Case Study — Douglas County, Colorado
Sterling
Ranch
Project Type
Multifamily Development
Facility
8 Premium Courts
Sound Rating
STC 36
8-court pickleball facility with full PICKLEGLASS™ sound reduction — built inside Colorado's largest master-planned community.
3,400 Acres.
30,000 Residents.
Sterling Ranch is a 3,400-acre master-planned community at the base of the Rocky Mountain foothills. One of the largest active developments in Colorado — 30,000 residents across multiple villages, built by seven national homebuilders: PulteGroup, Lennar, Taylor Morrison, KB Home, Richmond American, Tri Pointe Homes, and Century Communities.
This isn't a budget subdivision. Every amenity in Sterling Ranch is held to a high standard. When pickleball entered the plan, it had to meet the same bar as everything else in the community.
Residents wanted pickleball. But homes sat close to the planned court location.
Noise complaints
from neighboring homes
Restricted hours
to manage the sound
Aesthetic mismatch
in a premium development
The standard playbook — chain-link fencing and hope — wasn't going to work here. They needed a real solution...
A complete 8-court facility. One contract. One team.
PICKLEGLASS™ Enclosure
Full-height tempered glass panels on steel framing, built for Colorado wind loads. Matte black finish. STC rating of 36 — roughly 50% perceived sound reduction, about a 10 dBA drop at the nearest property line.
Sound modeling was done before construction using ISO 9613-2 methodology and independently validated by Cerami & Associates.
SMARTLOCK Access
Autonomous access control integrated with PodPlay and CourtReserve. PIN, key, and card entry with automated lock schedules. Residents book and access courts on their own — no staffing required.
Single-Source Delivery
Surfaces, glass, lighting, access control, and site design — all run through PICKLETILE™. On a project with this many stakeholders, having one team own the court scope eliminated the coordination failures that define fragmented project delivery.
- Most active amenity in the entire development — ahead of trails, pools, and fitness centers
- Zero operational restrictions due to sound since opening
- Approved in only 1 board meeting and without HOA objection
- Full community approval before construction started
The PICKLEGLASS™ system has exceeded expectations, delivering a premium experience while protecting the community from the sound. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, quickly making it one of the most valued amenities.
Categorically Superior
See exactly how a PICKLETILE™ build compares to standard municipal court construction.
Standard Build
PICKLETILE™ Build
Chain-link fencing
PICKLEGLASS™ Enclosures
No sound study conducted
Pre-build acoustic modeling
Inevitably leads to complaints
Zero sound restrictions or HOA objections
Restricted playing hours
Open all day for maximum ROI
Looks like a municipal rec facility
Premium, country-club aesthetic
Multiple fragmented vendors
Single-source delivery & accountability
The question isn't whether to build pickleball courts.
Residents want them. The question is whether the courts you build will be the amenity everyone talks about — or the one that generates complaints. The difference comes down to one thing: did you plan for the sound, or did you hope no one would notice?
