San Antonio jumps on pickleball interest, with more courts on the way
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San Antonions have been jumping on the bandwagon to play one of the fastest-growing sports in America: pickleball.
By the numbers: San Antonio has 2.3 pickleball courts per 100,000 people, according to the Trust for Public Land (TPL), a pro-parks nonprofit.
- Although that's more than in some places, it's not nearly as many as in cities like Columbus, Ohio, where there are nearly 13 pickleball courts per 100,000 people.
The big picture: There's been a sixfold increase in the number of public pickleball courts in the 100 biggest U.S. cities since 2017 — from 420 to 2,788 — but city leaders across the nation say they still can't come close to meeting demand from pickleheads.
Why it matters: Cities are in a love/hate relationship with pickleball.
- It's a boon for players who are aging out of tennis — and others who dig its vibe — but it's noisy and draws nonstop complaints from tennis players who've been kicked off their turf.
Meanwhile, cities can't build courts fast enough — and they're tapping COVID-19 relief funds and issuing municipal bonds to raise the necessary cash.
Case in point: San Antonio's 2022 bond program, which voters passed last year, includes $1.5 million to build and renovate pickleball facilities across the city.
- Six city parks currently have pickleball courts.
Zoom out: The top 10 pickleball cities on TPL's list include hot-weather locations like St. Petersburg, Fla. (#2), Honolulu (#4) and Plano (#7).
Zoom in: Although San Antonio doesn't have as many courts as the top 10 pickleball cities — we're ranked 74th, with 34 courts — the community is growing.
- Chicken N Pickle opened near UTSA in May 2020.
- Pickleball Giant, a store stocked with gear and a demo court, opened last July.
- Walmart brought its 25-city pickleball roadshow to Chicken N Pickle on Wednesday.