2 new pickleball facilities are opening in the Triangle. Here’s when you can play
A Triangle company is expanding with two new indoor pickleball facilities in the Raleigh area.
Pickles and Play opened a new location with seven courts in a light industrial park in Johnston County (6100 N.C. Hwy 42) earlier in January. A second location with eight courts is expected to open soon in Raleigh at 10601 World Trade Blvd. in the Brier Creek area.
The company, which opened its first indoor pickleball court facility in Wake Forest in 2023, also has a location in Chapel Hill and plans to expand into Greensboro.
By the time all locations are open, Pickles and Play will offer more than 100,000 square feet of pickleball playing space across 55 courts in North Carolina, the company shared in a September social media post.
What does Pickles and Play offer?
Pickleball fans can visit Pickles and Play as members, though a membership is not required.
“It’s just a fabulous facility,” Leesa Pollone, a vice president of Pickles and Play, told The News & Observer in a phone call. “We have, you know, all kinds of things that you’re interested in for pickleball.”
The facilities include indoor courts made with a cushioned surface that, compared to traditional outdoor courts, is easier on players’ joints, allowing them to lob, dink and serve for hours, Pollone said.
Pickles and Play’s locations host tournaments, camps, clinics, private lessons, birthday parties and corporate events, and serve concessions and alcohol.
Where to play pickleball in the Triangle
Pickleball, which combines elements of tennis, table tennis and badminton and is popular among many age groups, is the fastest-growing sport in America, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s Topline Participation Report, which was released in November 2024. The sport has taken the top spot for the past three years.
Several Triangle towns and cities have pickleball courts open to the public. Here are a few:
- Indoor pickleball courts are located at several community centers in Raleigh, and there are outdoor courts at Method Community Park and North Hills Park.
- Community centers and parks in Cary offer indoor and outdoor courts.
- Apex has more than two dozen indoor and outdoor courts at local parks and a community center and school.
- In Durham, Forest Hills Park, Garrett Road Park, Piney Wood Park, Morreene Road Park and Bethesda Park have courts.
- The Town of Wake Forest has shared-use and dedicated pickleball courts.
- Garner Recreation Center offers a place to play pickleball.
- Ephesus Park in Chapel Hill has multiple outdoor pickleball courts.
There are also a couple of private businesses that contain pickleball courts.
- In October, indoor pickleball and golf facility Pin Point opened south of downtown Raleigh. Visitors can sip on alcoholic drinks while they use some of the facility’s 16 pickleball courts and eight golf simulators.
- Swing Racquet + Paddle, a 44-acre sports and entertainment venue, is expected to open in 2026 in Raleigh’s Brier Creek area, The N&O previously reported. The facility will have 25 pickleball courts, along with 15 padel courts, 28 tennis courts, four beach tennis and beach volleyball courts and a table tennis lounge.
This story was originally published January 15, 2025 at 1:46 PM.
