Tennis used to be the staple activity at most RV parks and resorts across the country, particularly in the Sunbelt. But as pickleball has gained in popularity over the past decade, growing numbers of RV resorts are either converting some of their tennis courts to pickleball courts or they’re adding more pickleball courts in response to consumer demand.
“While pickleball may have once been relegated to senior living centers, it is gaining popularity as a fun and beneficial sport for all ages,” Nicole LaMarco wrote in a recent article for VeryWellFit.com. “In fact, the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) has called it the fastest-growing sport in America.”
“Pickleball is exploding in popularity. It’s gone crazy,” said Todd E. Burbage, CEO of Ocean City, Maryland-based Blue Water Development Corp., which owns, operates and manages RV parks and resorts across the country. “We are installing pickleball courts at just about every resort that can accommodate them.”
Chicago-based Equity LifeStyle Properties (ELS) is also seeing rising demand for pickleball at its resorts, which include RV resorts with the Encore and Thousand Trails brand names, said Randy “Boomer” Berman, a senior public relations specialist for ELS. “Many of our RV resort and campground locations across the country have been getting into the pickleball game, and improving, installing, expanding, or converting their sports recreation areas to focus on pickleball,” Berman said.
Encore Victoria Palms RV Resort in Donna, Texas, for example, recently converted its tennis court facilities into pickleball courts in response to consumer demand, Berman said. Encore Terra Ceia Village in Palmetto, Florida also celebrated a new expansion last year that included more than 180 new RV sites and four pickleball courts. “The open house event also featured live demonstrations from pickleball professional, Jon Hamm, who taught guests the basics of pickleball,” Berman said.
Here’s a sampling of nearly 100 RV resorts across the country that include pickleball courts along with their other amenities:
