"And I think it's gonna be all right Yeah, the worst is over…read morenow The morning sun is shining like a red rubber ball" (The Cyrkle) Pickle balls aren't red. They're either pink for practice or yellow for games. And they aren't made of rubber, they are plastic polymer whose chief characteristic is that it doesn't bounce very high. If you drop it from over your head, it will barely bounce to knee level. Learning (and remembering that fact about low bounces) is just one of the many things you'll need to master if you want to take up the sport. Pickleball was launched in the mid-1960s and is played on a smallish court with a modified tennis net, using a paddle and those perforated polymer balls. I'd best describe the game as the love child of tennis, ping pong and badminton. When you hit the ball, it sounds more like a thud than a ping! Similar to tennis, your goal is to hit the ball over the net and into your opponent's side while adhering to a myriad of rules about serving and counting bounces and staying away from a zone in front of the net that reminded me of the goalie's cease in hockey. Dill Dinkers has 20 locations across ten states. There is just one Connecticut location. Yesterday, we took our very first pickleball lesson at Dill Dinkers in Simsbury, in a space previously occupied by Borders Books. We joined a beginner's class with about 20 rookies and interacted with three exceptional and very patient coaches who gave us lesson time, practice drills and embryonic game play with instant feedback on performance and the rules (which I consistently violated). For the third year in a row, Pickleball is the country's fastest growing sport, and their courts are taking over empty shopping mall space across the country. After one lesson, I am looking forward to charting my "progress" over the next three weeks. I'm not very optimistic about that!

As someone who's played in several difference places in different states, I can say this Dill…read moreDinkers location is by far the best pickleball facility I've ever played at! The courts have a great aesthetic and have really good quality surfaces. My favorite part is how much space there is between the baselines and the fences. Not once did I have to worry about hitting the barriers, and that allowed me to play much more freely. We encountered a technical difficulty during a tournament that caused us to play an opponent out of order, slightly messing things up which was a little frustrating in the moment. But the tournament organizer did a great job resolving it, and went above and beyond to offer some compensation in the form of free court time and some waived fees which is a huge testament to their customer service. I really appreciated that gesture. Will definitely be back here!

I have been playing pickleball at the Bloomfield Tennis Club for 3 years. The outdoor courts are…read moreoutstanding. Bonus to becoming a member is access to the pool (in the summer). During winter play the staff is accommodating and really nice. Easily as important is that the folks that play there of all abilities create incredibly fun play. Coming in the future are dedicated indoor pickleball courts!

My kid has play here for the past 3 years. Boy! This is a top Notch tennis and pickleball facility…read morein the area. bright indoor courts, brand new clay and pickleball court, a new sparkling swimming pool. Everything is well-maintained and NEW. The staff are super friendly, helpful and passionate about members' experiences.

Beautiful courts, awesome management, clean facility. Best indoor courts in Worcester county.read more

From the owner: Welcome to PickleballU, a dedicated Pickleball experience located in Sturbridge, MA that offers…read moreyear-round access to 6 premium climate controlled indoor courts.

I just got a few racquets restrung and regripped and am happy with the service. Was about a 2 day…read moreturnaround. They gave me the option to choose the string color but no mention was made on what type of grip I would get. The grips were on brand which was a nice surprise. I couldn't have asked for a better experience.

I have recently returned to tennis after 16 years off. This is a great club to come to, whether…read morenovice or pro. Mike and Karen have made me feel so welcome. Lots of opportunities to play even if you know no one. They will help you find a group. I've also been playing the stroke of the week clinic. Mike focuses on one stroke, forehand, backhand, overhead, etc and sets up the ball machine to send balls while he coaches your strokes. I am happily playing tennis again in a supportive environment. Come play!

It's the old Sears Hardware store located next door to Stop & Shop. Many pickleball courts…read moreavailable. There's a ping pong table area, a room with volleyball courts and badminton. There's a golf simulator but not the best. There should be an exact area where the simulator reads the balls but it's not marked, nor is it accurate when you hit the ball. VR room is kinda cool but ventilation is not well. I entered where a bunch of teenage boys were using VR and well, it smelled like a locker room. There's a virtual beer tap; great concept but the pours aren't exact amounts. They're suppose to be 12 oz pours. It shuts off at 9 oz, 12 oz or any ounce it wishes.

From the owner: 8 Indoor Pickleball Court/2 Golf Simulators/Badminton Courts/Ping Pong Tables and Self Pour Beer…read moreKiosk

Amanda and I wanted to look into playing Pickleball. We looked online for an indoor location and…read moresome place to learn to play. True Pickleball Club has a website that is easy to schedule a court, pretty inexpensive at $45 an hour or $10 per person for Open play. The location is beautiful with 5 regular courts and 1 championship court. Cabanas at each court for your stuff and a lounge with locker rooms to change while you wait. A bar with lounge also. The staff has been amazing. Brian checked us in, we told him we were very new to the sport and he was extremely helpful. So much so, he gave us a lesson and played with us. We have been back 4 times since and may join a league.

I recommend renting a court and playing with your friends. The cost has gone up in the past few…read moremonths, but that's supply and demand I guess. I attended a novice open play which was a disaster. The employees gave no guidance on how the set up worked. I'm still not sure how it was supposed to work. There was a lot of drama with people who wanted to play certain people and others who clearly were not beginners slamming the ball. No thanks. I don't recommend it.

Very nice and spacious courts, friendly staff and great way to demo multiple different paddles…read more Only downside is anyone can sign up for any level open play which mixed beginners and intermediate players into the high intermediate open play making games unevenly matched.

Very nice PB courts and they added some noice absorbing foam on the walls. The staff are super nice…read moreand helpful.

Clean, well-lit, nice courts and friendly staff. The players are great and the pro shop is stocked…read morewith the latest from Selkirk! Also, they run amazing events like pro clinics with top pickleball players and tournaments.

Great pickle ball place, clean, and fun! Staff was on incredibly helpful! I brought my kids and…read moresome relatives from out of town-they had a great time!

This is a great place to play pickleball in Rhode Island! They have 5 indoor courts and 2 outdoor…read morecourts. The courts are nice and you need to reserve in advance on their calendar. There are different options for open play by levels or you can reserve a full court.

Perfect place for pickleball! Came here with friends on a Saturday afternoon--there are two outdoor…read morecourts, one of which we played on because it was a beautiful day. They provide paddles and balls if you don't already have them. There are also chairs to sit on the side if you are resting/waiting to play. Highly recommend!