Austin Pickleball Update - Volume 8
Hello, and welcome to Austin Pickleball Update - Volume 8!
In this issue of Austin Pickleball Update, we’ll be covering a downtown pickleball oasis, Urban Pickleball Club, doing a primer on the PPA Tour coming to Austin, talking about new Austin pickleball developments in Community News, and providing (as always) a big tournament and event update.
In this issue of APU you will find:
- Play Pickleball in Austin - Urban Pickleball Club
- The PPA Tour Comes to Austin
- Community News
- Upcoming Tournaments and Community Events
- Austin Pickleball Update Social Groups
Interested in sponsoring APU and reaching our engaged community of 1,000+ pickleball players in Austin? Reply to this email or DM us on Instagram and we’ll be in touch.
Let’s jump in!
Community Event of the Week
“Wigging Out” Pickleball Social, a SXSW event, taking place March 8 from 3-5pm at Austin Pickle Ranch. Tickets are $20, and get you access to a clinic for beginners, intermediate and advanced open play, FREE food and drink vendors, and more. Wigs not required, but highly encouraged!
Tournament of the Week
The Capital City Pickle-Off is taking place this Sunday, March 3rd, at Waterloo Pickleball in downtown Austin. Registration closes on Saturday at 12 noon. Check out the full details in our tournament update below.
Want the list of 10 Upcoming Tournaments in Austin? To receive ALL tournament information and updates subscribe to Austin Pickleball Update and get the information straight to your inbox!
Play Pickleball in Austin - Urban Pickleball Club
Urban Pickleball Club is a pickleball club located in downtown Austin at 300 San Antonio St. The club is located on the rooftop of the State of Texas Garage, right next to Republic Square in downtown Austin.
Urban Pickleball Club started with two court spaces in October 2023, expanding in January 2024 to four court spaces and then again in June 2024 to six total court spaces due to member demand and interest in their club.
I love the origin story of Urban Pickleball Club. Owners Jay and Daphne became hooked on pickleball (like everyone else), but found their local public courts too crowded to regularly play at. They decided to play on the rooftop garage of their downtown apartment building, using duct tape and a pop up net to set up their space. While they had a great time playing with their neighbors, their building was less than thrilled, removing the tape they had set up and angrily instructing them to never play on the garage again.
Not one to let this stop him from easy access to pickleball, Jay took to Google Maps and found a large rooftop a block away. After a quick conversation with the owner and manager of this new rooftop location (who are now supportive partners for the club), courts were set up and play resumed.
While the original plan was to share these new courts with just their pickleball friends, word quickly spread as people could literally look out of their office and apartment windows and see people playing pickleball in downtown Austin. As more and more people arrived asking to join in and play, Urban Pickleball Club was born.
I’m a big fan of the garage rooftop pickleball concept. While it seems like a no-brainer now, I am impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit of places like Urban Pickleball Club and Austin Pickleball Ranch for bringing these clubs to life. Anything that creates more pickleball courts in Austin, especially in dense areas like downtown, is fantastic for the pickleball community.
Given the success of these two clubs so far, I expect more rooftop pickleball concepts to pop up in the Austin area in 2024.
Another cool note about Urban Pickleball Club, Jay is a 3rd generation UT alum and has made Urban Pickleball Club the official practice home of the University of Texas Pickleball Club.
How to Play Pickleball at Urban Pickleball Club
Urban Pickleball Club is a members only facility, so you’ll need to be a member or know a member in order to play there.
Membership runs $99/month with a $199 initiation fee and no other court fees. Members can bring guests for a $15/day guest fee. Interested parties can email urbanpickleballclub@gmail.com for membership information and to become a member.
Members can book courts for 90-minutes at a time using an online system, and members can use courts whenever they are available before or after their reservation.
While there are currently four courts at the facility, the owners plan to add additional courts as needed in order to keep ample court availability for members without having to book too far in advance. All members I spoke with let me know that finding and booking time at UPC was effortless.
Urban Pickleball Club hosts open play events for members on Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30pm-7:30pm each week. They also host a weekly DUPR league on Monday from 6pm-9pm. Members can add guests to either open play or the DUPR league if space is available day of.
For restrooms, the UPC has a porta potty on the ground floor of the garage, as well as having an arrangement with Local Foods across the street from the club where members and guests can also use the restroom.
What’s it like to play at Urban Pickleball Club?
