New pickleball courts are coming to Columbia. Here’s where the popular sport is going
Here’s something to get excited about picklers: Even more courts are coming to the Midlands.
Pickleball, described by The New York Times as “a combination of tennis, Ping-Pong and badminton,” has become a hugely popular sport across the U.S., with new clubs and facilities emerging in surprising places.
Now, an area golf course is getting on board with the trend.
The Woodcreek Club golf course in Elgin, northeast of Columbia, plans to add eight new pickleball courts to its property, according to documents filed with the City of Columbia.
The new pickleball courts would be on the west side of Club Ridge Road, opposite the club’s existing tennis courts. The plans also include a stone pavilion providing seating and shade.
If approved by the city of Columbia’s Planning Commission at a meeting this week, the new courts would add to a growing list of pickleball options coming online in the Midlands.
In March, a 46,000-square-foot indoor pickleball facility called “The Picklr” is set to come online on Two Notch Road. Last year, a 24-hour pickleball club called “24 Hour Pickleball” opened about four miles east of downtown Lexington.
The Professional Pickleball Association is set to kick off the inaugural season of its PPA Challenger Series March 28-30 at the new 16-court Cayce Pickleball Complex.
And local school board member Abbott “Tre” Bray last year proposed a plan to add a pickleball club and beer garden on the Saluda River. That project is still in development but moving forward, according to Bray. That project has seen some resistance from residents who would rather keep the riverfront more natural.
The City of Columbia Planning Commission will consider the Woodcreek Club pickleball plans at a meeting Thursday, 4 p.m. at City Hall.
This story was originally published February 10, 2025 at 12:06 PM.
