Where to play pickleball in Delaware, indoors and outdoors
Ron Pinsky has been coaching racket sports for nearly four decades. He said what has made pickleball sticky in recent years is simple: it's easy to pick up.
"It's way easier to learn than any other racket sport," said Pinsky, the director of pickleball at Dill Dinkers, a new indoor pickleball facility in Newport. "With pickleball, you just see smiles and people laughing and high-fiving. It's more fun, it's a lot quicker and it's very social. It's also a great workout."
A number of private pickleball facilities have popped up across Delaware, seeking to meet the growing demand for year-round pickleball, including Dill Dinkers in Newport, Bounce Pickleball on the Wilmington Riverfront and facilities slated to open later this year in the former College Square shopping center in Newark and the Brandywine Town Center in Brandywine Hundred.
But finding a place to dink and dunk the hard-plastic ball can be as easy as taking a short trip to the tennis courts of a local park. In fact, many parks are adding pickleball-specific courts that are smaller and have different lines.
Whether you're a seasoned veteran or an eager newcomer here is a list of places to play pickleball indoors and outdoors in Delaware.
Some locations require advance sign-up and a membership or daily-use fee. More information on each location is available at the links provided.
New Castle County indoors:
Bounce Pickleball, 510 Justison St., Wilmington
D-Fit, 4905 Mermaid Blvd., Pike Creek
Delcastle Tennis Center, 710 McKennans Church Rd., Milltown
Dill Dinkers, 500 Water St., Newport
Hockessin Recreation Center, 7259 Lancaster Pike, Hockessin
Siegel JCC Delaware, 101 Garden of Eden Rd., Talleyville
New Castle County outdoors:
Bechtel Park, 1031 Naamans Road, Brandywine Hundred
Deacons Walk Park, 9 Ware Road, Pike Creek
Delcastle Tennis Center, 710 McKennans Church Road, Milltown
The Edge 18, 1 E. Whittington Way, Middletown
Glasgow Park, 2275 Pulaski Highway, Glasgow
Greenbank Park, 250 Greenbank Road, Prices Corner
Siegel JCC Delaware, 101 Garden of Eden Road, Talleyville
Southern Park, 1275 Shallcross Lake Road, Middletown
Townsend Municipal Park, 0 Edgar Road, Townsend
Southern Delaware indoors:
Dave Marshall Tennis & Pickleball, 18464 Plantations Blvd., Lewes
Dover Indoor Tennis, 633 Persimmon Tree Lane, Dover
Factory Sports Complex Frankford, 34545 Dupont Blvd., Unit 6, Building F, Frankford
Factory Sports Complex Lewes, 17543 Nassau Commons Blvd., Lewes
Kent County Recreation Center, 1683 New Burton Road, Dover
Sports at the Beach, 22518 Lewes Georgetown Highway, Georgetown
Southern Delaware outdoors:
Courtside Pickleball & Tennis Club, 2117 Kenton Road, Dover
Dave Marshall Tennis & Pickleball, 18464 Plantations Blvd., Lewes
Evans Park, 32517 Dukes Drive, Millville
John M. Clayton Elementary School, 252 Clayton Ave., Frankford
Lewes Canalfront Park, 211 Front St., Lewes
Memorial Park, 1 S. Washington St., Milford
Rehoboth Elementary School, 500 Stockley St., Rehoboth Beach
Sandhill Fields, 20330 Sandhill Road, Georgetown
Age-restricted:
Fraim Center for Active Adults, 669 S. Union St., Wilmington
Mid-County Center, 1st Regiment Road, Milltown
Locations opening soon:
Ace Pickleball Club, 3300 Brandywine Parkway, Brandywine Hundred
The Picklr, 301 College Square, Newark
Brandon Holveck reports on high school sports for The News Journal. Contact him at bholveck@delawareonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Places to play pickleball in Delaware, indoors and outdoors
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