Pickleball Players Unite to Find a Solution

The sport of pickleball has become the fastest-growing sport in our nation, and its popularity has steadily grown here on Marco Island. At present, there are 405 pickleball members registered at the city’s racquet center on San Marco Road directly across from the fire department headquarters. That is in comparison with 66 tennis court members. 

The debate has been ongoing on the island since support here has exploded over the last couple of years. There is a 508-person waiting list to join with the existing 405 registered members; the wait list has been closed by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department due to the demand. 

Florida is the most popular state for pickleball, both in terms of locations and high player interest. Those statistics are mirrored here on the island and growing. The 2025 U.S. Open Pickleball Championship held in Naples shattered all records with attendance of more than 55,000 fans and 3,450 players from all 50 states and 40 nations, demonstrating the popularity of the sport. 

The large group of pickleball enthusiasts is concerned about how the city plans on addressing the growing demand,and sohas begun to look at raising money and developing plans to completely redesign the present city-owned facilities and hiring their own contractor to construct a new facility, which wouldincrease the number of courts andretain some of the old tennis courts. The city would still maintain ownership. 

The Chairperson of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, Dolores Siegel, was in attendance atthe public meeting at Joey’s Pizza and Pasta House on Collier Boulevard, where the group discussed their initial plans. Siegel reported on the discussions she held with the contractor who recently completed the new Health and Wellness Center at the Hideaway Beach Club, which also includes new pickleball courts. 

The energy was all positive at the meeting, however, there remain a number of hurdles to overcome, including how to structure a private/public partnership of this type; the issues regarding liability; ongoing management and maintenance of such a project; and, more importantly, how to deal with the impact on neighbors regarding noise, traffic, lighting, and buffering.