Accompanying the popularity of pickleball is an increasing number of places to play the sport. Many locations modify their current tennis courts to include pickleball lines, while other locations build brand new courts designed just for pickleball. Regardless, there is no shortage of places to play the game. If you’re in need of some help finding a place to play, check out our tips below.
1) Browse USAPA’s Places To Play Guide: The USAPA has an awesome tool on their website that helps players find places to play all around the world. The website lets you find places near you and also indicates helpful information like how many courts are there, when to play, and who to contact. This system is constantly being updated and allows other members of the community to add known spots to play. If your local courts are unlisted, feel free to add them for others to discover! Click here to check it out.
2) Call Your Local Recreation Center: Many recreation centers, YMCAs, and parks departments have designated spaces and times for playing pickleball every week. Give your nearest community center a call and find out where everyone is playing. If your town does not have any designated spaces for pickleball, it never hurts to recommend they adopt the sport. Many courts and spaces today have been created due to the influence of local players.
3) Download an iPhone App: Some tech-savvy folks have created an app called Pickleball Finder. We haven't tried it ourselves yet but it is another way to find courts near you. You can download in the app store. Here is the link.
4) Set Up Your Own Courts: If there is not an organized space for pickleball, you can always take matters into your own hands. Setting up a temporary place to play pickleball is very easy, requiring only a net, measuring instruments, some tape to create your lines, and a hard surface with sufficient space. The quickest and easiest temporary net to use is the USAPA's official portable net. If you're handy and want to save a few dollars, you can also create your own setup. Here are some examples of what others have done. After setting up your net, all you need to do next is create your court lines. Painter's or electrical tape is good for indoor courts, while painters tape and chalk can be used outside. Be sure to clean off surfaces before applying tape and ensure you have the correct court dimensions measured. Below is a helpful video from the Pickleball Channel for setting up your own temporary courts.
