A pickleball court has shown up in the strangest of places: atop Santander Tower, the high-rise building in downtown Dallas.

According to a release, the new court resides in the Tower Club, a private members-only club located on the 48th floor of the 50-story Santander Tower at 1601 Elm St.

Ordinarily, a private club offering its members an amenity would not merit a story. But this amenity has some exceptions:

• The location is an oddity. They're billing it as "the highest pickleball court in the world," and who are we to disagree.
• It's open to everyone, not just club members.
• It has a charitable component.

There's also something to be said for the fact that you can take what looks like a ballroom, slap down a temporary rubber floor, plop in a net, and voila: pickleball court.

The court will be featured at the club for the month of July and can be rented by both members and non-members.

Non-members can rent via this link. Rates are $45 per person per hour. The court has a maximum of four people per hour during open play.

Hours are Tuesday-Wednesday 11 am-9 pm, and Thursday-Saturday 11 am-10 pm. The court will be open to the public on specific days in July. Call the club at 214-220-0403 or email sydney.sims@invitedclubs.com to find out when.

Part of the rental proceeds will benefit Bonton Farms, Invited's charity partner, committed to combating the effects of poverty in South Dallas.

Pickleball, which has been described as a combination of tennis, Ping-Pong, and badminton, is growing like crazy; according to the Sports & Fitness Industry, the number of people playing pickleball grew by 159 percent over three years to 8.9 million in 2022.

The popularity has prompted some homeowners to similarly add their own backyard courts. (These homeowners are obviously unfazed by the fact that the rise in popularity has also been accompanied by a rise in injuries.)

The Tower Club is owned by Dallas-based Invited, the largest operator of racquet facilities in the world with more than 800 tennis courts and 400 pickleball courts across its portfolio of 200 clubs.

Invited is all-in on pickleball, hosting numerous professional PPA events at its clubs and broadening the pickleball offering for its members.

Invited is also the owner of the Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, which will host the 2023 USA Pickleball National Championships, presented by PPA Tour, on November 5-12, the largest pickleball event in history, anticipated to draw more than 4,000 amateur and professional players competing on up to 100 pickleball courts.

"Invited continues to surprise and delight its members and the local community with innovative experiences," says Invited CEO David Pillsbury in a statement. "The 'Pickleball Court in the Sky' is just another example of engaging with the pickleball fans in Dallas and continuing the growth of the sport across our nationwide portfolio of clubs."