Where Can You Play Pickleball In Singapore?
A quick guide to the types of pickleball courts available, and where you can play in Singapore.
Pickleball was invented in 1965 in the US by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum, in Joel and Joan Pritchard’s backyard badminton court. It was a game cobbled together with bits and pieces of rules and equipment from badminton, tennis and table tennis, and was meant to be fun, community-based and easy to learn and play, with low barriers of entry. Does this mean that pickleball can be played anywhere? Or can it only be played on a dedicated pickleball court?
We examine the different types of courts you can play pickleball on.
The pickleball court
One could say that the most ideal place to play pickleball would be on a pickleball court. There is an increasing number of dedicated pickleball courts worldwide and in Singapore. These are usually hard courts which have the exact dimensions for pickleball, which is 20 feet (6.09m) x 44 feet (13.41m), with the correct corresponding lines permanently drawn on the floor. They will also have a net that is the correct height for pickleball, which is 34 inches (86.36cm) high at the center of the court and 36 inches (91.44cm) high at the ends. In Singapore, the ActiveSG Sports Village @ Jurong Town has four dedicated outdoor pickleball courts made specially for pickleball enthusiasts.
The indoor sports hall
Several locations in Singapore serve up pickleball action in indoor comfort, where players are shielded from the sun, rain and other elements. There are a number of ActiveSG sports halls where you can play pickleball, and the courts in these sports halls usually double up as badminton courts as well. The nets on these courts are usually lowered from badminton net height to a height suitable for pickleball, when pickleball is being played. You may see several different types of lines on the court, some of which may be lines for badminton, and some for pickleball. You may also be playing on courts with only badminton markings, which is fine if you’re just learning the ropes of pickleball or looking for a casual game with friends.
Play! Tennis and Play! Pickle’s indoor courts at Red Quarters in Kallang are also courts that do double-duty. Centrally-located, we have two courts that are used for both pickleball and tennis training, and which offer comfortable indoor coaching and play sessions.
The school sports hall
Selected school sports halls have been made available by ActiveSG for recreational use on weekends, and there are several primary school sports halls which have been converted to pickleball courts, such as at Junyuan Primary School. Again, these may double up as badminton courts, so expect to see multiple lines and markings.
Tennis courts
Just as badminton courts can be used to play pickleball, tennis courts can also serve as pickleball courts. Play! Tennis’ facility in Bedok, Eighth Floor Tennis, is used for both tennis and pickleball training and social sessions, where players can hit and swing on a spacious court. The net on a tennis court is higher, at 36 inches in the center and 42 inches at the posts, as opposed to pickleball’s 34 inches at the center and 36 inches at the posts. Unlike a badminton net, tennis nets aren’t as easily adjustable, so pickleball players training on a tennis court may have to contend with a higher net than the pickleball standard.
Other locations
Because pickleball is such an inclusive and easy-to-pick-up sport, makeshift locations have popped up everywhere, from rooftop carparks to neighbourhood basketball, football and futsal courts which have been converted temporarily to pickleball courts, or which are used for multiple sports. You can pick up your paddle and hit a ball to and fro pretty much anywhere, even at home, if you have some space either indoors or outdoors and just want to practise for a bit. Happy playing!
