Pickleball is thriving in Salt Lake City, and it's easy to see why. With plentiful outdoor spaces and a supportive community infrastructure, the area is perfect for pickleball enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels. Salt Lake City, home to 209,000 residents and covering 100 square miles, boasts 18 locations with a total of 73 pickleball courts, making the sport accessible and popular among locals.
TeachMe.To offers pickleball coaching in the Salt Lake City area with 26 skilled coaches available from Salt Lake City down to Provo. All of which are PCI certified. Among them, Jacob Gridley stands out as a favorite. Jacob has a 5.0+ DUPR rating and teaches at 7 different courts. Jacob shares his journey: "I started playing pickleball with my parents and siblings. When I began, I was lucky if I made my serve in. That was only a few years ago—now I’m winning high-level tournaments!" It shows, as Jacob has given out over 660 pickleball lessons on TeachMe.To.
Pickleball is a sport the whole family can enjoy, which attracts new fans that are eager to both play and watch. This desire leads to new opportunities that are revitalizing the economy of Salt Lake City. Here are a few examples.
Professional pickleball is coming to Salt Lake City
A $25 million, state-of-the art pickleball facility is coming to the area in 2025. This will be the home of the Utah Black Diamonds is a Premier Level team within Major League Pickleball. This facility will be the first high-performance facility that is also a dedicated home base of a professional pickleball team. The Utah Black Diamonds Pickleball Center will feature 36 pickleball courts, a 1,500-seat Championship Court, a full gym and recovery center with cold plunges, steam rooms, saunas, and more, a cafe, bar, and a pro shop. This facility will raise more awareness about the sport to even more people and be another prime location where many players can participate in pickleball.
In addition, Utah-based pickleball franchise The Picklr also recently announced another new location in Salt Lake City, which will open in the fall. This location will feature at least eight indoor courts, a full pro shop, private event space, unlimited league play, tournaments and open play. The Picklr currently has over 300 locations across the country.
"Pickleball was founded outside of Seattle, Washington, but true pickleballers will say that pickleball was grown in the state of Utah," said Kathryn Bullough, chief marketing officer at The Picklr.
Pickleball tournaments in Salt Lake City
In addition to these new locations, there are also some tournaments that are creating some buzz in the area. Two pickleball tournaments featuring professional pickleballers are hitting Salt Lake City this Summer. The first event was Major League Pickleball which came to Utah over the summer on July 25th-28th. The second event is the Carvana PPA Tour which is introduced the Picklr Utah Open. This event brought some best pickleball players to Utah for a tournament August 21-25. Amateur matches were played alongside Championship Court where the top pickleball professionals competed for the biggest payouts in the sport of pickleball.
There are also fun, free tournaments for players of all skill levels to enjoy in Salt Lake City. For example, Dinks and Donuts is a free pickleball tournament that is took place on August 10th in Ellison Park in Salt Lake City suburb Layton. There were four different levels for the players.
The Future of pickleball in Salt Lake City
Utah's embrace of pickleball can be seen in the incredible growth of facilities dedicated to the sport. Public parks, recreation centers, and private clubs have been quick to install courts, recognizing the growing demand.
The local area has “a robust and loyal pickleball community, where the sport brings active Utahns together,” said Nick O’Brien, founder and CEO of TeachMe.to. O'Brien noted that bookings for lessons are increasing across the entire region. “A combination of access to courts and facilities, an eagerness to exercise and compete is coupled with an appetite to get better, as well,” O’Brien said.
As pickleball continues to grow in popularity, Utah is poised to become a key player in the sport's national landscape. Pickleball in Utah is more than just a pastime; it’s a movement that brings people together, promotes health and fitness, and enhances the quality of life. As more players pick up their paddles and join the game, the future looks bright for this vibrant sport.
