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By Sara McInnes on December 06, 2022

Good-Bye, Outdoor Season

It snowed here this week. So, goodbye outdoor season and hello “I’ll take what I can get”. Indoor pickleball is a little bittersweet for me because although there are now many dedicated, indoor pickleball options these days, none of them are exactly close by.

I’ll take the time and travel out of the city to play on a hardcourt surface but it doesn’t happen very often. Like most people in Toronto, if I want to play closer to home, I’m mainly left with city drop-ins; although I’m others will continue to stick with outdoor play.

For those of you belonging to a club with indoor courts, you’re lucky ducks. Winter came early and that’s no skin off your back. Enjoy it and just remember most memberships come with guest passes, k?

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Photo credit: Sara McInnes

I had actually been thinking about the fact that when you play in a club you’re sort of just playing the same people, however, I also know that a few clubs have come together and formed a league.

Hopefully, they plan on continuing throughout the winter. If you think that you’re interested in being a part of a pickleball club, an extra consideration (and a huge plus) are the programming options such as leagues or ladders.

It’s hard to believe that two years ago we would do anything to play pickleball. At the same time, during the pandemic, we were so desperate just to play, even for a little while so we would dig out the courts from under the snow, and play while it snowed.

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Photo credit: Sara McInnes

This year though, now that winter has officially arrived, it feels like so many people are either escaping the weather already or are at least thinking about how they can escape it.

I’ve got multiple students and friends taking off to Florida, the Caribbean, and Mexico. Cue the heavy daydreaming *now*. In a previous article, I encouraged players to bring their paddles everywhere they go, especially on trips, but what about intentionally escaping the cold for a pickleball vacation?

Although I’ve never actually gone on one, pickleball vacations are a real thing and there are a few ways to go about it.

Cruise Ships

It was about four years ago that I heard cruise ships were starting to implement pickleball, by using areas already dedicated to a racquet sport (either tennis or badminton).

It’s a simple yet smart idea to address the growing demand of pickleball and is likely gaining them additional customers. For example, I do not find cruise ships appealing however if I were to ever consider that type of vacation, I’d select a ship that offers pickleball!

I found an article on Cruise Critic, which lists all of the cruises featuring pickleball, some of these include well-known names such as Princess Cruises and Regents. I would say the advantage to a cruise is that you can travel with non-pickleball folk, and have a “regular” vacation while still getting your fix.

Destinations

But for you serious pickleball junkies, there are so. many. options to choose from. A quick Google search will pull up plenty of lists out there that suggest certain areas as ideal destinations for pickleball.

So, again, the choice is there for you, you can plan a vacation as per usual but these resorts will have dedicated pickleball courts and pickleball players a plenty. Here are some hot spots that just come to mind:

- Naples, Florida
- Mazatlan, México
- Tres Palapas, México
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Hilton Head, South Carolina
- Maui, Hawaii
- Antigua, Barbados

Out of the above, I’ve only been lucky enough to go to Naples, but for the US Open only, so this is the destination I can speak to the most. The most impressive thing about this spot is that there are 50 courts. That’s right, 50.

They are located in East Naples Community Park along with a newly built center stocked with merchandise and equipment. There are a few resident pros to give lessons and with that ridiculous amount of courts you’ll never have to wait for a game.

I do believe that they organize them by skill level; so upon arrival, you have to prove your rating and only play on the assigned courts they give you. There's not much to do at East Naples, but there is a cluster of great food trucks and a fully stocked outdoor bar on the canal, about five minutes away from the Park.

I also recommend trying the frozen custard at Culvers, which is just around the corner. Downtown Naples is pretty bougie and right by the water. You’ll find plenty of restaurants and shopping options in the downtown core.

Tin City is also nearby and worth checking out at least once. Finally, I can’t emphasize enough how perfect it is to have a drink on the beach, by Naples Pier, while watching the sun go down.

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Photo credit: Pickleball Rush

As mentioned, unfortunately, I can’t speak to the other destinations listed above, but they came to mind mostly because I’ve heard about them through others, and reading comments on the forums. But, hopefully, one day I’ll visit them and will be sure to report my experiences.

That said, pro senior player Jennifer Lucore has started a destination finder on her website, you just type in a location and it will pull up articles she’s written about each one of them.

Some locations are blank and some are all the options in the area. Pickleball University has written up its list of top destinations and there are many more lists out there. Be sure to do your research and have fun planning!

Travel with a Pro

Pickleball Trips is owned and operated by father/son duo Scott and Daniel Moore. Daniel Moore lives in Asia and will come back to the States from time to time to compete, whereas Scott Moore actively competes at the senior pro level.

Their trips might be on the pricier end of things but they offer camps in places such as Japan, Belize, and Thailand. It’s not totally clear, but it looks like there are up to eleven trips available in 2023.

Pickleball Getaways is another Pro option. Co-founded by Dekel Bar and Ben Johns, past trips hosted by this company have been in Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Portugal. 

They also feature coaches like Corrine Carr, Rob Cassidy, and Michelle Esquivel. While it also might be on the pricey side to do a trip like this, from the testimonials, the amount of content that’s delivered also seems on the high end. There are eight trips listed for 2023.

My last piece of advice is to start dating a pickleball pro and tag along as they travel around for tournaments, then your outdoor season never has to end.

In all seriousness, if you can’t beat the winter blues by travelling somewhere hot to play pickleball, no sweat (literally), there is bound to be an indoor option around the corner from you.

If you live in Canada, there are lists of playing options on Pickleball Canada’s website, there are regional ambassadors who can help guide you through the options and most cities and towns offer a variety of drop-in times.

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Photo credit: Sara McInnes


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Published by Sara McInnes December 6, 2022