I fell in love with pickleball. Here’s where you can play this popular sport in Miami-Dade

Nearly three years ago, I wrote my first story on pickleball for The Herald.

Now, 34 months later, I’ve launched a pickleball column. With this column – which will post online and publish twice a month in the Herald’s Neighbors section — I hope to bring to readers a sense of the excitement around pickleball, from professional players to weekend bangers, from senior citizens to seniors in high school and even younger.

I first got involved with pickleball because I was always looking for a workout partner in tennis, racquetball or anything else that would help keep me fit.

I had invited Corey Marsh to play tennis. But Marsh, the high school tennis coach at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, suggested something else.

Marsh: “Why don’t we play pickleball?”

Me: “What’s pickleball?”

Up for the challenge of something new, I showed up at Fort Lauderdale’s Holiday Park at 9 a.m. on a Saturday.

I didn’t have a paddle.

I didn’t have pickleballs.

I didn’t even bring water because – really now – how hard could this sport be?

When I got there, I was stunned to find all six courts busy, and with people lined up to play.

Meanwhile, the tennis courts sat empty.

I then stepped on the court with Marsh as my partner. I learned the rules on the fly, made some mistakes, to be sure, but we won every match for nearly three hours.

That was a credit to Marsh’s skill – not mine – but all that winning got me hooked.

On my drive home, I called my Herald editor and said: “I’ve found the next big thing. I think I should write a story about this.”

My editor hadn’t heard about pickleball back then, but she agreed to the story.

The next step was to Google where to play pickleball closer to home in West Dade. I then bought a cheap paddle and started visiting some of the parks that offered pickleball.

I made friendships that have endured, and everyone was welcoming, teaching me the sport in such a kind fashion.

Pickleball solved my workout problem. I no longer had to ask my friends – most of whom are busy journalists – if they had space on their tennis calendars.

Instead, all I had to do was show up at the park – Miller, Tropical or Tamiami for me – and I could easily join a game.

Pickleball is competitive, it’s fun, and it keeps you in shape. In my circle of friends, we generally play for two or three hours per session. Indoors is easier without question, but outdoors is the bigger fitness challenge due to Miami’s heat and humidity.

As I look back at that first pickleball story I wrote nearly three years ago, it is amazing how much the sport has grown.

Back in January 2022, there were only three places in Miami with courts dedicated exclusively for pickleball: DETA (eight courts); Riviera Prep (four); and Salvador Park (two).

There were also a few locales where pickleball shared space with basketball or tennis: Suniland Park (four courts); Miller Drive (four); Salvation Army (three); and Arcola Lake (one).

On Miami Beach, the options for pickleball non-dedicated courts included: Scott Rakow Youth Center (three indoor courts); Fairway Park (two courts); Miami Beach Golf Club (one court); Normandy Shores Park (one court); and Polo Park (one court).

Since then, Miami has added tons of courts.

Here, courtesy of USA Pickleball ambassador Lily Azel, is the list of where to play pickleball in Miami.

The courts are free and outdoors unless otherwise indicated. Note: “Blended lines” are courts that share space, typically with tennis or basketball.

Places to play pickleball in Miami-Dade

AVENTURA

Pickleball only:

Founders Park — 5 courts (for a fee)

Blended lines:

Highland Oaks — 2 courts

Indoor blended lines:

Aventura Community Center — 4 courts

CORAL GABLES

Pickleball only:

Salvador Park — 2 courts (for a fee)

Blended lines:

Coral Gables War Memorial Youth Center — 4 courts (limited hours)

Coral Gables Adult Activity Center — 2 courts

CUTLER BAY

Pickleball only:

Saga Bay Park — 6 courts

DORAL

Pickleball only:

Glades Park — 6 courts

Blended lines

Morgan Levy Park — 2 courts on scheduled days

Legacy Park — 2 courts on scheduled days

HIALEAH

Pickleball only:

The Yards — 8 indoor courts (for a fee)

Goodlet Park — 6 courts (4 free, 2 with a fee)

Milander Park — 2 courts (nets need to be rolled out by park staff)

Blended lines

McDonald’s Park — 4 courts

Country Club of Miami — 2 courts

HOMESTEAD/SOUTH

Blended lines:

JD Redd Park — 8 courts

Audubon — 2 courts

Goulds Park — 2 courts

Colonia Drive — 2 courts

Modello Park — 2 courts

Princentonian Park — 2 courts

Sergeant Delancy Park — 2 courts

KENDALL

Pickleball only:

DETA — 17 courts in Kendall Lakes (for a fee)

Miami-Dade College — 14 outdoor courts (free for students/staff, others pay a fee)

Water Oaks Park — 8 courts

Riviera Prep — 8 courts (for a fee)

Blended lines:

Alper JCC — 6 indoor courts (select times; membership or fee required)

Schoolyard Pickleball Tennis Center — 6 courts with temporary nets (for a fee)

Salvation Army Pickleball Courts — 3 courts with temporary nets (membership or fee required)

Kendale Lakes Park — 2 courts

Devon Aire — 2 courts

KEY BISCAYNE

Blended lines:

Calusa Park — 4 courts (9 a.m. to noon);

MIAMI

Pickleball only:

Sip & Pickle — 5 courts (for a fee)

Dinko — 4 indoor courts (for a fee)

Arcola Lakes Park — 4 courts

City of Miami Fire Station No. 6 —- 2 courts (public is allowed to use)

Blended lines:

Bryan Park — 4 courts

Douglas Park — 2 courts (on scheduled days)

Kirk Munroe Tennis Center — 2 courts (for a fee):

Jose Martí Park — 2 indoor courts (on scheduled days; fee required)

Martin Luther King Memorial — 2 courts

Marva Y. Bannerman Park — 2 courts

Father Gerard Jean Juste Community Center at Oak Grove Park — 2 courts

MIAMI BEACH, HAULOVER

Pickleball only:

Haulover Park — 8 courts

Miami Beach Golf Club — 6 courts

Polo Park — 2 courts

Blended-lines:

Miami Beach Tennis Center — 4 courts (there’s a vendor fee)

Fairway Park — 2 courts

Flamingo Park — 1 court

Normandy Shores Park — 1 court

Indoor:

Scott Rakow Youth. Center — 3 courts on scheduled days

North Shore — 3 courts on scheduled days

MIAMI SHORES

Blended lines:

Miami Shores Rec Center — 8 courts with temporary nets (for a fee)

Miami Shores Tennis & Pickleball Club — 6 courts (for a fee)

MIAMI SPRINGS

Pickleball only:

Miami Springs Tennis Center — 4 courts (for a fee)

PALMETTO BAY

Blended lines:

Palmetto Bay Park — 2 courts

PALM SPRINGS

Pickleball only

Norman & Jean Reach — 4 courts

PINECREST

Pickleball only

Coral Pine Park — 4 courts (for a fee)

Life Time — 3 indoor courts at the Falls (membership required)

Blended lines:

Suniland Park — 4 courts

SOUTH MIAMI

Pickleball only:

Brewer Park — 1 court

Blended lines:

Marshall Williamson Park — 2 courts

WEST DADE

Pickleball only:

Tropical Park — 12 courts

Big Five Club -- 8 outdoor pickleball-only courts in West Dade (plus four blended-lines courts; membership required)

Tamiami Park — 6 courts

Blended lines:

Miller Park — up to 4 courts

Coral Estates — 2 courts

North Trail — 2 courts

Ruben Dario —2 courts

To our pickleball fans and readers: A new pickleball column will be posted every other week. If you have any suggestions on future columns, please email me at: wvilla07@yahoo.com