Are You Ready for…Pickleball?

When it comes to attractions, Orlando has pretty much cornered the market on just about every kind of ride and activity you can think of, but now there’s a new game in town and, while it sounds pretty frivolous, it is actually one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.

So, have you heard of Pickleball? It’s a serious question. While you probably won’t find it in many places outside America, it is definitely the up-and-coming attraction for all ages, and it is now a major experience in the heart of tourism territory in Kissimmee.

In fact, this sporting newcomer is aimed just as much at visitors as locals, and the very latest example of it is very eye-catching indeed. It is called Crush Yard Pickleball Club & Restaurant, and it is newly opened in the Formosa Gardens area of Highway 192, almost adjacent to the big Margaritaville Resort and Sunset Walk entertainment district.

Regular visitors will know the location as the former site of a Winn-Dixie supermarket and, before that, a Goodings store (dating back to the early 2000s). However, the building had stood empty for several years before a new company had a bright idea. Let’s turn it into an indoor sports centre with a great restaurant and arcade games, they said. And hey ho, Crush Yard was born, the second in a series of similar indoor facilities planned countrywide that will all utilise abandoned big-box stores.

What IS pickleball?

Of course, this all stems from the amazing growth of the sport of pickleball, something that was invented basically as a back garden game back in the 1960s but has become THE big recreational activity for many different age groups. There are even two professional Pickleball leagues in the US, with big-money prizes for competitions and investments from big-name American football stars like Rob Gronkowski.

To start with, it looks a bit like tennis, but the courts are half the size and players use a paddle rather than a racquet and a plastic whiffle-ball instead of a harder tennis ball. It plays in a similar manner, with singles and doubles, and it has become a prime recreational opportunity for the over-50s as it is easy to play and less stressful on the joints than tennis.

Kids love it, too, hence the new Crush Yard centre has quickly picked up members as young as five and as old as 80. The scoring is a bit different to tennis (you can find the rules of Pickleball on this link), but the overall style is similar. It’s easier to pick up than tennis, and the paddles and balls are also cheaper.

Come along and play!

The basic idea is that you can play as a family or group, or join the club and take part in social play and competitions. The centre is open from 10am to 10pm daily (until midnight on Friday and Saturday; plus from 6-10am for members), and there are fully 10 indoor courts, open to all-comers on an hourly basis. You can play singles, but most play doubles, which makes it more cost-effective, as well as easier on the legs! You can bring your own equipment to play or hire it at Crush Yard.

But that is really just the start of the experience at this exciting new venue. As well as the Pickleball courts, the other part of its name is the Restaurant part, and that is worth knowing about even if you don’t want to play, because the dining option here is equally delightful, It is set right up front, with views to the courts on either side, consisting of the huge main bar that is nearly 50ft long and then with restaurant table space for up to 150 guests at a time. The food is equally as enjoyable as the setting, with a menu consisting of salads, appetisers, bowls (with brown rice), nachos, sliders, pizza and two Charcuterie Boards, with prices from $8 to $20.

There are two distinct arcade games areas, set between the rows of courts, with the Backyard Games including the likes of cornhole and air hockey and the out-and-out Games Arcade at the back of the building offering the latest video games. There are also a whopping 70 large, flatscreen TVs sprinkled throughout the centre, covering all the regular US sports, plus European soccer.

There’s more!

Ready to play? Court rental at Crush Yard is $48/hour and up to eight can use one court. Paddles cost $6 each to hire, although they are pretty cheap to buy at virtually any major store like Walmart, Target or Dick’s Sporting Goods. Lessons start at $30/hour. See more here. There is no charge just to enter for a look around and watch, and it makes for great spectator value, too.

Crush Yard is not the only game in town, though. Not by a long chalk. As of this month, there are more than 50 Pickleball facilities in the greater Orlando area, with 17 of them in the air-conditioned cool. Many of the outdoor ones are free to play, and there are often social hours throughout the week when you can join in with the regulars. You’ll find them in places like Mount Dora and Winter Garden, Sanford and St Cloud, Hunters Creek and Lake Nona, as well as at community centres and even a few resorts (notably Disney’s Old Key West and the fab Reunion Resort, where we have a number of villas and apartments).

There are also new indoor centres being built all the time, including in Longwood and Winter Park, while the under-construction Hamlin House in the south downtown district of Orlando is due to open imminently with another impressive set-up, offering both indoor and outdoor courts as well as a smart bar/restaurant. It is definitely THE sport for all-comers,

Does Pickleball appeal to you, and are you likely to play the next time you’re in Orlando?