Firstly, the ambiance of the club is incredible. The space that the club created, with faux-vined walls, turf walkways, cityscape sunsets, and lounge chairs and tables is cool, warm, and welcoming.
The club is set up on two different levels. Three courts are located on the lower level, while the second set of three courts are located half a level up. The club installed a staircase between the levels for easy access, since there is no natural walkway between the levels other than the existing garage driveway.
UPC has done a great job setting up their courts. Nets are Selkirk Semi-Permanent Pro Pickleball Nets, which are better than any popup net you would use, and there is a large amount of space between the courts, so few balls from other courts (if any) will ever interfere with your game.
The court surfaces have been constructed by CourTex, and while there are som parts of the courts that are visibly slanted due to the structure being a parking garage, playing on these courts is pickleball as expected.
Additionally, like any outdoor pickleball court, if it’s a windy day you will notice the flight path of your ball being affected.
I also want to talk about one of the most important aspects of what makes Urban Pickleball Club special, and that is the community they have created and fostered. During an open play session I found the members I engaged with lively, welcoming, and fun to play with. Whether it was someone who had just arrived in Austin or been here for years, everyone seemed to be making friends as they all played and enjoyed pickleball together.
This community aspect of pickleball cannot be overlooked, as it is a key driver and differentiator that makes pickleball so enjoyable as a sport.
Urban Pickleball Club is one of the first pickleball clubs in Austin I have seen to really nail the community aspect of their offering, where you not only get to enjoy pickleball but have a fun time with people you actually want to be around.
The owners let me know that people come to play or just hang out because there is always something fun happening at the club. UPC is even beta testing OpenCourt, a new court scheduling app built by club member and entrepreneur Alex Zub, that encourages the social component of pickleball by integrating a member chat and open reservations, where members can easily join others games.
Putting all this together, Urban Pickleball Club is one of the most enjoyable locations to play pickleball in the city of Austin. Every pickleball player dreams of having a court in their backyard to play with their friends, and Urban Pickleball Club has made that a reality in the middle of downtown Austin.
Urban Pickleball Club feels like an enchanted oasis, as you look up and see the numerous skyscrapers towering around you against the skyline. It’s such a unique location and fun place to play pickleball that you could forget that you’re on top of a concrete parking garage in the middle of a bustling downtown metro.
If you ever get the chance to play at Urban Pickleball Club, make sure to take advantage of the opportunity.
Interested in learning about other clubs and courts to play at in Austin? Check out our ATX Courts page here.
The PPA Tour Comes to Austin
The PPA (Pro Pickleball Association) Tour is coming to Austin for the PPA Austin Open, taking place March 13-17 at the Hills of Lakeway - Elevation Athletic Club, Lakeway, TX.
If you’ve been following the tournament update section of our newsletter, you’ve seen us promoting this tournament for players for a few months now.
The PPA (Professional Pickleball Association) Tour is considered the premier professional pickleball tour in the world. It features the top professional pickleball players from around the globe competing for points, prize money, and national titles. Additionally, the PPA Tour allows amateur players to compete in the same venues, and sometimes even alongside the pros.
In a nutshell, professional level pickleball is coming to Austin, and you can participate as a player or go watch pros like Ben Johns or Anna Leigh Waters duke it out live. The tour schedule runs as follows:
- Wednesday 3/13: Qualifiers
- Thursday 3/14: Men’s and Women’s Singles
- Friday 3/15: Mixed Doubles
- Saturday 3/16: Men’s and Women’s Doubles
- Sunday 3/17: Finals
Ticket prices start at $25 for access to the tour grounds, which includes amateur and professional matches. Courtside tickets run $40-$80 depending on the day, which get you grounds access plus courtside access to top level matches. There are also options for VIP tickets and weeklong passes. You can find more information and purchase tickets here.
APU will be onsite for the tournament finals on Sunday, and we’re looking forward to an awesome weekend of professional pickleball here in Austin!
Tired and Sore from Lots of Pickleball?
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Community News
Waterloo Pickleball Debuts in Downtown
A new pickleball club, Waterloo Pickleball, is officially opening in downtown Austin on March 1. Located at 410 Pressler St as part of the CrossFit Central gym, the club features 2 indoor courts and 2 outdoor courts.
Pickleball memberships start at $199/month, with a $299/month membership getting you access to pickleball plus CrossFit. APU has had the opportunity to play at Waterloo, is happy to report that the courts are top notch and awesome to play on.
Stay tuned and make sure you are subscribed to Austin Pickleball Update for our full Waterloo Pickleball club review coming in a future issue.
