Life Time is bringing a unique club offering to the Chicago area: Life Time North Shore Sport and Racquet, a suburban sport and racquet club with all the athletic country club amenities. It’s set to debut in two phases: the first in early 2026 and the second in spring 2026.
The phase one opening of the club features 19 indoor pickleball courts as well as a pro shop, a studio for yoga and MB360 (mind-body training) classes, and a Life Time Work Club Lounge.
In spring 2026, when the full club experience debuts, members can enjoy the entire spectrum of amenities and spaces that Life Time offers, including fitness studios, luxurious locker rooms, a LifeCafe and bar, a Beach Club pool area, 20 additional outdoor pickleball courts, and more.
Life Time North Shore Sport and Racquet is the sixth club to open in Chicago within the last five years and the 17th club overall in the metropolitan area. It’s located just four miles from Life Time Northbrook, offering members the option to easily use the offerings at both destinations or within the network of other clubs in the area.
Let’s explore the 115,000-square-foot Life Time North Shore Sport and Racquet space:
“Life Time North Shore Sport and Racquet will be a premier destination — both in the Midwest and in the nation — for amateur and professional athletes to come and play pickleball,” says Steven Pierce, senior lead general at Life Time North Shore Sport and Racquet.
With the sheer number of courts — 39 in total! — there is no shortage of opportunities for pickleball players. “This club is going to be the most exciting place for people to play pickleball,” shares Sabrina Palavra, pickleball lead for Life Time North Shore Sport and Racquet and member of the pickleball advisory board for Life Time.
Prior to joining Life Time North Shore Sport and Racquet, Palavra was the pickleball lead at Life Time Old Orchard in Skokie, Ill. — a club also known for its robust pickleball community where Palava launched a diverse pickleball program that includes leagues, tournaments, drills, private and semi-private lessons, and more.
“Life Time Old Orchard did a really good job creating a pickleball program that appeals to all levels — beginner through advanced — and all ages. This created strong member engagement and kept our players happy. This is ultimately what I plan to bring to Life Time North Shore Sport and Racquet,” explains Palavra. “With the number of courts we have at this club, we’re going to be able to tailor our programming to everyone at every level.”
Palavra plans to hone the programming even more tightly to categories of players that may often be overlooked at other facilities due to limited court space. Think peewee levels (kids ages 5 to 7 years old) and other junior-age members; active-aging members; and players whose DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) is in between levels (like 2.5 to 3.0).
Life Time North Shore Sport and Racquet also plans to host Intro to Pickleball courses nearly every day of the week to meet the anticipated demand. “The more courts you have, the more opportunities you have to tailor programming and tournaments to make playing an enjoyable experience for all,” says Palavra.
Life Time North Shore Sport and Racquet is also aiming to serve the pickleball community with spaces that can host high-level competitive play, according to Pierce. “This club will have stadium-style seating for some of its indoor pickleball courts, purposeful for spectating and livestreaming,” he says.
This club’s location within Chicagoland is also intentional, he adds. “Many professional pickleball players travel out of state or down south to play in competitive matches, but now they can have access to elevated court spaces in the Midwest.
“We’re hopeful that Life Time North Shore Sport and Racquet will become a future hosting site for the LT Open — Life Time’s singles pickleball tournament — [and we] expect to welcome professionals to compete in other pickleball events held here,” he adds. (Learn more: “The Biggest Stage in Singles Pickleball: What Is the LT Open?”)
There will also be a pro shop for all your pickleball gear needs. “Members will be able to shop high-quality, professional gear, including LT Pro 48 pickleballs, the official pickleball of the Carvana PPA Tour,” says Pierce.
For any members who want a space to catch up on work, they can do so at the complimentary Life Time Club Work Lounge, which is an open-plan, community-style coworking space inside the club. (Learn more: “What Is the Life Time Work Club Lounge?”)
Members can elevate their fitness by taking part in GTX, Alpha, and Ultra Fit signature group training classes in their dedicated spaces. GTX is a 50/50 blend of cardio and strength work; Alpha is centered around Olympic weightlifting and metabolic conditioning; and Ultra Fit combines sprint-interval training with balance and strength efforts.
MB360, the fourth format in Life Time’s signature group training portfolio, is a mind-body program that combines meditation, mobility work, and functional strength and conditioning exercises. It will be offered in the same studio space where yoga classes are held.
There are two more studios for group fitness classes: one dedicated to barre and the other to CTR (Core Tone Reform), Life Time’s newest format that features a high-energy, low-impact athletic reformer workout designed for all fitness levels. (Learn more: “Core, Tone, Reform: What is CTR at Life Time?”)
Members can venture onto the workout floor to find free weights, state-of-the-art cardio and resistance-training machines, and designated stretching areas. It’s easy to build and stay consistent with a fitness routine when everything you need is available in one convenient space.
Along with luxurious men’s and women’s locker rooms, there will be a coed hydrotherapy suite equipped with a steam room, sauna, cold plunge, and whirlpool.
There’s an LT Recovery zone, too, where members can find HydroMassage lounge chairs, CryoLounge chairs, Normatec compression therapy devices, and Hyperice vibration therapy devices. “If you have tight muscles after playing pickleball, this is where you’ll want to be,” notes Pierce. (Learn more: “How to Use 3 Popular Recovery Tools at Life Time.”)
In warm-weather months, members can lounge at the Beach Club; the outdoor pool is a half-lap, half-leisure pool.
Back inside, members can swing by the LifeCafe for a nutritious meal or to grab a protein shake to-go after their workout. There will also be an adjacent bar with beer on tap, wine, champagne, and other beverage options that can be enjoyed both inside and outdoors on the pool deck. Members can look forward to social events and mixers here, where they can develop new relationships with like-minded people from the community.
“Life Time North Shore Sport and Racquet will endeavor to serve the pickleball community, and we’re also going to have elevated healthy-living amenities that people cannot get anywhere else,” says Pierce. “There is no other facilitator in the Midwest that’s going to do pickleball like Life Time.”
