Texas Pickle Hall opening soon in San Antonio
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Rendering of the upcoming Live Oak facility. Photo: Courtesy of David Komet
Texas Pickle Hall is opening soon as San Antonio joins other U.S. cities in a race to accommodate one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.
Why it matters: Though San Antonio ranked 74th in a 2023 list of 93 pickleball cities, it's striving to catch up by renovating public courts and opening privately owned facilities.
- The new venue, solely focused on the sport, provides another good option for enthusiasts or those looking to jump on the bandwagon.
Details: Jesse Diaz, co-owner of Handz Pickleball, teamed up with Urban Earth founder David Komet to build the space at 201 Shin Oak in Live Oak.
- It'll be about 28,000 square feet with a gear shop, 12 indoor courts and one outdoor court.
- The indoor accommodations will make it easier for people to play during San Antonio's increasingly hot summers.
- Texas Pickle Hall is expected to open by late summer or early fall.
Yes, but: While existing pickleball-centered spots like Chicken N Pickle offer food and drinks, Texas Pickle Hall will solely focus on the sport.
- There will not be a bar or restaurant attached to the courts.
- The facility will be available for open play, tournaments and group events.
Meanwhile, East Coast franchise Dill Dinkers is planning to expand into San Antonio and surrounding areas with 20 facilities.
- Locations have not been announced yet.
By the numbers: San Antonio has 2.3 pickleball courts per 100,000 people, according to a 2023 analysis by Trust for Public Land, a pro-parks nonprofit.
The big picture: There was a sixfold increase in the number of public pickleball courts in the 100 biggest U.S. cities from 2017 to 2023 — from 420 to 2,788 — but city leaders across the nation say they still can't come close to meeting demand from pickleheads, Axios' Jennifer Kingson reports.
- A list of pickleball courts is available on the city of San Antonio's website.
What they're saying: "I saw there were too many people waiting around to play and not enough courts. Part of it was filling a demand but also a place to play when it's extremely hot or cold," Diaz tells Axios.
What's next: Diaz and Komet say a website with membership pricing will be published as soon as permits are finalized.
- "We're excited to do it because we think it's a great business, community asset and contributes to physical wellbeing. And what surprised me the most is how much it contributes to mental wellbeing," Komet tells Axios.