Several Surprising Places You Can Play Padel Around the U.S.
Off-the-beaten-path padel clubs to visit in CO, NM, FL, VT, and WV...
While the majority of the U.S. padel world’s attention usually goes to “tier-one” cities like Miami, Houston, and Los Angeles, you’re now starting to see padel popping up in second- and even third-tier cities across the country as well.
And given how relatively little attention some of locations get — yet how important I believe them to be to the overall growth of the sport around our country — I wanted to close out the month by highlighting a few of them, including:
Santa Fe, NM (@ Forked Lightning Racquet Club)
New Mexico’s capital city has always been one of my favorite in the entire U.S. (not to mention, among our nation’s very oldest). I love its ultra-funky, arty desert vibe and the fact it’s home to amazing southwestern food (including some of the best pozole I’ve ever tasted), the original Meow Wolf, and perhaps the most legendary turn-key squash establishment of all time, The Kiva Club.
However, up until recently it had never been anywhere I’d ever seriously considered moving, due in no small part to its lack of padel courts.
But that’s no longer an issue thanks to Forked Lightning Racquet Club and the three outdoor padel courts they opened earlier this year (along with 12 indoor and outdoor tennis courts and an additional dozen pickleball courts).
Apparently, I’m not the only one who’s excited about having padel in the area, either. Among the many big-name celebrities that attended its grand-opening festivities were tennis legends and former pros including Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Coco Vandeweghe, Mike and Bob Bryan, Luke and Murphy Jensen, Justin Gimelstob, and John Isner.
Colorado Springs, CO (@ Olympus Padel)
Having grown up in Colorado Springs, I couldn’t have been more excited (or surprised) when Evan Brown — who has also been involved with other notable U.S. padel projects like Aspen Padel Club, Mink Padel in Harlem, and The Padel Courts in Los Angeles — told me he would be opening Olympus Padel there a little over a year ago.
Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of playing there several times (including with my former high-school-tennis coach) and watching the community steadily grow (via the club’s thriving WhatsApp group).
Colorado Springs is also the home of the U.S. Olympic Training Center… my alma mater, Cheyenne Mountain High School, and its nearly four dozen combined boys and girls state tennis championships… another legendary turn-key squash club known as Guillermos’s… and the iconic Broadmoor Hotel and Resort with its storied tennis program.
So, perhaps it only makes sense that the Springs is now home to the world’s fastest growing sport, too.
Titusville, FL (@ Wakit Rakit / La Cita Tennis Club)
While this part of Florida is known as “the Space Coast” due to the numerous historic NASA facilities in the area, U.S. padel pioneer and O.G. Tito Moreno and the Wakit Rakit team also found it to be the perfect location for their first-ever club (with a second also recently opening in Spring, TX).
Of his decision to open a club here, rather than in a more established Florida city like Miami or Orlando, Moreno says:
“Titusville is the perfect spot to join America's padel boom. Padel's social energy and quick mastery make it addictive for families and friends, while its depth challenges experts. I'm here to build community and train toward representing Team USA at the 2032 Olympics."
In addition to two brand-new, soon-to-open padel courts, Wakit Rakit (which sits on the grounds of the iconic La Cita Tennis Club) features six Har-Tru clay tennis courts and two indoor racquetball courts.
Charleston, WV (@ Edgewood Country Club)
No offense to the other Charleston (I live in the South Carolina version), but West Virginia isn’t exactly the fist state that springs to mind when I think of must-visit racquet-sports destinations.
Yet Edgewood Country Club, which opened in 1898 in the mountains overlooking the West Virginia capital:
Was the host venue of quite possibly the most fun hardball-doubles-squash tournament I’ve ever played in (and most definitely the only one where I’ve ever been offered both pre- and post-match dirty martinis!)…
Was the first place I ever saw, let alone played, pickleball (clear back in 2019), and…
Is now home to the first (and currently only) padel court in the state.
From what I’ve heard, it’s catching on fast. So, it might not be the only one for long — and a return trip may well be in order (especially if pre-match cocktails are still on offer)!
Wilmington, VT (@ Brook Bound Inn)
About 130 miles northwest of the emerging padel mini-mecca of Boston, you’ll find charming, rustic Brook Bound Inn and its seven private rooms along with a swimming pool and pickleball and padel courts spread across 32 acres of pristine Vermont forest.
Whitney Kraft, who has a four-decade-plus-long career in the racquet sports industry and is responsible for helping to bring some of the earliest padel courts to the U.S. serves as the Racquets Director.
So, next time you’re in need of a break from the hustle and bustle of your big city padel club, but you still want to be able to play, you might want to consider a trip to this off-the-beaten-path corner of Vermont.
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