Gig Harbor Pickleball Court Expansion: Pickleball continues to grow in Gig Harbor, Washington, but efforts to build a private facility have faced delays. John Hylton and Mara Hylton, who run Pickleball Kingdom in Washington, want to open a location in Gig Harbor but have struggled to secure a site. While options like the Peninsula Shopping Center and Latitude 47 were considered, both proved unsuitable due to ceiling, zoning, and parking issues.
Instead, John Hylton opened a Pickleball Kingdom in Poulsbo this April inside a former OfficeMax and Big 5 Sporting Goods. Even so, he said, “We would love to get one in Gig Harbor.”
Pickleball’s Popularity on the Rise
Pickleball began on Bainbridge Island and has exploded from 5 million U.S. players in 2020 to about 20 million in 2024. The sport is popular with older adults and people with higher incomes. Rick Prince, a pickleball pro at Canterwood Golf & Country Club, explained,
“It’s easier to feel successful at the beginning. I think it lends itself to less-athletic people still getting exercise.”
Gig Harbor has a median age of 46.5 years, higher than the county average. This has helped drive demand for pickleball courts of all types.
New Public Courts and Club Play
On June 16, six new courts opened at Doris Heritage Park in Gig Harbor North. These outdoor courts are free to use daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Meanwhile, Peninsula Metropolitan Parks District opened a Recreation Center near the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. The 58,000-square-foot center offers three multi-use courts lined for pickleball.
The South Sound Pickleball Club hosts games at Sehmel Homestead Park, where they can reserve up to 12 courts. Sherill Taylor, the club president, said the group rents courts from PenMet and charges drop-in fees for nonmembers. “The club pays PenMet $10 per court/hour to rent the park’s facilities,” Taylor said.
Sherill Taylor also talked with PenMet about reserving courts at the Recreation Center. She said, “I should check back with him in August/September to see if it would be possible for our club…to reserve some court times later in the fall and when it starts to get dark out.”
Private Facilities and Future Plans
Other places to play indoors include the Tom Taylor Family YMCA and Canterwood Golf & Country Club. Canterwood has added outdoor and indoor pickleball courts and offers reserved play times. Membership is pricier but includes other amenities.
Canterwood will host an amateur pickleball tournament, the Star-Spangled Blast, from July 4 through July 6.
John Hylton said any future Pickleball Kingdom in Gig Harbor would offer dedicated courts and reserved times, similar to Poulsbo, where memberships start at $109 per month.
Another Vision for Pickleball and Padel
Kent Kingman and Austin Kingman are also exploring options to bring pickleball and the sport of padel to Gig Harbor. They have plans for a facility on Goodnough Drive but are waiting on other development plans nearby. Kent Kingman said, “We’re not sure” if the project will move forward because it depends on infrastructure tied to a mini-storage project.
They prefer to find an existing building ready for their needs but haven’t found one yet.
Why It Matters
The demand for pickleball is clear, with free and low-cost options already drawing crowds. As interest grows, private companies like Pickleball Kingdom and other ventures may still see opportunities in Gig Harbor. If they succeed, residents could soon have even more choices for where to play.
News in Brief: Gig Harbor Pickleball Court Expansion
Gig Harbor pickleball is booming, but plans for private clubs face delays. John Hylton and Mara Hylton still hope to open a Pickleball Kingdom. New public courts and club options are expanding, while Kent Kingman and Austin Kingman explore a combined pickleball and padel venue.
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