Pickleball, padel ball becoming as popular as golf at country clubs

WEST PALM BEACH — These days, there’s a lot of racket being made at high-end private country clubs. But it’s not the sounds from golf shots usually associated with these communities.

Instead, the noise is coming from, well, actual racquets being used to play tennis and the wildly-popular pickleball and padel ball (pronounced Pah-del, emphasis on second syllable).

In some country club circles, racquet sport facilities are just as important as the condition of the golf course. This holds true at The Club at Ibis in West Palm Beach. While Ibis will always be known as the world’s only private club with three Nicklaus family-designed courses and former Golf Channel instructor Martin Hall manning the back range, racquet sports are becoming more popular by the day at the club.

Consider some of the stars who have been playing tennis at Ibis lately: Roger Federer (20 Grand Slam titles), Ivan Lendl (eight), John McEnroe (seven) and Michael Chang (one). In recent years, Venus Williams (seven) and Coco Gauff (two) have done exhibitions at Ibis.

More pickleball: Professional pickleball in Palm Beach County with Palm Beach Royals

“Roger Federer is welcome at any club in the world, but he chooses to occasionally play at Ibis because of the facilities and the coaching,” said Reilly Opelka, an Ibis honorary member who, at 6-foot-11, has an interesting perspective on tennis. Opelka was ranked as high as No. 17 in the world in 2022.

The Delray Beach resident started the influx of tennis stars at Ibis when he was offered membership in late 2017. Opelka came to Ibis for the coaching.

“It’s a beautiful club, but there are tons of beautiful clubs in South Florida,” Opelka said. “I practice at Ibis because I love the facilities, and I love the coaching staff. You can’t get that anywhere.”

The vision for Ibis’ racquet sports belongs to Jay Berger, the club’s Director of Athletics who, in addition to being ranked as high as world No. 7 in 1990, was the USTA’s head men’s coach for almost a decade and coached in three Olympics.

Berger, the father of PGA Tour star Daniel Berger, is the primary reason why some of tennis’ most recognizable names are coming through Ibis’ gates.

“It says plenty about Ibis when you have icons such as Roger and Ivan using our facilities,” Berger said. “We’re definitely an interesting place to be.”

Berger wasn’t content in just building an elite tennis program at Ibis; he also has seized on the growing popularity of pickleball and padel ball. As part of the club’s recent $63 million investment plan, Ibis is doubling its number of pickleball courts, from six to 12, and building two new padel ball courts.

Pickleball, padel ball courts appear at PGA Show in Orlando

If anyone doubts the rise of these two racquet sports, consider this: At last month’s PGA Show in Orlando, for the first time the PGA of America had two pickleball courts and a padel ball court on the showroom floor. It’s no longer just about golf at country clubs.

With that in mind, Berger recently offered pickleball’s No.1-ranked player, Federico Staksrud, an opportunity to represent Ibis on pickleball’s U.S. stage.

“After meeting Jay, the idea of having a place like Ibis where I can go just to train is great,” said Staksrud, a 30-year-old West Palm Beach resident. “Jay has become kind of a mentor. I can ask him about sports and business plans.”

Staksrud grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina and played tennis at multiple U.S. colleges. He made the transition to pickleball five years ago and his career has blossomed. He said he enjoyed playing at a club such as Ibis, where the residents watch him practice when they’re not playing.

“It’s one of the most social sports out there and it’s a great way to stay healthy,” Staksrud said. “You can meet so many people and make friends without having to take 20 private golf or tennis lessons.

“The Ibis members will ask me questions, but they don’t bother me. They’re really involved. They’re not just playing for fun; they’re trying to get better.”

Berger has made that task easier by compiling an elite coaching staff at Ibis, spearheaded by Director of Tennis Tobias Clemens and top assistant Josh Sturgis.

“Our coaching staff could be similar to one that you’d find at a national governing body,” Berger said. “I’m looking for somebody that is passionate about tennis, and I’m looking for a real tennis person. We’ve been fortunate.”

Berger took the same approach with pickleball, hiring Regina Goldberg and Gio Morelli, top instructors who also played the game at a high level. Staksrud also serves as an advisor.

It’s easy to see why Ibis has invested in pickleball: It has been the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. during the last five years, more than tripling its participation to 25 million. The small court size and light equipment make it easy to learn and less physically demanding than tennis.

Tennis is still the most popular racquet sport at Ibis (700 players), but pickleball (650) is catching up and likely will soon pass tennis.

“Some clubs who have pickleball, it takes away from the tennis,” Berger said. “Not at Ibis. That’s why we keep investing in racquet sports. I don’t see it slowing down.”

No. 1-ranked Federico Staksrud’s Tips for Pickleball Beginners

• Less is better. When you first start playing pickleball, don’t try to do too much running or overswinging. Focus on consistency and keeping the ball in play. That’s when you have fun.

• You don’t have to spend a lot of money on equipment. You can buy your first paddle at a place like WalMart. Spend $80, not $250. Once you get better at the game, then you can buy better equipment.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: The Club at Ibis still known for golf but racquet sports catching on