The Power of Pickleball

The country’s fastest-growing sport is popping up in spades at luxury resorts and country clubs.

You’ve no doubt heard of (and maybe have even played) pickleball. More than 36.5 million individuals took to a pickleball court to play from August 2021 to August 2022, according to a study released by The Association of Pickleball Association. The fastest-growing sport in the United States for the third year in a row—according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association—has also attracted the attention of many A-listers too. Athletes like NBA star LeBron James, NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes and retired football pro Tom Brady have all invested in pro pickleball teams. Many luxe resorts and country clubs have also added pickleball courts to their properties due to its popularity. Take a closer look at this trendy sport.

What is pickleball?

Pickleball was invented in 1965. After hitting the links one Saturday, Washington state congressman Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell went to Pritchard’s home on Bainbridge Island, Washington, roughly 35 minutes by ferry from Seattle. Bored and looking for an activity to occupy their time, Pritchard and Bell started playing with ping-pong paddles on a badminton court, according to a story published on the website of the United States Amateur Pickleball Association (USAPA). The following weekend, their friend Barney McCallum was introduced to the game at Pritchard’s home. Those three men are credited with developing the sport. According to the USAPA’s website, their intention was to create a sport the whole family could play.

Why the surge in popularity?

Many high-end resort and country club throughout the nation have taken note of all of this buzz around the sport and have either built pickleball courts or converted tennis courts to pickleball courts. Some believe that pickleball has grown because it’s easier to learn how to play than other sports like tennis and golf. Pickleball courts are smaller than tennis courts, and the nets are lower.

“It’s an easy sport to be able to play socially and pickup,” says Andrew Seidenberg, head pickleball professional at The Phoenician, a Luxury Collection Resort, Scottsdale. “It’s a sport that people of all ages can have fun playing together, even if you’re not exactly at the same ability.”

Pickleball games are also shorter—lasting from as little as 15 minutes to as long as 30 minutes—making it a breeze to get in a quick game.

Seidenberg’s been working for the resort for more than three years. Roughly four years ago, The Phoenician constructed a new athletic club outfitted with two pickleball and seven tennis courts. Two more pickleball courts are being constructed. Seidenberg tells us that many corporations will come to the resort and play pickleball as a team building event.

“We can literally teach them the rules and the basic shots and some basic takeaways in as little as 15 minutes, 20 to get them going. And literally, by the end of the first half hour, they’re playing legitimate pickleball points and having fun,” says Seidenberg.

Pickleball and luxury

The connection between pickleball and luxury isn’t necessarily an obvious one, but there is a link between the two.

“The demographic of pickleball just seems like it’s very similar to those who are attracted to golf and tennis,” says Seidenberg. “There’s just a type of athlete that gravitates to resorts like The Phoenician. So therefore, it’s a natural add on.”

Additionally, due to the smaller size of a pickleball court, it’s much more intimate and doesn’t require as much physical space to play.

“The footprint is small,” he says. “It’s another activity that you can easily bring home without taking up too much space.”

Another high-end hotel that’s added pickleball to its grounds is Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, A Gurney’s Resort & Spa—formerly known as the Paradise Valley Racquet Club in the 1950s and the John Gardiner’s Tennis Ranch in 1965—has three pickleball courts in addition to its four tennis courts and professionals that can teach students how to play. Another luxe resort that has capitalized on the pickleball trend is the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa. Guests requested a pickleball court back in 2016, and tennis courts were marked to accommodate them. In 2017, club members asked for temporary courts. Today, the property is home to a total of 17 courts and includes one stadium pickleball court. The property claims it has the most number of pickleball courts of any resort in the country. The hotel also employs full-time instructors and has a racquet center. One true highlight: Recess Pickleball has crafted custom paddles that are available exclusively at the property. The resort even offers two different memberships that include complimentary lessons, guest passes, 50 percent off guest rooms, discounts on resort dining and gear.

Seeing as pickleball is an easier sport to pick up than tennis, it also tends to be seen as being more approachable. Stuart McNicol, racquet center manager of the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, has observed pickleball surging in popularity over tennis and sees the link between pickleball and luxury.
“Pickleball is overtaking tennis, which has been known for decades as a highly esteemed sport played at luxury clubs. Those same courts are being converted to pickleball courts. Many of those who played tennis are also converting to pickleball. It is by no surprise that pickleball is associated with luxury,” says Stuart McNicol, racquet center manager of the hotel.
Naturally, pickleball has taken off at country clubs too. Two of the owners of The Clubs at Houston Oaks in Hockley, Texas, wanted to add pickleball courts to the clubs’ recreational offerings. The club has two permanent courts and the capacity for an extra four pickleball courts for a total of six. Much like The Phoenician, The Clubs at Houston Oaks also hosts team building events and pickleball tournaments that many participants seem to enjoy.
Enjoyment is a key aspect of the sport. Pickleball is not only great exercise, it’s just plain fun.
“We have a very active membership, and they are always looking for themes,” says Jennifer Herring, director of club operations at The Clubs at Houston Oaks in Hockley, Texas.
One popular theme? Disco. There’s also a Halloween night.
“People will come in their retro outfits, and we’ll get the music pumping. I’ve even seen wigs,” says Herring. “Pickleball, even the name, it alludes to something not so serious. So they can have a beverage and play.”
And kids love the sport as much as their parents. It’s typically a sport they can pick up quickly. Pickleball has even been added into Houston Oak’s summer camp programming.
“It is really remarkable, honestly, to see some kids that have done tennis lessons with me for a while get out on a pickleball court and immediately be able to maintain rallies, and play points way easier than they ever were in tennis. The growth potential for kids programming is huge,” says Wes Lemke, the director of racquets at the club.
Pickleball also gives members of Houston Oaks a chance to really let loose.
“Most of our members have memberships at River Oaks and all your downtown clubs, but when they come out here, they really let their hair down,” says Herring. “The inner kid is wanting to come out, and I think pickleball, just as the name eludes, lets that happen.”