How To Find Places To Play Pickleball Near You
When you are just starting out playing pickleball, it can be challenging to find pickleball courts near you. And it can be difficult to find other players to play with.
Luckily, there are a few options that make it simple.
If you have an iPhone or an iPad, option 1, using the Places2Play app, is the #1 easiest and most convenient way to find pickleball courts near you.
I’ve just recently learned about this app and I’m surprised to find indoor and outdoor courts near me that I didn’t know existed.
If you don’t have an iPhone or an iPad, then take a look at the other options and see which one will work best for you.
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The Places2Play app (available for the iPhone and iPad)
#1 – Places2Play App for iPhone and iPad
Once you’ve downloaded the app, it will prompt you to let it find your GPS location. Say yes.
Once it’s found your location, the location of both indoor and outdoor pickleball courts near you will be displayed by various colored location icons.
How to use the Places2Play App
It’s a simple app to use but I think initially, the icons on the map can seem confusing.
Once you know what each icon represents, it’s simple.
Here’s a quick overview:
Red icons – indoor use only
Orange icons – outdoor use only
Blue icons – mix of indoor and outdoor pickleball courts
Orange and blue icons with a grey ring and a red arrow – show the wind
Regular icon – without any other symbols is a pickleball location that is free or accepts donations
Icon with $ sign – a pickleball location that charges for use
Icon with a padlock – a pickleball location that is private
Map Display
Once the app recognizes your location, it will display the pickleball locations near you using the colored coded location icons described above.
As an example, you can see the pickleball courts near me in the image below on the left.
When you touch one of the location markers, information such as reviews and the schedule are displayed.
You can see the details of a pickleball court location near me below on the right.
The app also provides a legend that clearly explains the location icons.
You just need to touch the gray / white icon on the bottom right of the map screen.
#2 – USAPA website
The USAPA website is a great source of pickleball information including finding pickleball courts near you.
It has a menu option that is also called Places 2 Play.
It’s not quite as convenient as the Places2Play iPhone app but it’s certainly a good option.
You can find the Places2Play menu option at the top of the screen towards the right side.
Hover your mouse over the menu option and you’ll see an option that say Places 2 Play Pickleball. That’s the option to highlight and click.
The website provides two options for finding pickleball courts, using a search or a map option.
Option #1 – Search Window – Once you’ve selected the Places 2 Play menu option, another screen will appear with a search window in the middle.
You can type in a city name to search for a list of pickleball courts that are in or near that city. I typed ‘Denver’ in the search window. You can see the results below.
I selected the last pickleball court location, Montclair Recreation Center and the results below.
The information is typically helpful and includes the schedule.
Option #2 – Use the By State menu option that is in the top left corner of the screen.
Click on By State and a map will appear. Click on the correct state and you will see a list of pickleball courts. The information is typically very detailed as you can see in the image below.
#3 – Join local Facebook groups
Facebook can be very helpful for finding local pickleball communities.
Login to Facebook and do a search for pickleball in your town or city.
I’m going to use Denver again in this example.
I typed Denver Pickleball in the search bar at the top and found 3 groups with an option to See all groups for ‘denver pickleball’ which provided a few additional options.
A list of pickleball groups is provided, and there’s an option to click on another link. See all groups for ‘Denver pickleball’ which brings up more options.
The Pickleball Forum group is huge with 33,000 members as of April 21, 2020.
Although not necessarily in the Denver area, it’s a great group with players who share a lot of information.
#4 – Contact your local pickleball ambassador
You can locate USAPA ambassadors on the USAPA.org website. There is an ambassadors menu option on the top to the right side.
These people are volunteers who have pledged to promote the sport of pickleball in the local area that they represent.
I think reaching out to your local ambassador is a great way to get to know more people in your community.
#5 – Use Google
Ya, simple, but a potentially effective way of finding pickleball courts near you.
Simply type ‘pickleball courts near me’ in the search bar and see what pops up. Or type ‘pickleball courts near Denver’.
Of course, replace Denver with your local city or town.
3 other ideas to find a pickleball court near you, include contacting the:
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local YMCA
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local community center
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tennis centers or clubs
Use the Places 2 Play website or find it on the the USAPA website.
BOTTOM LINE
Playing pickleball with a group of people you don’t know can be intimidating for anyone, especially if you are new to the sport.
Here are 5 key points to keep in mind:
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Most pickleball players are considerate and if you are a beginner or somewhat new to the game, other players will understand because they too, were new to the game at one point.
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Tell the other players what your level is so that they can help balance out the skill level of teams.
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Be sure to let players know how much experience you have and let them know that it’s okay if they want to remind you of the rules or give you hints and tips.
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Be open to help. It can help you become a better player and help you forge new pickleball friendships along the way.
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Remember to reach out to your local ambassador because they will be approachable and open to helping you find courts and players.
If you are a beginner and looking to learn some basics, read my in-depth guide called How To Play Pickleball (Strategy Made Easy).
And if you need to buy a pickleball paddle, Pickleball Paddles Basics That Are Super Easy To Understand is an easy read that will make it easy to choose a paddle.