Golf participation isn’t the only thing that’s increasing at private clubs and municipal courses. Racquet sports such as pickleball and padel ball have become two of the world’s fastest-growing sports.
Pickleball has experienced explosive growth in the U.S., from 5 million in 2022 to 25 million last year. Padel ball has even more participation – about 30 million – with more than 10,000 courts built in the last two years. And tennis is as popular as ever.
The PGA Show is embracing this development with an expanded and energized Racquet Sports at the PGA Show, dubbed a “show within a show.” This includes two pickleball courts on the PGA Show floor, which hosted a Celebrity Pickleball Pro-Am on Wednesday night, as well as a padel ball court nearby.
Racquet sports have the largest footprint in the PGA Show’s history. More than 60 booths near the courts are filled with items geared for the two sports.
“This is the biggest year we’ve had for racquet sports at the PGA Show,” said Nick Mastro, Event Manager for Racquet Sports at the PGA Show. “Facilities are looking for proven ways to grow participation, maximize revenue and retain members. Racquet sports are delivering across those areas, and the Show is designed to let attendees see, feel and experience what’s possible.”
Among the Celebrity Pickleball Pro-Am participants was Matt “Pickleball McNasty” Manasse. There also were appearances by professional athletes and sports personalities, including NFL’s Calvin Johnson and Eric Decker, professional tennis player Jesse Levine and WTA standout Caroline Dolehide.
There is also additional programming on the Racquet Sports Stage on Thursday and Friday to provide more input on the rapid-growing sports.
“Performance-driven categories like golf and racquet sports demand hands-on interaction,” Mastro said. “Those moments — hitting, testing, learning and connecting — are what build confidence, spark ideas and lead to long-term partnerships. That’s what the PGA Show does best.” —Craig Dolch