The future Pickle x Pin spot located at 662 Leonard St. NW in Grand Rapids. (April 30, 2024)
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Construction is set to begin soon on a new concept that will bring year-round golf and pickleball to Grand Rapids' Westside.
Zachary Verhulst and Blaine Westerlund were college roommates who both studied architecture at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield. After graduation, they ended up working together, and when Verhulst left to start his own firm, Pure Architects, Westerlund followed.
“I was there the whole ride,” Westerlund said.
growing company I recently moved It's located on the city's West Side from downtown, above a shade shop on Leonard Street near US-131, minutes from where Verhulst grew up.
About a year and a half ago, we started discussing a new concept sports facility that would combine golf and pickleball. They found a historic building at 662 Leonard Street, just around the corner from the Pure Architects office. The 100-year-old building has been used for a variety of purposes, from a mechanic shop and auto painting business to a limousine shop and bakery.
“We actually came and looked at it and started developing big ideas and big thoughts about what it would be like,” Westerlund said. “It just kind of fell off from there.”
Pickle×Pin offers a bar and pro shop. His three private VX golf simulators will be installed with actuators that allow players to practice uphill or downhill swings. Verhulst said it's an AI-based simulator that helps calculate swings and aim.
To the rear are three indoor pickleball courts, with surfaces designed to prevent injury.
The goal is to provide a place for both recreation and improvement. The two said they plan to have an LPGA professional on staff to help with training, and they intend to create a partnership to help area kids take up both golf and pickleball.
“Golfers in Western Michigan have to take six months off, and then they lose their form,” Westerlund said. “I think there’s a really good opportunity to learn and improve.”
The business is membership-based, and while they haven't set prices yet, they want to make pricing “accessible” and there will be opportunities for the general public to get involved.
There's a lot to do before Pickle x Pin opens. The team will need to install a new roof, floors, mechanical, electrical and plumbing. Construction will begin in about a month, with the aim of opening in late October or early November.
“When it's finished… it's going to be a completely different space,” Westerlund said.
Rather than setting up a kitchen and serving food, the company plans to partner with nearby restaurants to serve food to customers.
“We already have one of the best barbecue joints in the city, one of the best pizza places in the city and a brewery. We have a Long Road (distillery) here. , Brands is here as well,” Verhulst said. “Leonard Street has a lot of really great facilities, so we can be a hub and help those people and provide food here.”
They said they want to continue building community along Leonard Street and forging partnerships with other businesses and organizations.
“I grew up here, five minutes from here,” Verhulst said. “I've driven by this place thousands of times. So I think it's just a desire to build community where we are.”
Westerlund said he is excited to revitalize the building. In his work at the architecture firm, his team specializes in transforming historic buildings into new ones that “fit into the fabric of the community.”
“This project is rooted in the ability to build something special for everyone,” says Verhulst. “We have a strong desire to create a space that doesn't exist on the Westside, so right now there are a lot of opportunities to play golf indoors or play pickleball elsewhere. …Westside Giving people the opportunity to access this with friends after work or during the day is really important to us.”
