Pickleball Continues Its Unparalleled Growth By Jack Barrett Pickleball has swept the nation and more than 36 million Americans have taken up the game. Played on a court roughly one fourth the size of a tennis court Pickleball is a cross between Ping Pong and Tennis. The game is played with a wiffle ball roughly the size of a baseball and a paddle used to swat the ball to and fro over the net. According to USA Pickleball, the governing body of the sport, their membership increased by 15% in 2023. New pickleball courts are constantly being added to municipal parks, country clubs and senior citizen retirement communities. All strata of the population are enjoying the fast-moving sport. More than 50,000 pickleball courts are accessible at 11,885 locations around the country. Over 1,000 new locations were added in 2023. USA Pickleball sanctioned 195 tournaments last year, including the National Championship and National Indoor Championship. In addition, USA Pickleball was directly involved in the development of over $300 million in new facilities in 2023, including over 35 regional venues. Nearly 3,500 players registered to compete in the National Championship and were rooted on by 50,000 spectators in attendance. USA Pickleball also awarded 165 grants to support community, collegiate and youth pickleball programs. They added 35 newly trained referees to bring the total to 2,271 certified referees to preside over sanctioned competitions. As more and more people discover the benefits of the sport, pickleball is expected to continue its rapid growth in 2024. Golf and Pickleball have become entwined as many country clubs and upscale golf clubs have added courts for their players. If you would like to learn more about pickleball, visit the USA Pickleball, or the Pickleheads websites for more information and resources. Michigan Golf Journal
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