Groups looking to add a little pickleball action to their itinerary will likely find it available no matter where in Michigan they elect to meet. Wolverine Pickleball in Ann Arbor offers opportunities for private events. Groups can hold team-building outings or throw a pickleball party renting out a few courts or the whole facility.
In Grand Rapids, Zachary Verhulst and Blaine Westerlund plan to open Pickle and Pin in October. Westerlund says the 6,400-square-foot “social athletic facility” will include three pickleball courts and four golf simulator spaces that will be complemented by a small bar and lounge.
“Both Zach and I noticed an overlap in individuals who played both pickleball and golf,” Westerlund explains. “Also, with our climate, opportunities are limited five to six months out of the year to play. Indoor spaces are limited in the downtown area for both sports. We saw an opportunity with a building in our neighborhood that wasn’t very well cared for and thought it was unique enough to do something cool with.”
And of course, the rooftop pickleball courts at the Amway Grand Plaza, Curio Collection by Hilton, in downtown Grand Rapids continue to attract hotel guests as well as other visitors and locals. Up in Acme near Traverse City, Pickle U has opened in a long-vacant former Kmart building. Co-owner Dave Sexton says groups can arrange to rent multiple courts, and it’s possible to create a gathering space by moving a net off a court.
amwaygrand.com
pickleandpin.com
pickleutc.com
wolverinepickleball.com
