CARMEL -- An elite pickleball country club complete with a pro shop, eight indoor courts, posh locker rooms, an on-staff professional and a 90-seat upscale restaurant and bar has opened in Carmel, joining a burgeoning nationwide trend that takes the sport beyond casual, outdoor pickup courts.
Pickle on Penn, a 23,500-square-foot facility opened last month at 11575 N. Pennsylvania St. in Carmel, offering memberships that cater to seasoned professionals, beginners and players who fall somewhere in between.
In addition to highlighting the sport, Pickle on Penn wants to be known as a destination for food and social gatherings. The club's culinary venture, The Kitchen, will open in September, led by locally renowned executive chef Carlesa Smith, who has worked at Harry & Izzy's on the northside and as a sous chef at St. Elmo Steak House.
The second level restaurant and bar at Pickle on Penn features picture windows overlooking the courts and will serve everything from handhelds and salads to burgers and pizza to upscale entrees including New York strip, filet mignon and honey-glazed salmon.
Many of the items' names on the menu are inspired by the sport of pickleball.
On the appetizer list is The Paddle, described on the menu as "a signature charcuterie board with soppressata, capicola, pepperoni, burrata, goat cheese, port cheese, gherkins, strawberry, oranges, macrona almonds, honeycomb and crostini" and the Drop Shot Dip, "a cheesy spinach and artichoke dip served with tortilla chips."
The handhelds include the Hotshot Burger, which is infused with cheese and sits atop roasted red pepper and poblano spread, is topped with parmesan crisps, spicy tempura-battered jalapenos and chipotle ranch on a toasted brioche bun.
The drink menu features draft beers, wine and cocktails with pickleball-inspired names as well.
There is the Dink Shot Buck (Makers Mark 46, lemon juice, simple syrup and muddled strawberries), the Pickle Mary (Tito’s vodka, Zing Zang Bloody Mary mix, lime juice, Tabasco, Tajin Rim and a pickle Skewer, of course) and the Passing Shot Paloma (Casamigos Blanco tequila, Fever Tree sparkling grapefruit, lime juice and a salted rim).
Pickleball's explosive popularity
Pickle on Penn, a private club owned by local entrepreneurs Steve and Kelly Bodner, goes by the shortened nickname POP. The Bodners said they wanted to create a club that was light, enthusiastic and inspiring to its members.
The club’s general manager and director of pickleball is longtime coaching pro Ryan Atkinson, who comes from Broadmoor Country Club, where he served as director of pickleball, and the Indianapolis Racquet Club, where he is a coaching pro.
"I couldn’t be more excited about joining the amazing POP team at the ground level,” Atkinson said in a statement. “Pickleball has changed my life, not to mention this is the fastest-growing sport in the United States."
For the past three years, pickleball has been named America's fastest-growing sport by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Since 2020, pickleball has grown 223.5%, including a 51.8% increase in 2023 with 13.6 million people playing the sport.
In 2023, the Association of Pickleball Professionals estimated that 48.3 million adults in the U.S. have played pickleball at least once in the last year, which is almost 19% of the total adult population.
What is pickleball?
Pickleball is played on a badminton-sized court with the net set to a height of 34 inches at the center. It is played with a perforated plastic ball and composite or wooden paddles about twice the size of ping-pong paddles.
The game has developed a passionate following due to its friendly, social nature and its multi-generational appeal.
Pickleball can be played indoors or outdoors and as singles or doubles. New players can learn the basic rules quickly in a single session. No special apparel is needed – just something comfortable and appropriate for a court sport. Equipment is inexpensive and easily portable.
Source: USA Pickleball , which maintains the rules, promotes the sport, sanctions tournaments and provides player ratings.
A dog called Pickles? A little controversy over the sport's name
Pickleball was born in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, just a short ferry ride from Seattle, created by three innovative fathers, Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum, to entertain their children who were tired of the usual summer activities.
The origin of the game’s name is a bit odd, especially because it doesn't involve pickles. Accounts of how the name originated differ. According to Pritchard’s wife, Joan, she started calling the game pickleball because “the combination of different sports reminded me of the pickle boat in crew where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers of other boats."
McCallum argues the game was officially named after the Pritchards’ dog Pickles who would chase the ball and run off with it. According to McCallum, “the Pritchards had a dog named Pickles, and you’re having fun at a party, right? So anyways, what the hell, let’s just call it pickleball," USA Pickleball writes of its history.
Others claim both accounts may be true. In the early years, no official name was assigned to the game. However, a year or two after the game was invented, the Pritchards’ purchased a cocker spaniel and named it Pickles. As the game progressed, an official name was needed, and “pickleball” was it.
Join the Carmel club
Pickle on Penn plans to host regular tournaments, clinics, classes, leagues and social events. Individual and family memberships, guest passes and free pickleball 101 experiences are available. All reservations should be made through the Court Reserve app .
For more info: Pickle On Penn
Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on X: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via e-mail: dbenbow@indystar.com
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pickleball country club? It's open in Carmel (of course). Chef-led restaurant, bar next
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