In case you didn’t already know, pickleball is all the rage. It’s the fastest-growing sport in America. Demand for this pickleball — a mix of ping pong, tennis, and wiffleball — is so high that it’s often tough to book a court to actually play it!
As you know, lots of stores are closing, as issues like inflation, the Covid-19 pandemic, and a massive shift toward online shopping have reduced in-store foot traffic. Some entrepreneurs are making creative use of their old, vacant retail spaces‚ turning them into hives of pickleball courts.
If your community doesn’t have a pickleball court in an old retail store yet, odds are high that it’s coming your way in the near future.
So, how much are these mall-based pickleball courts going to cost? Is this a regional fad, or is this thing going nationwide? We’ve found out all about this growing trend, and will help you not spend too much when you play.
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Picklemall will open a low-priced chain of 50 mall-based pickleball complexes by mid-2025.
Courtesy of Picklemall
Leading the way in repurposing abandoned retail spaces for pickleball is Picklemall, a company that is planning to open 50 pickleball complexes over the next two years.
In July 2023, Picklemall will open their very first location in the space formerly occupied by an At Home store, at the Arizona Mills mall in Tempe. Instead of home goods, mallgoers will find 24 individual championship-style indoor pickleball courts.
Picklemall is building indoor pickleball facilities in existing indoor mall and strip mall properties, with climate control and strategically spaced courts. They use technology — including a mobile app and court cameras (for recording gameplay) — to enhance the player experience and reduce wait times. There’s also an attached Pro Shop.
In the coming months, Picklemall will also open locations in Minneapolis, Chicago, and Austin, among others. Picklemall’s CEO says you’ll pay between $5-$10 per person, per hour to play on the courts, but there will be an unlimited membership for $100-$150 per month.
Related: Need some Pickleball gear? We’ve got the best deals on the essentials.
A former Burlington store in New Jersey now hosts pickleball for $8/hour.
A pickleball facility recently opened in a former Burlington store space at Shore Mall in Egg Township, New Jersey, called PROSHOT Pickleball. The facility is more of a gym-like atmosphere, including men’s and women’s locker rooms to accompany the eight fenced pickleball courts, plus a pro shop, a players’ lounge, climate control, pro-cushion surfacing, court reservation software, and more.
Although membership can be spendy, the cost-per-hour is actually cheaper than the low prices of Picklemall.
PROSHOT Pickleball offers an hourly rate of $12 per person for court reservations, reduced to $8 per hour for members. Their Open Play costs $12 for two hours for members, $4 cheaper than the $16 non-member rate. Clinics are priced between $20-$30, with a $5 member discount.
Membership can be cost-effective if you visit 5-10 times per month. There are two membership tiers:
- Teal: $39/month, offering $8/hr court reservations, $5 off clinics and classes, and 4-day advance court booking
- Purple: $299/year ($24.92/month paid upfront), providing the same benefits as Teal, with an additional 7-day advance booking, one open play credit per quarter, and two buddy passes.
The value of membership depends on the frequency and type of visits. For Open Play and court reservations, Teal is worthwhile at 10 visits per month, and Purple at 6-7 visits. For classes, Teal pays for itself at 8 visits per month, and Purple at 5 visits.
It costs $12 – $45 to play Pickleball in a vacated Bed Bath & Beyond store in Missouri.
In July 2023, Paddle Up will open a pickleball complex in the former Bed Bath & Beyond storefront in the outdoor Missouri mall, The Meadows at Lake Saint Louis.
Paddle Up offers nine top-notch indoor courts that all have USA Pickleball-official court surfacing, as well as professional posts and nets, dividers between courts for added privacy, and a minimum ceiling height of at least 21 feet. They’ve also squeezed in two championship courts, a concession stand, and a pro shop.
Here’s how pricing works there:
- Non-members: Open play is $12 ($20 after 5 p.m. or weekends), and court reservations are $35/hr ($40 after 5 p.m. or weekends).
- Basic membership ($25/month): Open play is $10 ($15 after 5 p.m. or weekends), and court reservations are $20/hr ($30 after 5 p.m. or weekends). Members get discounts on tournaments, leagues, and can bring guests for a $5 fee.
- Big Dill membership ($75/month): Open play is $8 ($12 after 5 p.m. or weekends), and includes two free court rental hours monthly. Court reservations after the free hours are priced the same as the Basic membership. Members get the same benefits as Basic, but can book courts up to 14 days in advance.
Getting a membership at Paddle Up would be worth it if you plan to play at least 4 times per month.
A former Old Navy store is now the $10-$15/hour All-Star Pickleball.
All-Star Pickleball doesn’t have a website. You can find mix-in play and lessons on the TeamReach app using code ASPC2022. If you want to book a court for exclusive use, you’ll have to call (978) 804-6645.
There are different costs for each play option:
- Mix-in play: $10 – $15/hr
- Lessons: $45 – $50/hr
- Court reservations: $60/hr
The cost of court reservations can vary slightly depending on the time of year and number of people in your reservation.
One of the largest (and spendiest) pickleball venues in the U.S. is at a former Saks Off Fifth store.
When it opens in the 80,000-square-foot former Saks Off Fifth location in Samford, Conn., Pickleball America says it’ll be the largest pickleball venue around. It’s unclear whether Pickleball America will open any additional locations, but here’s what they charge:
- A Pickleball America membership ranges from $99-$199, with discounts available for military personnel, students, teachers, and seniors. The membership offers discounted rates for court reservations, classes, and pickup games.
- Court reservations cost $67.50/hr for members, compared to $75/hr for non-members.
- Prices for classes range from $31.50 – $50.63 per session for members.
- Pickup games cost $22.50/hr.
- There are also discounts for family memberships, with costs per person decreasing as the family size increases, starting at $175/person for a 2-person membership and dropping to $150/person for families of 4 or more.
Whether the membership is worth it for a casual attendee largely depends on the frequency and type of usage. If you attend just once or twice a month and primarily for pickup games or classes, it may be more cost-effective to pay the non-member rates.
To save money, check parks & community centers before playing pickleball at the mall.
If you can reserve a pickleball court at a community center, city park, or senior center, it’s definitely a cheaper option compared to pickleball businesses.
Now, while some municipal tennis courts can be used for free, you’d need to adjust the net and boundaries in order to play pickleball on them. In larger cities, you may have to make reservations and/or pay a fee to play (typically $2 to $4 per hour).
There are downsides to municipal pickleball courts, such as being outdoors and potential closures during certain times of the year. Plus, you’ll need to purchase your own pickleball paddles and balls, which can range in price from $10 to $100 for paddles and $5 to $20 for balls. Public pickleball courts often serve multiple sports, creating a prioritization challenge between pickleball and other sports like tennis and basketball.
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