Overview
What is pickleball, you ask? Well, we had the same question before visiting the new National Pickleball League courts in South Melbourne.
We discovered that pickleball is like a larger version of bat tennis — that dear old game we used to play back in primary school. The difference is that you use a plastic wiffle ball and the court is a bit bigger. But not nearly as big as a tennis court so you've got less chance of pulling a hammy.
The sport was invented back in 1965 as a children's game in the US but has recently grown to be a hugely popular phenomenon. It's gone the way of ultimate frisbee and quidditch. According to the Pickleball Australia Association, there are now over 140 pickleball clubs all over the country, with that number rising. Yeah, it seems to be a thing now.
Capitalising on that, the National Pickleball League has set up a heap of courts in its new pickleball space, The Jar. Here, you can now book a court with some mates or join the league itself, that's set to play its first 24-team season in March 2024.
And this isn't your average community sports tournament. There is proper prize money up for grabs, with the winning team getting $50,000.
But you don't have to be a pro to just rock up to the South Melbourne pickleball courts and hit a few wiffle balls around with mates.
You'll find the National Pickleball League's The Jar at 29 White Street, South Melbourne. It's open 6am–10pm from Monday–Thursday, 6am–7pm on Fridays and 7am–6pm on Saturday and Sunday. Head to the venue's website for more info.