It’s game, set, match for The Serve

Sue Grossardt

Contributor

October 19, 2026

KOHLER – For the community of Kohler, The Serve – a premier indoor and outdoor racquet sports complex located at 50 Willow Creek Drive – has become a recent addition and trifecta of racquet sports.

“The first shovel hit the ground at the end of October 2025, and the grand opening took place Oct. 1, 2026, just shy of one year,” Ben Chapman, director of fitness for Kohler Hospitality, said. “It features six indoor pickleball courts, two heated outdoor platform tennis courts and a lounge for socializing. We will also host tournaments, lessons and recreation play for individuals of all skill levels and ages.”

Chapman said the complex is a year-round venue and adjacent to Sports Core, with a footprint, both inside and outside, of more than 26,000 square feet.

The recent grand opening, he said, hosted almost 700 visitors over a four-day experience.  

There is always a bit of excited anticipation when there is a grand opening, Kelly Monahan, sales manager at Kohler Co., said.

“People were excited about it, but you still have that level of uncertainty, wondering, ‘Are people really going to show up?’” she said. “People showed up. We were scheduled to open our doors on Oct. 1 at 6 a.m., and at 5:45 a.m., there was a line out the door, with people waiting to get in.” 

Preparing for winter

Chapman said there were several things at play that prompted the expansion.

“We really wanted to expand our wellness component across the resort,” he said. “We wanted to offer this experience not only for our resort guests but also for our community, as Kohler continues to develop its space in the wellness industry. There are a lot of different things that align with our overall vision of wellness across the resort. One of the focuses is that we want to offer more year-round activities [here in] Wisconsin.”

Wisconsinites all know there are a limited number of months that allow for outdoor activity, Chapman said.

When the weather turns, he said the goal is to provide options for people. 

“We want to have something to offer people and keep that wellness focus, not only inside with fitness and pickleball and tennis, but by adding two heated platform tennis courts,” Chapman said. “Giving guests and community members the ability to play year-round is something that really excited us.”

Monahan said they chose to expand their racquet sports in a new direction to include platform tennis for several reasons.

“These are heated courts that will endure our harsh winters and allow us to use them year-round where outdoor tennis courts are subject to rain and winter weather,” she said. 

Platform tennis, Monahan said, is a sport that will bring another element to the club and allow members and the community to have another wellness experience through movement.

“Platform tennis can be played in the cold and snow,” she said. “The court is one-third of the size of a tennis court. It’s the same size as a pickleball court. The surface is gritty, which helps players get traction, particularly if the court is slightly wet. There is a heating element that helps to keep the court dry. If it is snowing, or it has recently rained, players can get out and play right away.”

Compared to outdoor tennis courts – which need to be completely dry for play – Monahan said platform tennis is a great option. 

“The paddle has a gritty surface which helps to catch the ball,” she said. “It, too, is weather-resistant.”

There are screens on the courts which block the weather elements, Monahan said, along with being a part of the game itself, as the ball can be played off the screen as an offensive strategy.

Why racquet sports?

With pickleball trending upward, Monahan said they noticed an uptick in demand on their tennis courts. 

With six lined pickleball courts at Sports Core, she said The Serve now also offers six dedicated courts. 

“The designated courts make it an upscale experience and are actually safer, too,” she said. “We want people to have that space to be able to run every single ball down without running into a tennis net or a curtain.”

Chapman said they had been exploring the option of expansion for several years.

“We wanted to design the space and layout that would be most impactful for community members as well as resort guests,” he said. 

They did their due diligence to confirm that what they were planning aligned with their mission, Chapman said.  

He said research was conducted, along with an exploration of other facilities within the area and what was offered at other resorts. 

“Most people are aware of the rapid growth of pickleball and seeing its growth year over year as the fastest-growing sport,” Chapman said. “That’s where we initially started looking at pickleball as an option. Then we started to dig into the research, understanding that year-round racquet sport options were something we really thought would drive that meaningful connection and expand Kohler’s commitment to wellness.”

Aside from working around a few Wisconsin snowfalls, which were factored into the planning process and timeline, the construction process rolled out as planned, Chapman said. 

“We had a great internal team,” he said. “From design to engineers, all of whom built a great relationship with Advanced Building Corporation, our construction partner. The collaboration between our internal talent and the external professionals went smoothly through the whole construction process, such that we were able to open on time and on target.”

Monahan said working right next door to the construction of The Serve built excitement for everyone this past year.

“While our focus was on tennis and the pickleball inside at Sports Core during that time,” she said, “it was so fun having a facility right next to us as we watched it [grow to the finished product] every single week.”

Serving the community

Chapman said they have several corporations who booked their events at the Kohler resort that will now include time at The Serve.

“We have our dedicated sales team that works with businesses and individuals that want to bring their companies on site for a full experience across the resort,” he said. “Team building and celebrations are booked well into next year.”

Chapman said many have already traveled from Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh and Milwaukee to experience The Serve and the entire resort, but they know people will be traveling from far beyond the boundaries of the state. 

“With a larger resort and more offerings, we know visitors will be traveling by plane from across the U.S. to visit the racquet sport destination where you can come here and be on court for a few hours, then go over to the spa and enjoy the services there and then visit one of our restaurants for an amazing meal,” he said. “We are really unique in that way.”

The popularity of platform tennis in the Chicago region, Monahan said, is also noteworthy, coupled with the fact that platform tennis is very popular there. 

“We know our guests are going to be coming up for a long weekend utilizing all of our wellness offerings, including their favorite racquet sports,” she said. 

The excitement has spread for The Serve, Chapman said, by word of mouth among the more than 6,000 members of Sports Core. 

Monahan said interest is spreading about racquet sports. 

“Just about everyone knows pickleball is [fairly] easy to pick up,” she said. “Platform tennis is as well. It’s a great activity for spouses, families and friends to play together. I am so thankful to be a part of three great lifelong sports: tennis, pickleball and platform tennis.”

For more information about The Serve, visit sportscorekohler.com.