Whether you’re new to pickleball or new to a city, you should know how to find pickleball courts. If you’re wondering about “pickleball courts near me,” you’re not alone. Fortunately, you have multiple ways to search for pickleball court locations.
Read on to learn about the best ways to find pickleball courts.
1. Find a Local Pickleball Ambassador
If you’re wondering where can I find pickleball courts near me, you can contact an ambassador. The USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) has local and regional ambassadors to help promote pickleball.
Ambassadors work with recreational facilities to create pickleball programs. They also work with other ambassadors in their area or region. You can view the list of ambassadors on the USAPA website, and you can contact one in your city or state.
The ambassador can help you find pickleball courts in the area. They can suggest the best ones to use and the best times to go. That way, you can select the right court for your schedule and playing needs.
2. Join a Pickleball Meet-Up Group
You can also join a local pickleball group through a service like Meetup. On Meetup, you can search for pickleball and find groups in or near your city. You can also filter the events by day, time, and distance from you.
Some of the events do have a fee, but they can be pretty affordable. You can find an event that makes sense for your schedule, and it can introduce you to a new pickleball court.
Meetup allows groups to create events available to the public or just members. If you’re interested in a member-only event, you can ask to join that group. Then, you can meet new people, and you can play with the same people each time.
3. Follow Pickleball Facebook Groups
If you use Facebook, you can also search for and join pickleball groups. Once you join, you can browse the group for recommendations on pickleball court locations. If no one has shared courts in your city, you can post asking for more information.
You can even find pickleball groups for your city, so you can meet local players. If your city doesn’t have a specific pickleball Facebook group, you can join a local sports group. While you may not meet as many pickleball players, you can get an idea of the available courts near you.
When you join a group on Facebook, interact with others. Ask questions about pickleball, and respond to anyone else with an answer if you have one. That way, you can form a community, and you can more easily find “pickleball courts near me.”
4. Create Your Own Pickleball Group
If you can’t find any good pickleball groups on Facebook or Meetup, you can create your own. You can make a group on Facebook in just a few minutes, and you can share it with your friends or in local activity groups.
As more people join, you can start a thread asking people to share their favorite pickleball court locations. You can also share your favorites if you find any through other search methods.
Creating a group on Meetup is a great option if you don’t use Facebook. You can set up events in your area and meet other pickleball players. Then, you can get more suggestions on where to play.
Use the Places2Play App
The USAPA has another great resource to help you find pickleball courts near me. You can use their Places2Play app on your iPhone or iPad. Unfortunately, the app isn’t currently available on Android. However, anyone can use the browser version.
Once you download the app, you can use it to find pickleball courts all over the country. That makes it especially useful if you travel a lot but still want to play pickleball.
You can narrow your search by location, time, cost, and other factors. That way, you can find the best pickleball court locations for your needs.
How to Use the App
If you have an Apple device, you can go to the App Store and download Places2Play. Once you download the app, give it access to your location to help search for courts. If you don’t want to give your exact location, you can also use your zip code.
When you open the app, it will show you a list of places where you can play pickleball. The app can also tell you about the weather and wind conditions, which is useful if you like to play outside. When you get the app, take a few minutes to check out all of the features.
It can tell you a lot about the best pickleball court locations. You can use all of the features in the app to decide where you want to play, so you don’t have to research individual courts.
Reading the App Icons
When you look at the map in Places2Play, you will see a lot of icons that represent different facilities. Take a look at the different colors and images.
Red icons are for indoor pickleball courts, and you can see either a $ or a padlock. Locations with a $ will charge you to play, but a padlock can mean free and paid courts.
An orange icon stands for an outdoor court, and you may see a padlock on it. If you see a blue location marker, that court has both indoor and outdoor options.
You can also see a grey ring around some of the icons, and that represents the wind. If you want to play outside, make sure it isn’t too windy that day.
Finding Pickleball Games
Another benefit of using Places2Play is that you can find pickleball games. That’s a great feature if you don’t know anyone else who plays the sport. You can look at the schedule and find a game that works for you and your budget.
If you want to play with others, you may want to find pickleball courts with games. On the other hand, courts without games can be a great place to practice or to play with someone you know.
Use Filters
You can also use the app to filter and narrow your search. The app lets you filter for things like court surface, membership requirements, and outdoor vs. indoor courts.
If you’re exploring courts in a new area, you don’t need to use filters. But they can be useful if you want to play pickleball that day and need a specific set of features for your court.
Should You Play Indoors or Outdoors?
When looking for pickleball courts near me, you may not know if you should play indoors or outdoors. Pickleball is an excellent sport in both cases, and there are a lot of things you should consider.
Of course, you have to think about what courts are available or close to you. If you only have one option or the other, you won’t have a choice. Consider how far you’re willing to drive to play pickleball and search for courts in that range.
If you have both options, consider what shoes you have for pickleball. Outdoor pickleball shoes need harder soles because of the different court materials. Indoor pickleball shoes also need to have non-marking soles so that they don’t scratch the court.
When playing outside, you also need to watch the weather. Think about the current wind conditions and if that will affect your practice or game.
Finally, compare both and determine which option you prefer. Indoor play can be nice because it’s more flexible and less dependent on outside factors. But playing outside can be fun and exciting as well.
What If You Don’t Have a Pickleball Court Near You?
Perhaps you have used all of the different methods, and you still aren’t getting many results when searching for pickleball courts near me. Luckily, you don’t have to travel far to play pickleball.
For one, you can become a pickleball ambassador and work with location recreational facilities to install a pickleball court. But that can take a lot of time and work, especially if you aren’t sure how much you like the sport.
If you want to try pickleball closer to home, you can set up a pickleball court in your yard. That way, you can play or practice, but you don’t need to have a court nearby.
How to Set Up a Pickleball Court
First, you need to make sure you have enough space for a pickleball court. A standard pickleball court is 20 feet by 44 feet for singles and doubles. You should have about 34 feet by 64 feet in total to allow for space on all four sides if the ball leaves the court.
Once you have that, you will need a pickleball net. The net should be 36 inches at the sidelines and 34 inches in the middle. You can set up the net in the middle of your playing area, and you can use paint or other markers to note the edges of the court.
The Search for Pickleball Courts Near Me
Now that you know how to search for “pickleball courts near me,” you can choose the right option for you. For Apple users, the Places2Play app is the most extensive resource for finding courts. But meeting an ambassador or joining a group online can also help.
Give each option a try to see what works for you and your community. Then, you can improve your pickleball skills.
