As we see from The Manual pickleball coverage, pickleball is the sport that United States citizens are craving most right now. Major investors (and players) like Tom Brady and LeBron James are funding this explosion, especially for professional pickleball where revenue comes into the picture. Even with millions jumping on board, the sport’s business development is still in its nascency. This means that serious players can often register for pickleball tournaments for less than a hundred bucks.
If you and your team believe that you can compete against the best, we’ve rounded up several upcoming tournaments near you with information from the Professional Pickleball Association.
Baird Wealth Management Texas Open
The Oasis Pickleball Club in Rockwall, Texas (east of Dallas) is a proper setting for a pickleball clash. The club sports 42 dedicated outdoor pickleball courts, four permanent covered pickleball courts, and two Championship
Registrants get to play on new elite stadium courts, whether registered as a pro or amateur. Players ready to jump in need to act fast, though. Registration closes Monday, October 24.
- Registration: $90
- Tournament dates: November 3-6
PPA Takeya Showcase
If it’s swanky, Southern California style you’re into, the Tennis Club at Newport Beach is a vintage classic worth checking out. Shining through as a premier destination in a new century, in the 1960s (per its history), the club served as a play area for Hollywood stars like Lauren Bacall, Johnny Carson, and John Wayne. The club soon hosted professional and amateur tournaments with greats like Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Billie Jean King, Jack Kramer, and Arthur Ashe gracing its courts. In 2020, Newport Beach adopted America’s new sport, adding 31 pickleball courts crowned by a stadium court.
Today, the tennis club continues its illustrious tradition with 150 annual tennis affairs and another dozen “top-notch” Pickleball events. This includes the PPA Takeya Showcase from November 17-20. Registration closes on November 6.
- Registration: $90
- Tournament dates: November 17-20
PPA Hertz National Championship
Here’s a big one on a big stage. The PPA Hertz National Championship will ball out at the United States Tennis Association’s National Campus. Here, there is not one, but three racquet sports on offer — tennis, pickleball, and padel. (Head describes padel as “a mix between Tennis and Squash.” Usually a doubles game, like squash, padel is played on a glass- and metallic mash-enclosed court, one-third of the size of a tennis court.)
Headquartered in Orlando, the USTA’s national campus spreads almost 100 tennis courts across 64 acres under palm trees and astride wildlife-rich ponds. At the grounds, players of all levels have access to premier tennis coaches, courts, and equipment. Grab a lesson, play a recreational match, and/or watch college tennis players duke it out. And from December 1 to 4, you can watch or play in the PPA’s Hertz national championship, featuring some of the best pickleball paddlers in the world. Open to register for anyone, Florida in December doesn’t sound so bad, either. Registration closes November 20.
- Registration: $90
- Tournament dates: December 1-4
Bubly Team Championship
If Florida’s not your thing, perhaps an iridescent urban gem in the Nevada desert is. The first-ever Bubly Team Championship will pop up at Mandalay Bay, right on the Las Vegas strip. This being Vegas, there will be non-stop action at the event.
Like the other entries on this list, there is an amateur tournament open for anyone who wants to test their mettle in a tournament. Other pickleball action includes skills games like hardest serve and target practice on festival courts and the opportunity to see pros put their prowess on the line. There is also, of course, the surrounding city, dedicated to any and all types of entertainment.
The Bubly Team Championship will run from December 15-18. Registration closes December 4.
- Registration: $90
- Tournament dates: December 15-18
PPA Masters
If it’s a more bucolic, upscale desert setting that’s more your speed, the Palm Desert offers a dead-of-winter oasis and a perfect spot for pickleball. The Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California, sits below the striking San Jacinto Mountains in the Coachella Valley.
In addition to 54 holes of golf on lush green grass, this Palm Springs retreat has robust racquet offerings — 43 tennis courts including 17 hard courts, 10 grass, and four clay (per the Mission Hills website). 12 pickleball courts have also been added to adopt the country’s new favorite sport. Not all the neighbors are happy about it, but you can join the paddle-crazy hordes from January 12-15. Registration closes January 1, 2023; $90.
- Registration: $90
- Tournament dates: January 12-15
That’s all of the events that PPA lists… for now. Keep an eye on its homepage for further developments in 2023.
Like most things worth practicing, your pickleball game is only going to improve in the crucible of competition. Why not try out an amateur tourney to see where your true skill level lies? Heck, you can earn some knowledge and appreciation just watching the pros take each other on. Pickle on and stay safe!
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