Ann Arbor’s Wolverine Pickleball to open 50,000-square-foot outdoor sports area
Posted By: Detroit Free Press on April 11, 2024. For more information, please click here to read the source article.
Your favorite midwestern sports are about to get much swankier.
Wolverine Pickleball, a 39,000-square-foot facility in Ann Arbor dedicated to the fast-growing sport, is tacking on a new 50,000-square-foot outdoor sports area and lounge to open on April 24. According to Wolverine Pickleball, the expansion will offer the only organized outdoor sports opportunity for bocce ball, cornhole, beach volleyball, and beach tennis in Michigan.
The indoor club at 235 Metty Drive opened in December 2023, featuring 12 indoor pickleball courts and a tap wall, a lounge area surrounding a fireplace, locker rooms, a private party room, and a pro shop. Within it, co-founders Christy Howden and Leslie White created a place for pickleball lovers of different skill levels to come together and play the sport — which resembles tennis but played on a smaller court with a paddle instead of a racket.
However, the new outdoor sports area is broadening the club’s offerings beyond pickleball with six bocce ball and cornhole lanes, six sand courts for beach volleyball and beach tennis, and space for additional backyard games, including ladder ball, giant Jenga, and Connect 4. The outdoor lounge features two firepits, cozy outdoor seating, and an indoor tap wall offering self-serve beer, seltzer, kombucha, hard cider, wine, and mixed drinks.
Wolverine Pickleball’s indoor facility operates on a pay-by-play basis, where interested players can sign up for events listed on a week-by-week schedule and members receive discounted prices on each à la carte offering. But at the outdoor sports area, both bocce ball and cornhole lanes and sand courts for volleyball and beach tennis are available to rent by the hour for $30 an hour, with leagues for each sport to come a bit later. Backyard games, as well as the outdoor lounge, are open for anyone to enjoy without a cover charge.
While the outdoor portion will open before the end of the month, the Wolverine Pickleball’s Grand Outdoor Opening is scheduled for the weekend of May 17-19, from noon to 10 p.m. each day. The public is invited to partake in the festivity of food trucks, open play on all outdoor courts and games, and more.
« Back to Insights