Oxford is latest to join statewide pickleball craze

Some people say the popularity of pickleball was just going to be a phase but with new facilities continuously popping up around the state, this sport may be here to stay.

The City of Oxford is the latest to officially open a new pickleball specific facility behind the Oxford Civic Center. (It’s just one of many projects the city has been working on!) Here’s what you need to know:

• What: 8 new pickleball courts
• Where: 401 McCullars Lane, Oxford, AL 36203
• When: Open 7 days a week, 7 AM-10 PM

“Oxford takes great pride in offering a wide variety of recreational opportunities for its citizens. I appreciate the vision of our Parks and Recreation team, under the leadership of PARD director Don Hudson, and the support of our City Council, in helping our citizens have the opportunity to enjoy playing this popular sport.”

~ Oxford Mayor Alton Craft

Pickleball craze continues

The City of Oxford cited the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) in its release announcing the opening of the new courts. The APP says 14 percent of Americans have played the game at least once; 8.5 million people have played eight times or more; and 45 percent say they plan on playing more pickleball in the next six months than they did in the prior six-month period.

This is just the latest courts to open but if you’re not making your way to Oxford anytime soon, you can certainly find some courts nearby. Here are just some of the projects either recently opened or announced across the state:

• A new store devoted to all things pickleball opened in Auburn last year
• Madison has opened new outdoor pickleball courts
• Pickleball courts have opened as Phase I at 17 Springs in Millbrook
• New indoor courts are now open in Foley’s downtown OWA
• City Walk in Birmingham has public courts available
• If you’re looking for a guide to pickleball in Birmingham, we’ve got you covered
• Several new sports complex projects will include pickleball courts in Enterprise, Gulf Shores, Huntsville and Oneonta

What is your favorite spot to play pickleball in Alabama? Let us know what we missed by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn!