Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in America. The Sports and Fitness Industry Association reported that there were over 19 million Pickleball players in 2024 and that number is only growing with some reports stacking it up over 40 million. The point is Pickleball rocks and if you haven’t tried it yet, you’re DEFINITELY missing out!
What is Pickleball?
If you’re already familiar, you can go ahead and jump here. If not, let us give you the quick spiel.
Pickleball is basically diet-tennis with a significantly lower threshold of skill requirement to start playing; and that’s not knocking it. That absolutely works to the sport’s advantage. Tennis is physically and skillfully demanding even for just basic pickup games but Pickleball is far easier for a beginner to start and get into the flow of. The courts are smaller, nets are lower, rackets are replaced with paddles, and the balls are hollow and perforated.
Quick Rules
Each round is called a “rally.”
The Server hits the ball to the opposite corner over the net.
The ball must bounce before being returned by the opposing team, and then bounce again before the serving team can hit it back. After that, players can hit it out of the air.
There’s a 7’ space from the net where players cannot hit the ball out of the air called “the kitchen”.
From there, it’s just like any other racket sport: points are earned by your opponent slipping up and missing or hitting it out of bounds.
Only caveat is that only the serving team can earn points in a rally regardless of who gets scored on. The goal is to get 11 points as long as you lead by 2 points. If you get to 11 but your opponent has 10, you keep going to 12.
That’s just a snapshot, there are more nuances, house rules, and strategies to work with. If you’re a beginner, Pickleball is actually one of the easiest sports to learn on the fly and with a crazy-fast growing community, finding people to play with or to help teach you the deeper ins and outs couldn’t be easier!
When you train at SST, our coaches design workouts for both the gym and home while helping you add more non-lifting activity into your routine as well. Walking, cycling, and swimming are all great examples. Pickleball fits snugly into that activity category in a way that’s fun, challenging, and easy to play!
So without further ado, here are our top places to play Pickleball in Tampa!
Our Top Picks
Best Outdoor Courts: Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park
You won’t find better maintained courts in Tampa! This park offers 6 courts with permanent lines, nets available, and lighting that keeps the game going as late as 10pm! This park is massive so you’re bound to meet people and have a great time!
Best Indoor Courts: Tampa Pickleball Crew
The name of the game is community! TPC has 12 courts and a variety of rotating events and services designed to turn Pickleball into your sport for life!
Best for Beginners: Tampa Bay Pickleball
TPB is part of the Pickleball Academy and is all about coaching at your level. If you’re brand new to the sport, this is where you want to start. From learning the basics to knuckling down your competitive style, this is the place to hone your skills!
Best for Serious Players: Ace Pickleball Club
Ace deserves this accolade in spades. Memberships are limited and exclusive which makes this a unique and serious environment that still feels inviting and fun! If you’re ready for that next level action, Ace is where you want to be!
Table of Contents
Outdoor Courts
Progress Village Pickleball Courts
HCC Tennis & Pickleball Center
Northlakes Pickleball
Cuscaden Park
Temple Terrace Family Recreation Complex
Rowlett Park
Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park
Indoor Courts
Tampa Pickleball Crew
Tampa Bay Pickleball
Ace Pickleball Club
Outdoor Courts
Progress Village Pickleball Courts
Address: 8802 Allamanda Ave, Tampa, FL 33619
These are local outdoor Pickleball courts in the eastern Tampa area. Community and courtesy is on the players so head out there, make some friends, and don’t be afraid to ask to join in! The courts are beautiful and you can help maintain them just by following the community rules to keep it pretty. Plus the posted rules keep good community guidelines so everyone gets to play. There are other open available courts in the Tampa area, this one is just our favorite.
