This summer, so many visitors have asked me where they can play pickleball on the Outer Banks. I admit that I have never played pickleball, but since I like to have an answer for people, I decided to look into it.
I talked to Scott Garber, USA Pickleball Ambassador for Dare County and president of OBX Pickleball, a nonprofit group dedicated to this increasingly popular sport. He had just returned from PickleCon 2024, a huge pickleball convention in Kansas City, where he learned that the sport is absolutely booming. “In the United States, 53 million people play pickleball,” he says.
While there are places to play on the Outer Banks, Garber laments the dearth of pickleball facilities on the Outer Banks, which is limiting the ability to grow the sport here as rapidly as it is growing in other areas of the country. His group has been lobbying the Dare County Board of Commissioners, Outer Banks Visitors Bureau and Dare County Parks and Recreation to increase the pickleball facilities on the Outer Banks, and he says there is good news on the horizon, but it’s too soon to share it with the public. I'll keep you posted.
Garber says he gets calls every week from visitors and locals looking for places to play on the Outer Banks. Unfortunately, Dare County’s only dedicated pickleball courts are in Wanchese on Roanoke Island, but they're good courts and not too crowded because they are a little tucked away. There are several other shared facilities around town. However, there are definitely more pickleball players than facilities on the Outer Banks, especially in summer, but that doesn’t mean that all hope is lost. You can typically find a place to play among this public courts, and many private communities offer courts as well.
Indoor play is available at the three Dare County recreation centers.
Where to Play
Dare County Recreation Center
602 Mustian Street, Kill Devil Hills
Outdoor court play is available Monday through Saturday mornings and Friday evenings
Indoor courts are open to Dare County residents and property owners only
Information: (252) 475-5920; website
Meekins Field
1634 N. Croatan Highway, Kill Devil Hills
Outdoor pickleball courts, free, first-come, first-served
Information: website
Dowdy Park
3005 S. Croatan Highway, Nags Head
One dedicated outdoor asphalt court with a permanent net and lines, free to use, first-come, first-served
Information: website
Outer Banks Family YMCA
3000 S. Croatan Highway, Nags Head
Indoor courts can be set up for pickleball. Membership or fee required.
Information: Call (252) 489-8897 to reserve a court or ask about drop-in fees.
Westcott Park
1000 Westcott Park Road, Manteo
Three indoor pickleball courts are available Monday to Friday mornings and Tuesday afternoons. First-come, first-served, free.
Information: (252) 475-5910, website
Walker Park
260 Pond Road, Wanchese
Four outdoor pickleball courts available from sunup to sundown. First-come, first-served, free. Wanchese is about a 15-minute drive from Nags Head
Information: (252) 475-5910; website
Fessenden Center
46830 N.C. Highway 12, Buxton
Nets can be set up on the two outdoor tennis courts, first come, first served, free
Three indoor courts are available Tuesday through Friday during certain hours, first-come, first-served, free
Information: (252) 475-5650, website
Pine Island Racquet and Fitness Center
290 Audubon Drive, Corolla
Four indoor and four outdoor courts, charge for guests, reservations required. Lessons available.
Information: (252) 453-8525; website
Westside Athletic Club
101 Wimbledon Court, Powells Point
Four outdoor courts, reservations recommended. Fee is required, and a tennis and pickleball-only membership is available. Instructor available. Pickleball drop-in events are held for $10 on Monday and Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning
Information: (252) 491-8626, website
Several private communities and clubs also have pickleball courts so there may be courts in the resort community in which you’re staying.
Find Players
If you want to find people to play with, go to pickleheads.com/groups/obx-pickleball-group or to OBX Pickleball Club | Facebook to connect with players.
Pickleball Event
Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty 1st Annual Cross Roads OBX Tennis and Pickleball Charity Tournament
Saturday, September 14 and Sunday, September 15
Westside Athletic Club, Powells Point
Register now for a weekend of fun pickleball and tennis. If you need a partner, they will set you up with one. All levels of play are welcome. Registration is $55. Pickleball signup link. Find information on Facebook.
Here's some good pickleball news on the horizon too.
Top and bottom photos from Unsplash.
About the Author Molly Harrison
Molly Harrison is managing editor at OneBoat, publisher of OuterBanksThisWeek.com. She moved to Nags Head in 1994 and since then has made her living writing articles and creating publications about the people, places and culture of the Outer Banks.
