Looking for a place to play pickleball? Here’s a list of public courts in Centre County

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In recent years the popularity of pickleball has skyrocketed, making it one of the most popular sports in the country, according to the USA Pickleball website.

It wasn’t always so popular though — the sport was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, Washington — just a short ferry ride away from Seattle.

Three dads — Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum — are credited with the creation of the game, USA Pickleball says, after hearing their children complain about being bored with their usual summertime activities.

The first official pickleball tournament was held in the spring of 1976.

Fast-forward another 48 years, and pickleball is becoming more and more well-known — and not just a national level, with courts becoming more popular in European countries as well.

The sport is a combination of tennis and other racket sports and can be found alongside badminton or tennis courts across the country.

According to a 2022 fact sheet by USA Pickleball, there were 9,524 courts in parks across the country, with the number only growing since then.

Here in Centre County, there are a number of places to play the up-and-coming sport. Below are public courts and what to know about each.

Bernel Road Park

Located at 2501 Bernel Road in Patton Township, Bernel Road Park is home to six pickleball-exclusive courts, along with two more hybrid tennis/pickleball courts. The park also offers a practice wall, according to the Centre Region Parks and Recreation website.

Dalevue Park and Nittany Orchard Park

Located at 413 Goldfinch Drive and 247 Cortland Circle respectively, these two College Township parks both offer one hybrid tennis/pickleball courts each.

High Point Park and Tusseyview Park

These two State College Borough parks are located at 855 Whitehall Road and 320 E. Marylyn Ave., respectively, with both parks offering one hybrid tennis/pickleball court each.

Suburban Park

Located in Ferguson Township at 101 Suburban Ave., this newly-reopened park offers two hybrid tennis/pickleball courts for players to enjoy.

State College School District courts

There are other courts to be found in Centre County that aren’t maintained by the CRPR, including State College Area School District courts. These school-owned courts can be found in two places: off Little Lion Drive, adjacent to Circleville Road Park, and off of Prospect Avenue, next to the community fields.

These courts are available to the public on weekdays after 6 p.m. and all day on weekends during the school year, as well as all day during summer break.

YMCA courts

The YMCA of Centre County offers courts to play on at some of their facilities as well.

At the State College YMCA, located at 677 W. Whitehall Road, there a total of nine courts — five outdoor and four indoor.

The Moshannon Valley YMCA, located at 113 N. 14 St. in Philipsburg has two indoor courts of its own, and the Bellefonte YMCA, located at 125 W. High St., has one indoor court.