Arizona Pickleball Players League (photo by Ritch Fuhrer)
Linda Schmitz
As summer arrives in the desert, opportunities to play pickleball are sometimes limited, especially for heat-sensitive individuals. Generally, the best times to play are early morning (starting at 7 a.m.) or in the evening once the sun sinks below the mountains and there is still plenty of light. Here are some other options to beat the heat and play:
Indoor courts in the Tucson area are a rarity but can be found at two clubs: ACE Pickleball Club (acepickleballclub.com), a fee-based membership club offering clinics and unlimited open play for drop-in, and The Pad Tucson (thepadtucson.com), a multi-racquet sports club offering nine indoor pickleball courts, monthly memberships, and non-member hourly rates. A third club, The Picklr Tucson, has plans to open an 11-court facility this summer in the Oro Valley Marketplace. For information on their grand opening, membership, and a list of amenities, visit thepicklr.com/location/orovalley.
If travel is an option, finding courts away from home is as simple as downloading a phone app like PicklePlay or Pickleheads. These interactive applications are easy to use and include helpful filters, maps, and reviews. Checking for courts via an online search either for hotels with pickleball amenities or finding public courts can also provide good results. A search specific to an area such as “public pickleball courts in San Diego,” for example, lists several locations for play—some fee-based and others free of charge.
Planning a trip that includes a pickleball camp has the benefit of play and instruction to improve skills. Finding a camp that fits your goals, expectations, and level of play can make a significant difference in terms of overall experience and skill development. Providers such as Nike (www.ussportscamps.com/pickleball) cater to players just starting out, while Better Pickleball (betterpickleball.com) offers camps for intermediate to advanced players. LevelUp Pickleball (www.leveluppickleballcamps.com) is the country’s largest provider, offering camps from beginner to advanced levels of play in 35 states.
Responding to the sport’s popularity and growing demand, the travel industry is taking notice, and resorts are increasingly offering pickleball as an amenity. Pickleball Travel (pickleballtravel.com) and Pickleball Cruises (pickleballcruises.com) are good resources for booking travel in several destinations around the world and even on pickleball cruises. At home or on the road, get out, have fun, beat the heat, and play pickleball!