Pickleball News

New Pickleball Kingdom in Plano will be largest indoor facility in Texas

Pickleball player at Pickleball Kingdom.

Pickleball Kingdom

A new pickleball facility that promises to be the biggest indoor pickleball facility in all of Texas is coming to Dallas-Fort Worth. Well, Plano at least: Called Pickleball Kingdom, it'll open at 1301 Custer Rd., in what was once an Albertsons store, where it will boast 15 indoor courts, coupled with highly sought-after outdoor playing surfaces.

According to a release, the location is a franchise of Pickleball Kingdom, a concept founded in Chandler, Arizona in 2022 and is being brought to North Texas by Dallas entrepreneur Dan Jenkins, who has the rights to develop and operate five Pickleball Kingdom locations across North Texas.

That includes Keller, where Pickleball Kingdom will open a new, from-the-ground-up location at 971 Keller Pkwy. in summer 2024, bringing the same pickleball experience with more dedicated indoor courts, amenities, and a commitment to fostering a vibrant pickleball community in Keller.

Other cities on their to-do list include Grapevine, Prosper, and Flower Mound.

The company’s goal is to provide accessible locations within 10-15 minutes of North Texas’s cities and neighborhoods, offering quick access to anyone who wants to pickleball. The indoor facility means that people can play year-round regardless of the weather.

Features include:

15 dedicated pickleball courts, complete with coveted outdoor surfaces
Food and Beverage Cafe serving coffee, protein shakes, and grab-and-go food options
Internet lounge for players and members to stay connected between games

They'll also offer complimentary Pickleball 101 introductory group classes to assist newcomers in learning the fundamental rules and skills of the game with a seamless transition into playing. Participants who take a Pickleball 101 class can be playing within an hour.

The facility is also equipped to host corporate events and parties, providing a unique and enjoyable experience for team-building and entertainment.

Pickleball Kingdom is making good use of a former supermarket space, since their locations require a minimum of 40,000 square feet to accommodate capacity.

The release says that the Plano location's owner shares an appreciation for pickleball, and eagerly supports the company's efforts to take over, renovate, and breathe new life into the vacant grocery store.

They call it "a unique synergy between passionate entrepreneur and a receptive property owner, serving as a testament to the transformative power of pickleball and its ability to rejuvenate not only spaces but also entire communities."

Jenkins has a history with pickleball. According to the release, he's been referred to as Papa Pickle.

"Starting from my childhood days of playing pickleball at an outdoor camp, my love for this sport has been a lifelong companion. It's a game that brings people together, creates lasting bonds, and fuels a passion that never fades,” Jenkins says.

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setting the bar high

Playful Dallas neighbor tops America's best parks list for 2026

Plano Parks and Recreation/Facebook

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Plano and its stellar parks have set a new record in 2026 as the 13th best park system in the country — and the No. 1 best in Texas, according to the just-released ParkScore Index.

Every year, land conservation nonprofit Trust for Public Land rates the park systems in the 100 largest American cities with regard to their accessibility, equity, acreage, investment, and amenities.

Plano's No. 13 ParkScore ranking is a new all-time high for the Dallas suburb; it appeared 17th nationally in 2025, ranked 16th for the two years before that, and was 15th in 2021 and 2022.

The majority of Plano residents (85 percent) live within a 10-minute walk of a park, compared to the 76 percent national median. About 10.5 percent of land within the city limits is dedicated to parks. The city also spends far more to maintain its park system — about $228 per resident — than the national median $198 per resident.

Plano Park - Arbor HIlls Nature Preserve Dallas suburb sets new record for best parks in the U.S. Plano Parks and Recreation/Facebook

The city's hard work is paying off: in March, Plano Parks and Recreation reopened Glen Meadows Park after extensive renovations, which included a new pavilion, updated playground, more seating, and new trails.

Another Dallas-area neighbor that deserves high praise is Irving, which Trust for Public Land said was the nation's biggest gainer this year. Irving's park system jumped 28 places, from No. 99 last year to No. 71.

"Irving’s rise was driven by increased investment from the 'Let’s Play Irving' initiative, which funded several important projects scheduled for completion in 2026 and 2027," a release said.

Dallas proper ranked 38th this year after previously ranking 34th in 2025.

"Over the past 10 years, Dallas has connected an impressive 330,000 residents to a park, trail or greenspace within a 10-minute walk of their home, and the city is poised to make further progress next month, when it opens the Bushmills Neighborhood Green as part of the Dallas Greening Initiative," the report said.

Elsewhere across the Metroplex, Frisco jumped seven spots and now ranks 30th, and Arlington moved up one spot as No. 45. Garland ranked 64th (up from No. 67) and Fort Worth soared to No. 58 (up form from No. 72).

Molly Morgan, the Texas State Director and Associate Vice President of Trust for Public Land, said in the release that Texas' high-scoring performance in the annual index has proved that it is making park accessibility a statewide priority.

"Cities across the Lone Star State are making serious investments, opening new parks, partnering with school districts, and closing gaps that have existed for decades," Morgan said. "They’re showing what’s possible when Texas gets serious about parks."

Morgan added that there's still more work to be done to increase park accessibility to the 9 million Texans that don't have a park within a 10-minute walk of their homes.

parks reports parkscore report trust for public land plano dallas irving