This article first appeared in the September/October edition of Pickleball Magazine.
Linda and Doug Strahm are in their 40-foot motorhome at The Great Outdoors RV Resort in Franklin, North Carolina. Their next destination is 2300 miles away, an RV park in Kalispell, Montana. They are not going only for the hiking, biking, or to roast marshmallows on an open fire.
The Strahms are hitting the road to hit some pickleballs.
“We meet fun people and get to see this beautiful country,” Linda says about the couple’s life on the road. She’s 71, Doug is 69. They are Florida natives who were college sweethearts. Both are retired engineers, Linda worked at NASA, Doug at Honeywell. They raised two daughters in their longtime suburban Houston home. In 2016, the Strahms started researching RV’s. In 2018, they bought a 40-foot Tiffin Motorhome and sold their house.
“We said, ‘Let’s go explore the world,’” Linda says.
They are experienced long-distance travelers because both of their parents were longtime owners of recreational vehicles. The couple started playing pickleball in 2023. Linda is a 3.5 player and plays 5 or 6 days a week. Doug is more of a social player who also enjoys off-roading in his Jeep Wrangler.
Most pickleball players at local courts often play against the same people every day. When Linda and Doug play at campgrounds across the country, virtually every opponent is someone they have never met. They like that for both the social and strategic aspects.
“When you play the same players over and over, you get to know the shots they make,” Linda says. “With travel playing, you don’t know players’ shots. That puts us both on our toes and makes us both better players.”
The Strahms are part of a fast-growing group within America’s fastest-growing sport: recreational vehicle owners who are passionate pickleball players and travel the country in search of a game. Or 10.
“Pickleball is the fastest-growing amenity in our industry,” says Monika Geraci, a spokesperson for the RV Industry Association trade group. “Twelve percent of privately-owned campgrounds have pickleball courts. In last year’s survey of the industry, approximately 3,300 campgrounds are planning to add pickleball in the next 12 months."
According to the RV Industry Association, there are more than 20,000 public and privately owned campgrounds nationwide, and 8.1 million households own an RV. How many RV’ers play pickleball is anyone’s guess, but hospitality industry experts are aware than an increasing number of campers are packing their paddles. Executives in the competitive business are aware of the pickleball boom and if their properties didn’t have pickleball courts before the boom they have them now. They don’t want to lose business from pickleball players who won’t stay at campgrounds without courts.
“Pickleball has certainly blown up,” says Mike Whitmer, Vice-President, Resorts Division, for the Tembo Hospitality Group, a hospitality and marketing firm that partners with several luxury motorhome resorts.
Whitmer is also the general manager at the Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort in South Carolina. He says potential campers often call ahead before deciding where to stay because they have a question. “I would say that pickleball is the primary amenity that is asked about here aside from the pool. Pickleball is only getting more popular [here] every day,” Whitmer says.
Kampgrounds of America operates more than 500 campgrounds throughout North America. “Pickleball is one of the most popular amenities being added,” KOA spokesperson Kelly Self says. “Our campgrounds continue to prioritize them even after the pickleball boom.”
Sun Outdoors owns and operates more than 170 resorts and campgrounds across the US and Canada. “Many of which have pickleball courts,” says company spokesperson Darren Arcaro.
Some Sun resorts have lighted courts, competitive teams and host national tournaments. Players have raved about the courts at Palm Creek Resort & Residences in Casa Grande, Arizona, which features a world-class 32-court pickleball complex. The Sun Outdoors Myrtle Beach resort in Conway, South Carolina, has three lighted pickleball courts.
Knowing that RVers who are pickleballers have hundreds of campgrounds to choose from, park owners are not only adding multiple courts, but quality courts as well. Last year at the Mountain Falls Luxury Motorcoach Resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, a CushionX court surface was installed. It is designed to reduce joint strain. “That alone was a big draw for many folks,” Whitmer says. “It is absolutely critical that we have well maintained and well constructed courts.”
Thousand Trails is the largest membership-based campground network in North America, with more than 250 campgrounds, RV resorts and marinas in its portfolio. Spokesperson Randy Berman says, “117 [properties] have pickleball as an amenity. Since 2020, we have added 30 pickleball courts either as new additions or redevelopments of older courts, specifically for pickleball.”
