More Pickleball Coming To Boca Raton

Pickle power is fueling big changes to Boca Raton parks.

Responding to the Boca Raton community's request for more pickleball courts, Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District Commissioners implemented two plans – one for short-term benefit, the other to create a long-term jewel – that will produce new public pickleball courts.

Previously, Commissioners approved creating a covered, 18-court pickleball facility for Patch Reef Park. Last week that project received unanimous approval from Boca Raton's planning and zoning commission, and the District is currently finalizing bid specifications for the complex's construction.

"Awesome,” pickleballer Sue Kostick said. “That will be great because pickleball is growing. That will be a fantastic addition.”

Described as a combination of tennis and ping-pong, Pickleball is America's fastest growing sport. The ability for players of all ages and ranges athleticism to play the sport is a major reason it's growing so quickly.

“Part of the fun of the sport is the social part – everyone can come and just have a good time,” pickleballer Douglas Dencker said.

In 2021, the District converted two courts at the Patch Reef Tennis Center into six pickleball courts, giving Boca Raton its first lighted courts. Demand for those courts quickly outgrew supply.

“There are nights where the entire paddle rack is full,” pickleballer Kevin Kitchen said.

As a result, Commissioners recently voted to convert two additional tennis courts, thereby adding six more pickleball courts to Patch Reef. Those new courts are expected to be playable in the coming months.

A timetable for the new covered courts, which  will be located next to the tennis complex, has yet to be established. They, too, will be lighted, and two of them will be fully accessible for disabled players – the first courts of their kind in Boca Raton. 

As part of the project the District will also add additional parking – including spots for electric vehicles and bikes. In addition the District is setting aside an acre of land within Patch Reef for natural habitat preservation. That designation still needs approval from the Boca Raton City Council.