Yes, most of it. In GoHighLevel the workflow starts when a first visit is marked showed, sends a membership offer with a payment link the same day, follows up twice, and stops when the subscription payment arrives. The bottom line: the conversion is a follow up problem, because most players visit a few times a year and never become members, and a timely offer is the cheapest way to change that.
The opportunity in the numbers
The Sports and Fitness Industry Association reports that 24.3 million Americans played pickleball in 2025, up 22.8 percent from 2024. Its 2024 report split players into casual players, who played 1 to 7 times a year, at 13.6 million, and core players, who played 8 or more times, at 6.2 million. That is about 31 percent core (6.2 divided by 19.8). The large casual group is the pool a facility converts: people who like the game and have not committed to a routine.
The steps and the offer
| When | Step |
|---|---|
| Booking a first visit or drop in | Tag First visit and send the confirmation |
| Visit marked showed | Same day text and email with the membership offer and payment link |
| 3 days later | Reminder with what members get, such as reserved court times |
| 10 days later | Last offer, or a punch pass as an alternative |
| Payment received | Tag Member, send the welcome and booking guide, and exit the sequence |
Build it in GoHighLevel
- Connect Stripe and create the membership as a recurring product. GoHighLevel's Payment Received trigger covers subscription charges.
- Create a calendar for first visits and open play, and put its link on your site.
- Build a workflow with the Appointment Status trigger set to Showed Up, filtered to the first visit calendar, that sends the offer.
- Add Wait steps and the follow up messages, each with an If/Else that exits members.
- Build a second workflow with the Payment Received trigger filtered to the membership product that adds the Member tag and sends the welcome.
- Create a members only calendar or a court reservation link that is sent only to the Member tag.
- Turn on Stop on Response so a player who replies to talk gets a person.
GoHighLevel's help page on recurring invoices says the Send Recurring Invoice workflow action needs an invoice template created under Payments, then Invoices, and a gateway connected under Payments, then Integrations. It says the action is currently supported for Stripe connected sub accounts, that card details are stored only after the first invoice is paid manually, that a Payment Failed trigger can retry and notify the customer, and that conditional branches can send different templates by contact attributes. The Payment Received trigger page says it fires for payments from forms, manual payments, memberships, Text2Pay links, and subscription charges.
What the workload looks like
For example, if a facility has 200 first visits a month and converts 10 percent with the offer, that is 20 new members a month (200 times 0.1). Every 1 percentage point is 2 more members, at no extra staff time.
Mistakes to avoid
- Waiting a week to make the offer. Make it the day of the visit.
- Selling one plan only. Offer a punch pass as an alternative.
- Not marking the visit showed. The trigger depends on it.
- Hiding the cancellation terms. Subscription laws apply.
How this was handled before
Facilities sold memberships at the front desk and on the website, and counted on players to ask. Most first time visitors never asked. A same day offer tied to the visit puts the question in front of every player at the moment they are most likely to say yes.
What to measure after launch
Track first visits per month, offers sent, memberships started within 14 days, and members active after 90 days. The 90 day number matters most, because a member who stops playing cancels, so pair the offer with an invitation to open play in the first month.
Check before you switch it on
US text messages sent from a standard 10 digit number need A2P 10DLC registration. The HighLevel support portal says registration is required for texts to US recipients from 10 digit long code numbers and that toll free numbers do not require it. HighLevel's opt in guidelines also say a person cannot be forced to agree to text messages in order to submit a form, so keep the consent box optional. One compliance guide separates informational texts, which need documented consent, from marketing texts, which need prior express written consent. Ask your attorney which category your reminders fall into. Players often book with friends, so ask before texting a number that a friend entered. This is general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
How many people play pickleball?
SFIA reports 24.3 million Americans played in 2025.
What is a core player?
In SFIA's 2024 report, someone who played 8 or more times a year. Casual players played 1 to 7 times.
Does the Payment Received trigger cover subscriptions?
Yes, according to GoHighLevel's help pages.
Ready to try it yourself? Start a GoHighLevel account here.
You can also see this in action in our GoHighLevel capabilities demo.