Free e-Guide to buying a Backyard Pickleball court
Hey Everyone,
I am putting together this guide as I’ve had multiple requests.
Pay close attention to a few links below. This sport only had 3.8 million players in 2018 to 36.5 million today. Tom Brady, Lebron James and others have invested millions in Pickleball. See the article below!
Fenway Park, the 110-year-old Boston Landmark was recently taken over by Pickleball. CBS and ESPN just added full time coverage and a PB channel! The lack of playing courts is the main reason. Commercial and residential courts are being installed as fast as possible, but still nowhere close to meeting demand.
Take a read and you will hopefully have that lightbulb moment I did 6 months ago when I started this passion to find the highest quality turn key court system!
Overall, Court Details and Options
Section 1: Court Basics
You must have an existing sport court like tennis and Basketball that you wish to convert. Or have enough room to install a solid surface pad like concrete, to start from scratch.
The Court size as you know is 20 x 44 and requires a 30 x 60 pad to play on properly.
Section 2: Court Options
• Plastic tile system – for the most part, my sport court contractor hates these with a passion, and is removing as many courts as humanly possible with these tiles. The main reason for the removal is they are not a permanent solution, but a temporary solution that can get very very slick, and slide and move to some degree. This might seem like a good inexpensive option but trust me my installer has done hundreds of projects removing those tiles. Don't get hung up on the cost versus the usage.
• Interlocking systems (non-plastic, rubberized materials) – these are needed to have a more skid free permanent solution and are readily available. Some examples of this are interlocking systems like puzzle boards. If you have a few friends and an entire Saturday afternoon, it's very likely you could put this together yourself. The reason these are better is they are PCP rubberized flooring systems that are non-skid and drain much better when it rains like it does in Florida and really everywhere.
• Court on top of rubberized firm cushion matting – an upgrade from the interlocking systems is courts that initially lay down the same type of PCP rubberized flooring and put on top of it rolled out court surface options. There is an option that I was really excited about that mimics Wimbledon grass, and the surface is very much like a putting green. The reason that these kinds of surfaces using artificial turf have not been successful in the past, is the bounce. By having a firm cushioning base and laying the 10 millimeters thick court option on top, provides exactly the same bounce as a clay style court.
• Rubberized clay vs Artificial turf options – so let's talk about what I decided was the right option for me. The rubberized clay option is colored to mimic The US open style tennis court. The artificial turf option has the same bounce and abilities as we have a scientific advantage using a putting green style surface, as this surface integrates some finely ground sand into the surface itself providing stability, bounce ability, and a much-improved option over traditional artificial turf. I went in the Wimbledon style. The reason I chose this is there is probably a fraction of a second of a delay in the ball bounce that is very slight, but very appealing to me at 57 years old as a ricocheting screaming ball coming at me at top speed might not be an attractive thing when I hit 70.
• High End options with fencing and lighting – there are options I found that absolutely add to the price but if you are considering constructing a court and want to create a showcase in your backyard, something you can be very proud to show off to your pickle friends, then these options come in chain link, unbreakable tent or tempered glass, and lighting that extends 10 to 15 feet arched over the top of the court. Expect these options to add another 10,000 plus to the cost of your build.
Section 3: Do’s and Don’ts and Costs
• Do’s – some dos and some don'ts. Some things you should do is consider when converting an existing court like I did with my basketball court, is the shape that the cord is in. Many tennis courts are older and are starting to crack around the edges and corners. Simple repairs according to my contractor can cost upwards of $10,000 just to solidify the court repair the cracks and properly seal the surface. When placing a pickleball prefabricated court on top of this surface you can eliminate any repairs as the footprint of the tennis or basketball court is usually considerably larger than the 20 by 44 pickleball layout. This means any stress to the corners of the foundation, or the edges will be all but eliminated as the center of the court is being used only.
• Don’ts – I would never consider using plastic tiles for the reasons that I notated above. I would also never put a court in my backyard if it is directly up against the borders of your property, potentially causing neighbors to complain about the noise. You should have enough room or have wonderful neighbors and please encourage them to play so they won't complain lol!
• Costs – the plastic tile systems can be had for a few $1000, but let's face it they're garbage. The rubberized mat system that can be rolled out and installed with a few friends like a puzzle board can probably run 5000 to about 7900 dollars. I almost went with this option however I was not convinced that there would be enough cushion for my old bones.
The court on top of a rubberized matte option is probably the most likely option for people who are well capitalized and are only looking for the court itself. You can expect to pay anywhere from 10 to $15,000 for this style of court including installation on top of an existing path.
Adding concrete pads to this kind of a job that is 30 by 60 or 1800 square feet, you can expect that to add 10 to 20,000 to the court costs depending upon where you live. This takes that out of the market for many, but the court company that I chose discounted their court for other clients significantly enough that it seems like they could afford it. Luckily, I didn't have to go this route.
The high-end option courts that have the rubberized mats with the rolled-out U.S. Open style or Wimbledon style courts are the option that I recommend most. I did decide to go and have lights and fencing installed around mine, and I’m very very pleased that I did. I live on five acres and have no neighbors within 1/4 mile on each side, so no noise worries for me. I also found that living in Tucson AZ you can't play in June July or August midday as it's 100 degrees outside. Playing at night was really the only smart choice aside from first thing in the morning. I don't know about you but I'm not a morning person lol. Alright so let's go so
Conclusion
Key Takeaways
The average age of a pickleball player is 55. Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. Pickleball is a relatively new sport growing in popularity across the United States. The game is similar to tennis, but it’s easier to learn, and it’s easier on the body.
Pickleball is growing in popularity among different age groups, from recreational players to competitive and professional players. The game appeals to many different people due to its accessibility, low-impact nature, and social atmosphere. The game is especially popular among older adults, who account for the majority of pickleball players. With an estimated 2.8 million players in the United States as of 2018. There are 46.5 Million today in 2026.
Increasing demand for outdoor recreational spaces: In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the demand for outdoor recreational spaces. Adding a pickleball court can provide a desirable outdoor space for communities and homeowners.
Chris Angelo
UrgentC Sports
www.urgentcsports.com