Indoor premier pickleball facility coming to Mobile

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - To keep up with America’s fastest-growing sport, a new indoor pickleball facility is coming to the Port City.

PickleRage will be located on University Boulevard in the Regency Square Shopping Center. Construction has already started and a tentative opening date set for May.

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The facility will feature 12 indoor CushionX courts with a variety of amenities from a fully-stocked pro shop to a lounge, party room, locker rooms, showers and more.

“There’s such a need for more things to do in Mobile,” said Angie Howard.

“It’s 43-thousand square feet building. It was the old Lagniappe furniture building. It’s a great location, convenient to the college, close enough to Midtown Downtown, close enough to West Mobile so it’s a great location,” said Jonathan Keith, Co-Owner of PickleRage.

Best friends and longtime business partners Jonathan Keith and Mark Howard are co-owners of PickleRage.

FOX10 News caught up with Alexandria, Tyler and James- a few full-time employees excited for the opening.

“We definitely need more places to play,” said Alexandria.

“This is a good opportunity for not only the 2.0 players but all the way up to the 4.0 and 5.0 players,” added Tyler.

“I like it because it’s going to give all of the younger folks somewhere to come play,” said James.

The 12 CushionX courts are the same ones used by professionals in the U.S. Open.

“Whether you’re 5 or 85, the CushionX courts are great for your knees if you’re in the older generations. It’s really great for the kids that are constantly playing,” said Susie Keith.

If pickleball isn’t your thing, there’s still something for everyone.

“This to be a great place to come hang out and watch your family play- there will be a lot of places to sit, a lot of places to relax, we’ll have a a lot of showers,” added Angie Howard.

If you tend to disagree over calls, AI-generated cameras will show instant replay on the courts.

“They create clips, they can call the line for you for instant replays, we’re gonna play highlight reels,” said Jonathan Keith.

There will also be local pros offering lessons for players of all skill levels. With the Port City’s ever-changing weather, people will be able to play pickleball...rain, shine or snow.

“We were laughing on the snow days- we were like it would be great if somebody would open an indoor pickleball facility,” added Susie Keith.

“Another huge benefit is being able to reserve a court ahead of time and know that there’s going to be somebody there your skill level. If you’re a beginner, you play against a beginner. If you’re more experienced, you play against experienced players,” Jonathan Keith added.