Kind of a big dill
Pickleball is quite the racket in ritzy hot spots like the Hamptons
AMERICA’S fastest-growing sport is definitely popular among plebes. But lately, pickleball — a cross between, tennis, ping-pong and badminton — has become borderline bougie.
Don’t expect to visit the Hamptons this summer, for example, without encountering a wait list for the three new courts at Dune Deck Beach Club.
“If you walk into any of our clubs between the hours of 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. the courts are packed,” said Mike Meldman, founder and chairman of Discovery Land Company, owner of the exclusive Hamptons beach club residences.
Hamptonites who don’t want to wait (or can’t afford Dune Deck’s $350,000 annual membership dues) are playing at The Barn in Westhampton, Sportime in Amagansett and Around the Post Pickleball, LLC in Hampton Bays.
Pickleball is infiltrating other tony ZIP codes, too. All of Discovery’s luxury resort communities — from Barbuda to Portugal — have pickleball courts. And on the West Coast, country clubs are getting in on the action.
“Hillcrest Country Club is adding courts, Brentwood Country Club is adding courts — all the main country clubs here are adding courts,” said pickleball coach Matt Manasse.
Last year Manasse was appointed the first-ever pickleball coach at the Pacific Palisades’ prestigious Riviera Country Club in California. These days, the former pro tennis coach plays with celebrity picklers like Larry David and Matthew Perry.
Pickleball isn’t just newly fashionable among the jet set, it’s also fashion.
“The outfits are getting nicer among the women with means,” said Manasse.
His clients are all but begging the Gigi Hadi-approved luxury streetwear brand, Madhappy, to make a pickleball line. Alice + Olivia, meanwhile, welcomed the memo creating WASP-y luxury whites.
It seems the one percent can’t get enough of the sport. No one knows this better than Tony Mariotti. The RubyHome real estate agent grew up in the Pacific Northwest — where pickleball was invented in 1965 — and fondly remembers his family having a pickleball court in their driveway. Currently, he’s representing an $85 million home in Beverly Hills. One of its biggest selling points? An indoor pickleball court, of course.