In Memoriam

Music and beer-loving Gruene Hall owner Pat Molak dies at 76

Pat Molak helped bring Gruene back to greatness without modernizing it unnecessarily.

Pat Molak, the owner of the famous Hill Country dance hall Gruene Hall, has died at age 76.

"We will always be thankful he trusted his vision, left his stockbroker days behind, and traded his suit for a t-shirt," Gruene Hall posted in an April 2 Facebook announcement. "His love of live music, ice cold beer, and good times with friends made this old dance hall what it is today."

Gruene Hall — in Gruene, just outside of New Braunfels — has come to represent the perseverance of Old Texas and old-school country music. It is one of the most famous music venues in Texas, and is certainly the oldest continually operating, having been built in 1878. San Antonio born-and-raised Molak came into the picture in 1975, when he bought the hall as an escape from urban life.

Part of Molak's golden touch was leaving well enough alone, and he barely changed the property aside from some "unavoidable repairs," according to a profile by Molak Corporation. The business also includes Molak's friend Mary Jane Nalley, who helped him in buying and sprucing up historic business around town to give the area new life. Other famous spots the duo restored are the Gristmill Restaurant, Josephine Street, and Down on Grayson, among others.

Now tourists and locals flock to Gruene in search of that untouched country and blues charm. When potential visitors go to Gruene's official website, the first and only things there are to see are links to the music and events calendar, with shows happening seven days a week.

"A true pioneer, [Molak] helped drive singer-songwriter and Americana music to the forefront of Texas music," continued the hall's announcement. "His passion for this piece of Texas history lives on each time someone steps through our door and will continue for decades to come."

Molak attended the University of Texas at Austin, but did not finish, according to a 2013 profile by San Antonio Man of the "true Texas 'honky-tonk' hero." Austin left its mark on him nonetheless as a fun and inspiring place to go out and enjoy music and beer. His stock broker career wasn't entirely a bust, considering it left him with enough to make the gamble and purchase the building with no hospitality experience.

The entrepreneur stopped appearing as much for press interviews in the 2010s. At the beginning of the decade, celebrating Gruene Hall's 35th anniversary in its current state, Molak told InSite Austin that his most memorable moment so far had been hosting Little Richard.

"He backed his limo into the beer garden, climbed up on the piano, and started playing 'Good Golly Miss Molly,' Molak said. "That might be the moment that gave me the most chills."

In its announcement, Gruene Hall requested that friends and fans send in their own favorite memories from the past 50 years.

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High Score

Austin named the nation's pickleball capital in industry report

Photo by Henry Selis Photo

Other Racquet Social Club is back after city woes.

It's no secret that Austinites love pickleball. A new study proves just how much by ranking Austin the No. 1 city for pickleball in the whole country. Dallas and Houston also made the top 10 at Nos. 3 and 8, respectively.

The report was published by TeachMe.To, an online marketplace for learning sports (and sometimes music) from private instructors. It used data from its own platform, USA Pickleball, Places2Play, local pickleball associations, and more. It also referred to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), which named pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America, with a growth rate of 223.5 percent over three years.

Similarly, TeachMe.To ranked Austin as the fastest-growing city for pickleball, and citing this as the main reason for the overall title of "the nation's pickleball capital."

It name-checked the Austin Metro Pickleball Association (AMPA) — with approximately 3,000-3,500 members — and the Austin Pickleball League (APL), estimating that overall, "15,000-20,000 people play pickleball at least occasionally in the greater Austin area." About half of those players — about 8,000-10,000 people — play at least twice a month.

The report did not include gender data on Austin, specifically, but it did note that not only are two-thirds of pickleball players female; women's involvement in the sport is also growing 50 percent faster than men's.

New courts everywhere
This probably isn't a surprise to people who have noticed the number of courts opened around Austin in recent years. By 2024, TeachMe.To's data shows 32 dedicated courts in Austin, and thanks to with a utility rate of 92 percent it doesn't look like that'll be slowing down.

In the summer of 2023, the online booking platform Swimply noticed how many pickleball courts there were in Austin compared to such great demand, and added courts to its service. In fall 2023 and summer 2024, at least two important developments expanded that availability: Other Racquet Social Club opened as a friendly, country club-like neighborhood option, and national chain The Picklr announced it's bringing five locations to Austin and Round Rock.

Perhaps because Austin is such a food-obsessed city, there seems to be some growing opportunity for food and beverage hospitality around pickleball, too. Other Racquet recently started hosting the Bill's Dips food truck, a spinoff of the popular downtown restaurant Bill's Oyster; and a pair of bars with pickleball courts, Drifters Social Coffee & Cocktails and The Pickle Pub, also opened in South Austin this year, with strong online ratings already.

The trend has even reached into real estate (see this cute house with its own pickleball court) and inspired athletes to introduce similar sports to the local market, as in the case of the padel club Paddle39. TeachMe.To's report also mentioned tech companies adding pickleball to their campuses.

Aside from growth, the study also considered lesson activity (including information about teacher availability and diversity of clinic offerings), infrastructure, community vitality, the tournament scene.

Austin had the highest concentration of all the cities of players under 40 (65 percent), as well as the highest share of national lesson bookings. At 16.90 percent, that means about one in six of the pickleball lessons contracted through this platform were in Austin. Lesson demand, the report says, is growing 125 percent year-over-year.

Elsewhere in Texas
Dallas was No. 3 thanks in part to its "central location" according to the report.

"The city's 45 dedicated courts and 85 [percent] public accessibility rate have fostered one of the most active competitive scenes in the country, with 8,500 registered league players," it says. "The combination of strong tournament presence, extensive infrastructure, and a 112% growth in lesson bookings solidifies Dallas as a powerhouse in the national pickleball landscape."

Houston made No. 8 with an emphasis on integrating pickleball with other sports.

"The city's 22 dedicated courts have seen a 92% increase in lesson bookings, driven by innovative programming that includes the nation's first corporate league system," it says. "Houston's success in integrating pickleball into existing sports infrastructure while maintaining 72% year-round utilization demonstrates a sustainable model for rapid growth."

Overall predictions
After laying out data about the top cities in pickleball, the report made some predictions. As the Austin newcomer mentioned above believes, the report also thinks padel is the next big thing. It also guesses more cities will act like Houston by focusing on hybrid facilities.

It also expects to see an expanded professional circuit and mainstream coverage, more technology used on the court, a rise in the prevalence of young players, and more opportunities in corporate wellness and real estate. "Dedicated pickleball facilities will become as common as swimming pools in luxury developments," it says. Texans will be the judge of that one.

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