennis-sized courts many existing establishments have, he says.
Pickleball 603 has been holding tournaments like Octoberfest, which was sponsored by Sam Adams and had 248 players, with close to 1,500 games played in two days. Curtin says Pickleball 603 is for all levels of players and creates connections. “You have four people within this small court, and everyone can communicate,” says Curtin. “And it is a sort of sport where people are encouraging other people.” Pickleball 603 also has restaurant called The Kitchen by PB 603 where many players will congregate and bond after their games.
The community ranges in age, making pickleball a sport for anyone to enjoy. “Anybody can play ... it can be very athletic, and at the pro level and advanced level, is very athletic, but it doesn’t have to be,” says Curtin. The typical age of the players when the facility first opened was seniors. Since then, the average customer of the facility is 45 to 50 years old. “The reason for [the average age] is because this is the country club of pickleball, and so when something is sort of the country club of pickleball, it’s got a higher price point,” he says.
There are five membership options which range from $25 annually for the part-time senior membership program for those age 65 and older to $39 for non-members to access two-hour drill clinics to the all-inclusive membership for $279 a month. Pickleball 603 also offers a kids’ program where they receive a one-hour lesson for $20. “It’s going [well] so far. We had five kids last week, I think we’ll grow that,” says Curtin.
After investing to build the new facility from the “ground up,” Curtin expects it will take a year before the venture is profitable. The biggest competition is free courts, especially during times of the year when the weather is nice. “I think next year is a different story when our [outdoor] courts are done, because the communities [and] the little groups are gonna wanna stay here.”
There are also plans for an outdoor restaurant. Curtin is looking to hold more events such as birthdays, holiday parties, and corporate events, as well as holding more tournaments. For more information, visit pickleball603.com.
Written by Mackenzie Mooney, a participant in the Young Reporters Project, a joint venture of Business NH Magazine and the University of NH-Manchester aimed at introducing students to journalism.
