More pickleball courts coming to Minneapolis Parks

Pickleball enthusiasts will soon have more public courts to play on.

What's happening: Two existing outdoor tennis courts by the Lake Nokomis Community Center will be transformed into into six pickleball courts. Construction is set to begin in the coming weeks, per an email from the Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Board.

• The department is also adding pickleball striping to the tennis courts at Bloomington Ave. and E. 50th Street next month.

Yes, and: Additional courts are in the works for Loring and Dickman parks. Construction on those should begin next year.

The big picture: The paddle sport's surging popularity has sparked a mad dash to create new places to play.

• The Iowa-based chain Smash Park is planning two local locations and a new pickleball and beer complex is set to open in Maple Grove.
• Life Time, the Chanhassen-based fitness chain, now has more than 250 courts companywide and plans to hit 400-plus by the end of the year.

Don't want to wait? Some courts and recreation centers in both Minneapolis and St. Paul are already pickleball-ready.