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HCC Tennis & Pickleball Center
Address: 3901 W Tampa Bay Blvd, Tampa, FL 33614
HCC doesn’t have a working website so this might seem like a bit of a sleeper hit but it boasts a loyal Pickleball community. It’s a designated tennis and Pickleball club with 15 courts and offers trainers and lessons. It makes for a classic outdoor pickle experience if you’re looking for more exclusivity and you will need a membership to play.
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Northlakes Pickleball
Address: 2640 N Lakeview Dr, Tampa, FL 33618
Northlakes is a beautiful and well-equipped sports complex. There are 14 permanent courts for all of your Pickleball needs and the facility is well lit even for late play! Depending on your skill level it may be a little harder to get into this one. Reviewers praise the facility but have some criticism over the sportsmanship of large groups here.
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Cuscaden Park
Address: 2900 N 15th St, Tampa, FL 33605
Cuscaden is a little smaller than most of the places on this list but it is absolutely one of the most popular places to play in Tampa. There are 6 public courts and reviewers feel welcomed community on and off the court in the park’s other areas. If you’re looking for some great outdoor activity and an environment that’s inviting and easygoing, this is your spot.
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Temple Terrace Family Recreation Complex
Address: 6610 Whiteway Dr, Temple Terrace, FL 33617
Temple Terrace is a little more old school with 6 wood and acrylic courts. These courts look and feel like classic tennis courts and have portable nets you have to set up but all the lines are permanent and maintenance make it a top notch choice. You will need a membership to the complex to play here but it stands out as one of the most and highest rated places for Pickleball on Google.
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Rowlett Park
Address: 2401 E Yukon St, Tampa, FL 33604
Rowlett Park is another really well maintained community area in Tampa with 8 outdoor courts. It’s consistently rated as one of the best places for Pickleball and is just a nice, relaxing place overall. Beautiful trees, riverside walks, and a dedicated community make this an ideal spot to chill as hard as you play! The courts are used for local tournaments as well!
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Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park
Address: 1001 N Blvd, Tampa, FL 33607
The one consistent comment about Pickleball for this park is that people want MORE of it! The park itself is one of the most well maintained areas in the city and is constantly lauded for its beautiful scenery and wide variety of activities. But Pickleball always takes the cake here with 6 courts that are completely free to play on and are lit until 10pm for night players. Great community, great views, great games, this is the best place for outdoor play in Tampa!
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Indoor Courts
Tampa Pickleball Crew
Address: 1701 E 2nd Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Tampa Pickleball Crew stands out because it builds everything around the community. Whether you’re playing alone and looking for pickup games, reserving one of their open-air courts, or competing in one of their mini tournaments, TPC makes sure that you’re not sidelined or bored. They want you to be part of their family and they offer a ton of events to get you in the loop, go check them out!
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Tampa Bay Pickleball
Address: 180 Race Track Rd Building H, Oldsmar, FL 34677
TBPB advertises itself as super beginner friendly and leans on coaching. It’s part of the Pickleball Academy brand that specializes in one-on-one training. If you’re just starting out and really want to learn the sport, this is your place. The courts are indoors and they also host events if you’re into glow-in-the-dark days or tournaments!
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Ace Pickleball Club
Address: 18459 Pasco Business Ctr Wy, Lutz, FL 33558
Ace is a high quality experience offering all of the bells and whistles the other locations on this list do and then some. They are membership only and spots are limited but if you want to reserve a court for a community event or lessons, you just need to call in or visit. There is a waitlist to get in so if you cut your teeth and become a- and we swear this is a real term- “Picklehead” then getting into Ace is that next level you’re looking for.
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With how popular Pickleball is there are more than just these in the Tampa area. we wanted to give you our top picks for the best Pickleball in town and inspire you to add more activity to your life in a way that’s fun but still going to challenge you! Now go out there, grab a paddle and start playing! Don’t forget to ask your trainers to come play and keep an eye out for our community events as well, we love this game!
New to fitness and need to get game-ready? Try out the Seriously Strong Beginner Program HERE or click the banner at the top of the page to start training with us!