Open Play Comes to Other Racquet Social Club
Other Racquet Social Club has announced a public weekly open play, every Tuesday and Thursday from 5pm-7pm.
This new open play will not require memberships or court reservations, and rotation and scoring will be managed by ORSC staff. Other Racquet members and one of their guests can play for free, and non-members can play with the purchase of one drink from the bar.
Pickleland Sets Sites on Pflugerville
Pickleland, a new pickleball franchise looking to establish itself as a high level pickleball experience, is coming to Pflugerville.
While the location will technically be located north and not in Austin proper, I’m extremely excited to see how this facility takes shape. Their space will have 9 courts, and they seem to be taking a page from the Pickleball Kingdom playbook, considering all aspects of what makes a truly great pickleball experience like professional lighting, fenced courts, open play, and game recordings.
Their website states that they’ll be opening in June 2024, and if they can achieve this target launch date and their mission of being the best indoor pickleball courts, then I can see them becoming a key player in the Austin metro area pickleball scene.
PicklePub Opening in South Austin
PicklePub will be opening in March in South Austin. Located at 10630 Menchaca Road and founded by the same owner’s as Drifter’s Social Coffee & Cocktail, PicklePub will be a separate bar with two pickleball courts for casual play.
Upcoming Tournaments & Community Events
Want the list of 10 Upcoming Tournaments in Austin from this week? To receive ALL tournament information and updates subscribe to Austin Pickleball Update and get the information straight to your inbox!
APU Paddle Demo Events
We have three paddle demo events coming up in the next week! If you’re interested in checking out and demoing some of the latest, high-end pickleball paddles, join us at the below locations and times:
Urban Pickleball Club - Thursday 2/22 - 5-7pm - private member event- South Austin Rec Center - Saturday 3/2 - 9-11am - register here
- Austin Pickle Ranch - Wednesday 3/6 - 4:30-6:30pm - book a court here
- Texas School for the Deaf - Austin Deaf Pickleball - Friday 3/8 - 5pm-7pm - private event
The paddles we’ll have available include:
- Selkirk Vanguard Power Air Invikta 13mm
- Selkirk LUXX Control Air Invikta 20mm
- Gearbox Pro Power Elongated 14mm
- JOOLA Ben Johns Hyperion C2 CFS 16mm
- Six Zero Double Black Diamond Control 16mm
- Six Zero Infinity Edgeless Double Black Diamond Control 16mm
- CRBN 1x 16mm
- ProXR Zane Navratil Signature 14mm
Check out our website here to learn more about our paddle demo events and our Austin paddle rental program.
Interested in hosting a paddle demo event at your club or court? Reach out and let us know.
Community Events
“Wigging Out” Pickleball Social (a SXSW event) - March 8, 3-5pm
- Location - Austin Pickle Ranch
- Overview - Join Pickleball Playmakers for an unforgettable pickleball experience and a day of wigs, pickleball, fun, networking, and competition. The event includes pickleball clinics for beginners, intermediate and advanced open play, free food and drink vendors, and more. Wigs not required, but highly encouraged!
- Price - $20
“Pickle + Pups” an APA Fundraiser - March 15, 1-3pm
- Location - Austin Pickle Ranch
- Overview - Pickleball Playmakers hosts a fundraiser benefiting Austin Pets Alive. Join for an exciting day of smashing serves, friendly competition, and wagging tails, all for a pawsitively great cause! Includes pickleball clinics for beginners, advanced open play, food and rink vendors, and more.
- Price - Donation-based (recommended $20+), with all proceeds will be donated to Austin Pets Alive
Austin Pickleball Update Social Groups
Follow Austin Pickleball Update on Instagram for pickleball content and local news, join our Facebook group to learn about upcoming demo days and events, and use our 280+ person WhatsApp group to find Austin players to play pickleball with.
Share Austin Pickleball Update
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Previous volumes of Austin Pickleball Update:
- Volume 7 - February 15, 2024
- Volume 6 - February 1, 2024
- Volume 5 - January 18, 2024
- Volume 4 - January 4, 2024
- Volume 3 - December 21, 2023
- Volume 2 - December 8, 2023
- Volume 1 - November 24, 2023
If you have any Austin pickleball news, tips, or topics that we should cover for future newsletters, please reach out! We're always grateful to hear from our readers.
Look out for Austin Pickleball Update - Volume 9 on Thursday, March 14, 2024!
See you on the courts!✌️
