December 1, 2022
If dink, divorce alley, and volley llama are in your lexicon, chances are you’re hopelessly smitten with pickleball.
You and more than 4 million other Americans. According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, the quirky mishmash of tennis, ping-pong, and badminton has been the fastest growing sport in the U.S. for two years running.
Accessible and easy to learn, pickleball has everyone from 7-year-olds to grandmothers to Leonardo DiCaprio hitting the courts. It’s similar to doubles tennis, but played on a smaller court with a lower net. Unlike tennis, there is less sprinting involved and you use a lightweight paddle and plastic ball much like a Wiffle ball.
To cater to the trend, there’s now a themed restaurant chain called Chicken N Pickle, stylish lines of pickleball gear from the likes of Recess, and a Major League Pickleball team owned by LeBron James. There’s even a grassroots movement to take pickleball to the Olympics.
Not surprisingly, resorts across North America are fully embracing the sport, too. Below, we’ve gathered some of the best.
Whether you’ve been rallying for years or have never picked up a paddle, the programs and facilities at these properties will leave any pickler tickled pink.
Fair warning: It’s easy to get hooked and nicknames are a must. Just know that Pickleball McNasty is already taken.