Five years ago, it felt like no one had ever heard of pickleball. And now? It feels like everybody and their mom is playing it! Is this pickleball thing just a trend? Probably. Is it extremely fun and will we personally continue playing it? Definitely. Plus it’s a good time on a dime, and you know we love that! So if you’re looking for things to do in DFW and things to do in Dallas specifically, consider pickleball. And if you don’t know where to find the best Dallas Pickleball courts, keep reading, because Here’s What’s Up Dallas!
Table of Contents:
- Our Pickleball Experience
- What is Pickleball? And why is it so fun?
- Where to play Pickleball in Dallas
- Summary
Our Pickleball Experience
We are way late to this trend, and if you are too, great! This is the perfect post for you.
We’ve been meaning to play pickleball for a long time now, so when our friends invited us out, we said “yes” in a heartbeat. We shared a tiny picnic in the park, and then we hit the courts (for free!) to play a game.
To be honest, we didn’t really know what pickleball was, but we wanted to play because everyone seemed so excited about it. Was pickleball worth all the hype? The answer is YES! Most definitely! Despite having no idea how to play the game, we picked it up in only minutes and started having a blast!
We ended our match with huge smiles, went back to our picnic, and declared the afternoon a roaring success. And then, of course, we started writing this blog post.
What is Pickleball? And why is it so fun?
Pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping pong. Instead of rackets, you use paddles. Instead of a solid ball, you use a wiffle ball dupe that’s heavier and easy to hit (but hard to hit right). And you do all of this on a mid-sized court, ideally in a group of four players.
But what does this all mean? Nothing important, just that pickleball is easier to play than tennis, and super gratifying! That’s one of the reasons it’s so fun. It’s played with friends and has a low barrier to entry. But it’s still challenging enough to be a sport.
You may see 80 year-olds playing pickleball at the same time you see 30-year-olds running around the court, wildly swinging their paddles. This sport is great for children, teenagers, young adults, full adults, the elderly, you name it. And you can become a pretty decent player on day one.
Compare that to soccer where you need to fall a lot before you get the hang of it. Do you see the appeal? The fact that you can grab your asthmatic neighbors and play a super fun round of pickleball is why pickleball is so fun. It’s more active than ping pong, but less intense than tennis, all the while still being skill-based, mirroring the finesse needed in badminton.
Seriously, you might have to practice a little bit to grasp how to hit the ball, but we swear it’s worthwhile! Once you start playing, you’ll think, “this is super fun. I wanna do this again.“
Where to Play Pickleball in Dallas
If you’re like us, the only reasons you’ve been dragging your feet on playing pickleball are:
- You don’t know where to go, and
- You don’t know who to go with
We’re going to help you solve both those dilemmas right now!
Top Three Options for Dallas Pickleball Courts
Where to go, where to go . . . .
Dallas Pickleball Courts Option 1: Sandy Pickle
Sandy Pickle at The Village Dallas
With 6 pickleball courts, a full bar, and a vibrant social scene, this retro-themed destination is a pickleball lover’s dream! Enjoy pickle-themed snacks, an epic patio, and some sand volleyball for a little variety. The Sandy Pickle also stands out for its affordability and accommodation for solo players.
It offers court reservations at $20 per hour during off-peak times AND Open Play sessions for just $10 (or free for members)! And guess what? Individual players can join open play sessions! That’s right! Here you can play pickleball without a pre-arranged group.
Venues like Chicken N Pickle (which charge a minimum of $30 per hour and require a group) are still great but less accessible. The pricing structure of Sandy Pickle makes it a more cost-effective option for both casual and regular players. It also fosters a friendly environment where solo players can meet fellow enthusiasts, making Sandy Pickle our preferred choice for someone just starting out!
- Open: Monday-Sunday, 10am-10pm
- 5683 Village Glen Dr, Dallas, TX 75206
Dallas Pickleball Courts Option 2: Cole Park
But what if you want to play Pickleball more regularly and for free?
We got you! Cole Park is the perfect blend of charm and convenience for more serious pickleball enthusiasts. This quaint 7-acre park boasts 6 pickleball courts which also light up at night, making it a favorite for evening play. Since the courts are first-come, first-served, daytime players should arrive early or be okay with waiting about 45 minutes, which is usually what we do 😅.
It’s an amazing park with a playground, basketball courts, benches, and lots of space for hanging out! The bustling vibe is ideal for meeting fellow pickleball players and enjoying a community feel. Though we generally come for tennis, we truly do love this park and highly recommend it. It’s also a great spot if you want to go out afterwards because it’s smack dab in the middle of the city!
- Open: Monday-Sunday, 5am-11pm
- 4000 Cole Ave, Dallas, TX 75204
Dallas Pickleball Courts Option 3: Your Local Court
But what if you’re not near Cole Park or the Sandy Pickle?
Don’t worry! We still got you! You probably have a local court nearby, and finding the perfect court that’s close to home is easier than you think. In the next section, I’ll teach you how to uncover the best pickleball spots in your area. So stay tuned and grab your paddle!
How to Find Local Dallas Pickleball Courts
I’m going to keep this short and sweet! You have four options!
- Check out your local city page (most likely [yourcity].gov). From there, find the search box and type in either “pickleball” or “tennis.” Then, your local court will come up!
- If you live in Dallas, you can actually go to www.dallasparks.org/578/Pickleball, a page which details every single court in the city. You’re welcome!
- If you want to narrow down your search even further, you can check out this Dallasites101 post to find 14 Dallas Pickleball Courts, each with descriptions.
- You can also type pickleball into Google Maps, and it should bring up the court closest to you. Yep. It’s that easy.
How to Find Games and a Pickleball Partner
With whom shall you play? Once again, I’m going to keep this short and sweet! This time, you have three options!
- Check out places like Sandy Pickle, which offers Open Play sessions for individual players. If you’re good at making friends, explore other spots with regular pickleball action, like Cole Park.
- Your local gym; this one can be hit or miss. However, larger gyms like Lifetime Fitness often offer pickleball, and if they do, you’re likely to meet plenty of fellow players!
- This one is our favorite: Meetup! We made a post detailing how we find cheap things to do in Dallas using Meetup and other platforms. So it’s absolutely no surprise to us that there are pickleball meetups on the website and app! However, what did surprise us is that DFW Young and Social is hosting a pickleball get-together! Score! If you don’t already know about this amazing organization, read our post on DFW YAS, and prepare to be wowed!
Summary
NOW, you know what pickleball is, why it’s so fun, where to play in Dallas, how to find Dallas Pickleball courts, and even a partner to join you. And just because we love you, we’ll summarize everything here!
- What is pickleball?: A sport combining elements of tennis, badminton, and ping pong.
- Why is it so fun?: People of all ages can learn to play and it’s easy to pick up!
- Where to play pickleball in Dallas: Sandy Pickle, Cole Park or your local court!
- How to find other Dallas pickleball courts: If you don’t live in Dallas proper, your local city website or google maps. If you do, the Dallas Parks website or this post!
- How to find a Dallas pickleball partner: Go to the open play sessions at Sandy Pickle or pickleball hotspots like Cole Park. You can also try your local gym, or our personal recommendation, Meetup.com.
And there ya go! We hope you end up loving pickleball as much as we do, and as always, if you’re looking for things to do in Dallas and things to do in DFW, subscribe to our newsletter where we share everything!
Until next time!
