Pickleball at The Villages, Fla.

In a Pickle and Loving It

Masters Athlete magazine has ranked the top pickleball communities in North America. The towns were judged on facilities, both in terms of quantity and quantity; the number and quality of players; and the weather. In the end, only one community could be called Pickleball Paradise…

1 The Villages, Fla.
The Villages, the mammoth active adult community in central Florida, boasts 150 outdoor courts and 2,000 players. The weather, the leagues and tournaments run by the Villages' famed recreation department and the sheer number of residents looking for a game on a daily basis make this community Pickleball Paradise. "The sport can be played year round at courts throughout the community," said John Rohan, The Villages' director of recreation. "There are leagues, tournaments and socials for all skill levels of players. There are lessons and programs from the beginner to the expert, and there are opportunities for all players to participate in a fun recreational atmosphere." Several neighboring developments boost the number of local courts to around 200. The 30-mile corridor along Route 27 in Central Florida, between Ocala and Leesburg, holds the title as the premier pickleball hotspot in the Eastern United States. Some seasonal residents, who return home during the summer, are the game's Johnny Appleseeds:bringing pickleball back with them to the East and Midwest.

2 Seattle
If pickleball is your passion, and you're willing to sacrifice year-round sunshine for lush green landscapes, there are few better places to raise a racquet than in Seattle. The roots of pickleball were established here 40 years ago, and many of the game's top senior and open level players reside in the city and surrounding environs. Recreation centers, fitness clubs, YMCAs, senior centers, schools and parks have all created courts throughout Seattle for the thousands that have been bitten by the pickleball bug. Always eager to bring in new talent, experienced players spread the gospel of pickleball to young and old through clinics held at local schools, colleges and community centers.

3 Surprise, Ariz.
In recent decades, the desert southwest has seen its population soar as seniors have flocked to the region's numerous active adult communities. Perhaps it's no surprise then, that Surprise, Ariz., has emerged as one the country's premier pickleball hotspots. It's estimated that 2,000 pickleball enthusiasts reside in and around Surprise with most of the activity centered within a group of active adult communities. Developments including Arizona Traditions, Sun City Grand, Sun City West, Sun City and the Happy Trails RV Resort each have active pickleball clubs. While most of the 40 local courts are situated within these areas, the city of Surprise is planning construction of a dozen new courts for the community. Surprise is the home of the Arizona Senior Olympics. The event attracts around 300 pickleballers each year. The National Pickleball Tournament will be staged in the Surprise area in November.

4 St. George, Utah
Pickleball arrived in St. George, Utah, in 2002. The first participants transformed tennis courts at SunRiver, St. George's active adult retirement community. Like elsewhere, the game quickly gained a following. In 2003, four new courts were constructed. That same year, pickleball was played for the first time at the Huntsman World SeniorGames, held each year in St. George. There were 50 pickleball participants the first year. By 2007, the number had risen to 250. SunRiver now has 12 dedicated courts and new ones are in the works in the town of St. George. The SunRiver St. George Pickleball Club sports a membership approaching 200, and there is a growing population of players within the St. George community. Pickleball has also been incorporated as a part of the physical education curriculum at Southern Utah University.

5 Schenectady, N.Y.
Pickleball was introduced to upstate New York about four years ago when a player who had learned the game in Florida taught it to several acquaintances in the Schenectady area. They, in turn, shared the new game with their friends and it wasn't long before Schenectady had become the pickleball epicenter of the Northeastern United States. The local pickleball community now boasts more than 100 members and continues to grow unabated. With five indoor and five outdoor venues, the game has become a year-round activity in a region where the winter months can put a damper on many outdoor activities. The local newspaper, the Schenectady Gazette, runs a weekly pickleball column written by regional ambassador Jim Plotnik. The 2007 Empire Senior Games, held last June in nearby Cortland, featured a pickleball tournament that attracted 130 participants.

6 British Columbia, Canada
Pickleball's ongoing crusade knows no borders, as Canada is being besieged by scores of racquet-swinging seniors. British Columbia is the game's most active province. The center of action is Kenowna, an Okanagan Valley town about 300 miles from Seattle. The story of pickleball's BC migration has a familiar plotline. A local resident discovered the game's pleasures while wintering in the Sun Belt. Back at home, she introduced friends to her new pastime, and it's been on a roll ever since. More than 100 players congregate at Kenowna's one outdoor and three indoor facilities, and new groups have formed in nearby Penticton, Vernon, Peachland and Summerland.

7 Houston
Pockets of pickleball are sprouting up like wildflowers across the Texas landscape. From Victoria, near the coast, to the Robson Ranch active adult community in Denton, the game is establishing roots across the Lone Star State. Houston currently claims the greatest concentration of pickleball activity. A local contingent of about 100 dedicated regulars frequent the indoor courts at a half dozen area YMCAs and recreation centers. Anxious to see the sport proliferate, players stage periodic pickleball demos in athletic facilities around the city.

8 Lafayette and Baton Rouge, La.
Pickleball has had a presence in Louisiana since at least 1980, when the game was first taught to students in the middle schools of Baton Rouge. In Lafayette, the game arrived about a decade ago when an enthusiast from Texas convinced a group of local badminton players to give pickleball a try. In recent years, both Baton Rouge and Lafayette have emerged as parallel pickleball hotspots with a growing number of passionate players in each community. The Baton Rouge group, which numbers around 90, plays up to four times a week in a variety of air-conditioned indoor venues. The Lafayette folks also play indoors at two locations. They divide their membership, which they estimate at around 100, by ability -- with beginners, intermediates and advanced players meeting on different days.

9 Bella Vista, Ark.
In the hills of northwest Arkansas, the town of Bella Vista has long attracted retirees in search of a daily round of golf. In recent years, these folks have found a new way to have a ball. A local couple got turned on to pickleball while visiting friends in central Florida. They brought their enthusiasm for the game back to the Ozarks, and the Bella Vista Pickleball Club was born. The group has grown to 68 members. They play on three dedicated outdoor courts. The installation of lights will soon allow for post-golf matches. In an unusual adaptation, some of the women members have converted local racquetball courts into pickleball-friendly facilities.

10 Southern California
In contrast to other locales where the game has developed a following, California's pickleball community can claim no particular focal point or birthplace. Rather, the sport appears to be simultaneously gaining momentum in many locations throughout the state. California has not seen the development of the large active adult communities prevalent elsewhere in the country. Perhaps that delayed pickleball from gaining a foothold. But the game has now been discovered and is attracting attention in coastal communities, in the desert and within the interior valleys. From San Diego to Sacramento, Palm Desert to Silicon Valley, the options for pickleball enthusiasts are expanding at an accelerating pace.