At 4 a.m. on Oct. 12, Life Time opened its athletic country club on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard with 14 pickleball courts and memberships starting at $339 a month. The county center off Rangeland Parkway, now aiming to open by the end of December, has 24 courts. A two-hour drop-in there costs $5.
This winter in Lakewood Ranch, the private club opened first and has the poolside service, the spa and the slides. The larger court complex and the longer pool belong to Manatee County, and the monthly pickleball pass there costs about a tenth of Life Time's starting dues.
The Club That Opened First
Life Time Lakewood Ranch is at 5000 Lakewood Ranch Blvd N. It covers more than 180,000 square feet. According to Your Observer's opening-week story, nearly 3,000 members had signed up before opening day. Besides the fitness floor, the club has:
- a full-service spa and salon
- a café, bar and lounge
- coworking space
- a Kids Academy
- a chiropractic clinic that accepts insurance
General manager Steve Datte told Your Observer that people new to the brand "get excited about what they're going to do with their days now."
The pickleball setup has three indoor courts on the fitness floor. Outside, there are five covered and six uncovered courts next to the beach club, with seating between games. Under Life Time's pickleball policy, open play and programming are for members. Court reservations are free with a Signature Membership and are booked in the Life Time app.
Adult memberships start at $339 a month. The Bradenton Herald reports that junior memberships start at $100 for children from 3 months to 11 years old. The club doesn't sell day passes. There is one way in without a membership: anyone who spends $150 or more at the LifeSpa and salon can stay at the club for the rest of the day at no extra charge.
The Bigger Court Count Comes With the Smaller Bill
Manatee County's Athletics & Aquatics Center at Premier Sports Campus North sits at 16350 Rangeland Pkwy, next to the Lakewood Ranch Library. Construction started in February 2025. Your Observer's September preview put the project at $44 million and 44,000 square feet. Molly White, the county's director of sports and leisure services, gave the Bradenton Herald the timeline: "We're just working on dates for a grand opening but aiming for the end of December."
The center has 24 pickleball courts, and 14 of them are shaded. A hitting wall sits beside the covered courts. The Herald says the layout will look like G.T. Bray Park's courts, with artificial turf, tables, benches and paddle racks for players waiting for a game. Food trucks are planned. A community room will serve as the tournament desk during pickleball events and during swim meets. The county lists about 241 parking spaces.
Pickleball will cost $5 for up to two hours of drop-in play or $35 for a monthly membership, the same as at G.T. Bray. The county already charges those rates in Bradenton. G.T. Bray's Recreation Plus membership, which includes pickleball, is $35 a month plus tax. The county's facility page says G.T. Bray and John H. Marble memberships will be reciprocal at the new center. Anyone who already plays on a county membership can use the Rangeland Parkway courts on the day the gates open.
Side by Side
| Life Time Lakewood Ranch | Athletics & Aquatics Center, Premier Sports Campus North | |
|---|---|---|
| Address | 5000 Lakewood Ranch Blvd N | 16350 Rangeland Pkwy |
| Status | Opened Oct. 12, 2026 | County aiming for end of December 2026 |
| Pickleball courts | 14 total: 3 indoor, 5 covered outdoor, 6 uncovered | 24 total, 14 shaded, plus a hitting wall |
| Pickleball cost | Included with membership; adult dues from $339/month | $5 per two-hour drop-in or $35/month |
| Main pools | Leisure pool with two slides and a mushroom fountain; five-lane lap pool | Geothermal 50-meter Myrtha pool; second, smaller geothermal pool |
| Day access | No day passes; $150 spa or salon spend covers the rest of the day | Drop-in pickleball; daily use fees available |
| Booking | Life Time app | Court Reserve app |
In the Water, the Two Places Do Different Jobs
Life Time's pool area is built for a long afternoon. The roughly 50,000-square-foot beach club has a leisure pool with two slides and a mushroom fountain, a five-lane lap pool, cabanas, lounge chairs, an outdoor dining area and poolside service. The club employs more than 200 people now. Datte told Your Observer that number will rise to nearly 300 "next summer when the pool is in full swing."
The county pool is built for training and meets. The main pool is 50 meters long and can run eight lanes lengthwise or about 18 across the width. A 25-by-15-foot scoreboard at one end can stream events live. Both pools are geothermal, which lets the county heat and cool them. The county lists the second pool at 25 yards, and officials told the Herald it is designed more for therapy. In the September preview, Your Observer noted that the therapy pool sits in front of the shaded pickleball courts. The site has artificial turf and palms instead of grass and flowering trees, so clippings and petals stay out of the water.
The county chose Myrtha for the pools. John Linxwiler, the county's captain of aquatic safety, told the Herald that USA Swimming uses the brand for its Olympic Trials. Two local swim clubs, the Sarasota Tsunami and the Lakewood Ranch Lightning, are expected to train there. County officials say water polo and underwater hockey teams have asked about using the facility. Manatee County's Aquatic Safety page says county public pools are free for all visitors during public swim hours.
A family that wants slides, a cabana and lunch by the water will find that at Life Time. A swimmer who wants a full 50-meter lane, or a parent whose child swims with the Lightning, will be on Rangeland Parkway.
Getting on the County Courts Once They Open
Here's what the county has set so far:
- Check open play in Court Reserve. The Herald says pickleball players will use the app to find open-play times. At the county's C.V. Walton Racquet Center, reservations open seven days ahead in Court Reserve or six days ahead by phone.
- Bring an existing membership. Recreation memberships from G.T. Bray and John H. Marble carry over to the new center.
- Plan around the hours. The Herald reported general hours of 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Weekend play ends in the mid-afternoon.
- Use the right restrooms. One shared building between the pools and the courts has separate pickleball and pool sides, which keeps the court-side floors dry. Men's and women's locker rooms with showers are on site.
With the county aiming for the end of December, the opening is set to land in the same month as Main Street's holiday calendar. Music on Main runs Dec. 4 from 6 to 9 p.m. with FM Station FLA, and proceeds benefit Suncoast AHEPA 463. Holiday of the Arts fills Main Street Dec. 5 and 6, and Chanukah on Main is Dec. 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. Christmas on Main runs Dec. 19 and 20 from 4 to 8 p.m. with free rides and games, and a candlelight service each night from 7 to 8.
Once the county center opens, Lakewood Ranch will have 38 new pickleball courts between the two sites, and 24 of them will cost $5 for two hours.
Whether you play pickleball or swim laps, where you live in Lakewood Ranch decides whether Lakewood Ranch Boulevard or Rangeland Parkway is the nearer drive. Sheldon, Gettel & Dahl can help you find a home near the courts and pools you'll use most.
