How far can the Philippine pickleball boom go?

From vacant lots in Makati to resorts in Cebu, pickleball facilities are expanding across the country as businesses bet on the sport’s growing popularity.

Pickleball courts are turning up in places where you might least expect them, from vacant lots in Makati’s CBD to luxury resorts in Cebu and even recreational spaces in island destinations such as Siargao.

And the numbers suggest this is more than a passing curiosity. The Philippine Pickleball Federation’s directory now lists 509 member clubs, 47,386 pickleball players, and 439 venues across the country. 

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines reported in April that the Philippine Pickleball Federation’s chairman was receiving four to five calls a day from groups looking to organize competitions or build their own courts. The same report said roughly 400 clubs were already operating across the country at the time. 

The expansion is also changing how existing spaces are being used. Badminton courts are being converted to pickleball courts, while basketball courts and other multipurpose facilities can be adapted for the sport. Elsewhere, warehouses and other commercial spaces are being turned into dedicated pickleball facilities, while even some residential communities are carving out space for courts. The result is a sport that can fit into a surprisingly wide range of properties, making it easier for new operators to enter the market.

Major commercial players are also getting into the game. SM Active Hub has expanded its pickleball footprint to dozens of malls nationwide, while new developments are being planned with pickleball facilities built into their sports and lifestyle offerings.

The scale of the expansion suggests that pickleball has moved beyond a niche pastime. But a growing sport and a growing pickleball business are two different things.

The rapid expansion of courts will eventually put pressure on operators to keep them occupied. When a sport is still gaining new players, adding facilities makes sense. But as more operators enter the market, they will compete for the same players, particularly in areas where courts are opening one after another.

The U.S. experience offers a comparison

The experience of the United States offers a useful comparison. According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, 24.3 million Americans played pickleball in 2025, up from 4.2 million in 2020. More tellingly, the number of core players, or those who play at least eight times a year, reached 7.5 million in 2025, up from 1.4 million in 2020. The figures suggest that the sport’s growth is being supported by a substantial base of regular players, rather than people simply trying it once and moving on. 

The US experience also challenges the idea that pickleball’s appeal is limited to older players. Teenagers and young adults aged 13 to 24 now have the highest participation rates among age groups in the country, according to SFIA. That broadening audience could help the sport maintain its momentum as more facilities come online.

There is also a broader opportunity in the pickleball boom. The Philippines has had its share of sports crazes, with badminton among the more prominent examples, but pickleball offers something different. Businesses are building facilities around a sport that is still relatively new to the mainstream, creating opportunities not only for court operators but also for coaches, tournament organizers, equipment sellers, and other businesses that can grow alongside the sport.

For Philippine operators, however, having a court may eventually become the easy part. Keeping players coming back could require leagues, coaching, tournaments, memberships, corporate events, and a strong community around each facility. The operators that can turn occasional players into regular customers may have a better chance of staying viable as competition increases.

Stronger business models stand to win

Location will matter, too. A court in a dense business district serves a different market from one in a residential neighborhood, a resort destination, or a provincial city. As the number of facilities grows, operators may have to compete not only on price but also on convenience, programming, amenities, and the overall experience they offer.

That could eventually lead to some consolidation in the market. Some facilities may struggle, close, or find new uses for their spaces even as the sport itself continues to grow. That would not necessarily mean pickleball was a fad. It could simply mean the market has reached a point where there are more operators competing for players, and the stronger business models begin to separate themselves from the rest.

The Philippine pickleball market may eventually have to prove that it can turn players into regular customers, not simply attract them to a new sport. That could mean less emphasis on simply adding more courts and more attention to creating reasons for players to keep coming back.

The boom, in other words, may not be decided by how many courts the country can build. It may be decided by how many players those courts can keep.

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