Thousand Trails’ Monte Vista RV resort in Mesa, Arizona, a 55 and over community, has 12 dedicated and lighted pickleball courts. General manager Kristopher Colig says pickleball is now a major part of the company’s plans. “There was no way we could build another state-of-the-art fitness facility without including additional pickleball courts as the feature amenity,” Colig says. “The sport is too popular among everyone here.”
Thousand Trails’ Sunshine Key RV Resort in the Florida Keys hosts pickleball tournaments and has “Glow in the Dark” pickleball nights. Music blares from a loudspeaker. Refreshments are available at a nearby Tiki Bar.
Linda and Doug Strahm have some prerequisites before choosing the RV parks at which they will stay. “I look for campgrounds that have four or more pickleball courts on the premises or within 20 minutes away,” Linda says. “When there is only one court there will often be no players there. And if the courts are off site there has to be no membership required. We go on the Pickleheads app and local pickleball groups on Facebook to find out where courts are and what times people play.”
Other apps that pickleball playing travelers use to find courts include “Places 2 Play” and “Team Reach.”
The Strahms especially enjoy playing at the Tiger Run RV Resort in Breckenridge, Colorado. The resort has four courts and there are nice ones nearby. “I love to bike 5 miles on a paved trail along a beautiful river to the Carter Park courts in town,” Linda says. “They have six highly competitive courts and just down the hill are six recreational courts. Great players and the most awesome view of the mountains.”
The couple also list among their favorite places to play the aforementioned Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort (six dedicated courts on site and many others on the island) and the Silver Palms RV Resort in Okeechobee, Florida. The latter has 10 dedicated, fenced courts.
The Strahms first played pickleball in 2023. “I loved it but was surprised as I did not know I could be competitive at my old age of 69,” Linda says. Doug says, “I initially saw pickleball as a way to get some exercise and a little competitiveness without the strenuousness of a larger game like tennis or soccer. The price of the equipment was very reasonable for a beginner. Also, the people that were playing were a very friendly and welcoming group that made room for beginners.”
Whitmer, of the Tembo Hospitality group, says “Pickleball is not going anywhere anytime soon and the RV culture has truly adopted it wholesale, so I think we will continue to see a lot of engagement on this.”
Linda Strahm advises campers to remember to, “Always pack your paddle, balls and shoes! And when you arrive at courts, ask players how things work. Signage is oftentimes not how the courts are run.
“We feel so blessed to be retired and traveling this fabulous country,” Linda says. “Playing pickleball is the icing on the cake!”
Now, for an increasing number of RV’ers, a fun day is not based on how good their hiking or biking or kayaking was, but on how many good pickleball games they played.
The roasted marshmallows can wait.
Thoughts of the week, not all pickleball
· I realize every Tom, Dick and Harry has jumped on the pickleball bandwagon to make a buck but this is somewhat over the top: Burger King Japan recently launched a Pickleball Burger with 11 pickles—one for every point in a standard game to 11. Can’t BK customers order a burger and simply tell them “extra pickles?” And you really must love pickles to have 11 slices on a burger.
· I see sideline benches at many pickleball courts, indoor and out, with no padding. Owners do it to save a few bucks, but if a player gets injured, it’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.
· NFL coaches make millions of dollars and are supposedly the elite coaches in the country. So why are so many terrible at clock management?
· Speaking of the NFL, the Cowboys and Coach Jerry may have to fire their coach. Oh wait, he’s also the owner.
· I love the baseball playoffs but Major League Baseball does its fans a disservice by making them wait before postponing a game. Last Friday anyone who checked the radar for Cleveland or has a weather app would know early in the day that there was no way the Rays and Guardians could play at 8 p.m. or at all. But MLB made the fans wait until 9 p.m. to postpone it. So the Guardians got paid for parking and concessions and inconvenienced their loyal fans by making them wait, many sitting in the rain.
· I know that NFL players need to be protected from head injuries, but I have seen some phantom unnecessary roughness calls lately. The penalty against LA Rams cornerback Josh Wallace during the final minute of their loss to Arizona was a joke. As Arizona receiver Jalen Brooks fell to the turf, Wallace’s shoulder lightly grazed his helmet. The call resulted in a 15-yard penalty and put the Cardinals in field goal range. The field goal was good as time expired and Arizona won, 18-16. On the Fox broadcast, former player and analyst Greg Olsen and rules analyst and former NFL referee Mike Pereira strongly disagreed with the call. Sometimes I don’t know if I am watching the NFL or flag football. But I still love watching the games and often have four on screen at once.
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