Everywhere you look, there are pickleball courts.

• In major cities, the number of outdoor public park pickleball courts has increased by 650% over the past seven years, as per a recent report by the Trust for Public Land.
• Franchises, country clubs, and fitness clubs are increasingly using courts as a way to expand their businesses.
• Hundreds of courts can be found across the country at companies such as Life Time and Invited Clubs.

America's fastest-growing sport is also rapidly growing its footprint.

The number of outdoor public park pickleball courts in major cities has increased by 650% over the past seven years, according to a report by the Trust for Public Land.

In 2017, less than half of the largest U.S. cities had formalized pickleball courts. Now, parks and recreation departments have installed over 3,000 courts in 100 of the most populated cities in the country.

Pickleball courts are increasingly popular and can be found in various settings, including franchises, country clubs, and fitness clubs.

"According to Will Klein, associate director of parks research at Trust for Public Land, there is no growth trend that compares to the one observed in major parks. While there have been slight increases in playgrounds, ball fields, and basketball courts, this growth rate is significantly lower."

According to the report, the cities with the highest number of courts per capita are Louisville, Kentucky; Madison, Wisconsin; and Honolulu.

Public parks have become more inclusive due to Klein's promotion of pickleball.

Public access

City Pickle in New York City is one community benefiting from the rapid expansion of pickleball.

In 2022, Erica Desai and Mary Cannon, longtime friends and tennis players, founded City Pickle, which operates 14 tennis courts in Central Park's Wollman Rink. With court access starting at $5 per hour in off-peak times and running up to $120 during peak times, the group has become popular among tennis enthusiasts. As a result, City Pickle now hosts hundreds of events each year and has 74,000 people booking court time through their app.

Since its inception, City Pickle has grown to include branches in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Long Island City.

Cannon stated that New York City parks' popularity of pickleball and the requirement for additional courts have been comprehensively understood by us.

As new competition emerges, the co-founders remain focused on their goals.

"Desai stated that there will be an oversaturation in suburban markets at some point, which is a concern for them, hence their intentional approach to selecting locations and geography."

Members only

The world's largest indoor pickleball facility, Pickleball Kingdom, announced on Tuesday the addition of more than 25 new locations across the country.

Over 100 clubs have been established through franchising since Pickleball Kingdom first opened in 2022.

Pickleball Kingdom's founder and CEO, Ace Rodrigues, stated that the growth of pickleball in the United States has been remarkable and they are thrilled to fulfill the rising demand by introducing their top-notch indoor pickleball.

Pickleball courts are also popping up at gyms throughout the country.

The country club has nearly 700 pickleball courts in its 170 U.S. locations.

The Life Time facility, featuring 11 indoor pickleball courts, will be housed in the former Bed Bath & Beyond location in Annapolis, Maryland, on Monday.

Nearly 1,000 courts are expected to be reached by the company after a 51% increase in pickleball players at its clubs last year.

Bahram Akradi, founder and CEO of Life Time, stated that pickleball has been a significant contributor to the company's recent growth. He estimates that Life Time has invested approximately $60 million in creating new outdoor courts and transforming legacy club basketball courts into spaces for pickleball.

He remarked, "Our growth chart shows that Covid never happened, as gym attendance has been unaffected," indicating the pandemic-era decline.

David Pillsbury, CEO of At Invited Clubs, had little knowledge of pickleball three years ago.

The company currently operates approximately 500 courts, organizes tournaments, and intends to continue investing in the sport.

"Pillsbury stated that pickleball is a thriving micro-community. As a business, we focus on cultivating and supporting micro-communities because they are sticky and foster members who we can retain. These members remain at clubs, are highly active, and spend a significant amount of time there."

Between $10 million and $12 million has been invested in the sport by Invited Clubs over the past three years, as stated by Pillsbury.