New Pickleball Courts At Annapolis Mall Will Celebrate With Inaugural Tournament

ANNAPOLIS, MD - There's a new set of pickleball courts outside the Westfield Annapolis mall. The facility will celebrate this weekend with its inaugural tournament, dubbed the Blue Crab Classic.

The eight courts, called Ball At The Mall, opened last month outside the former Nordstrom department store. The courts are closest to the California Pizza Kitchen mall entrance.

A grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony, sponsored by the Anne Arundel Chamber of Commerce, are scheduled for Thursday night. A local celebrity and corporate challenge will follow that evening. The full tournament starts Friday and continues through Sunday. 

There were 155 players registered as of Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. 

Registration is open until Thursday at 8 a.m. It costs $60 to play, and there's an option to find players who still need a partner. More information and tickets are available here.

The tournament also has special hotel rates with Crowne Plaza Annapolis and Hilton Garden Inn Annapolis. Click this link to book Crowne Plaza. To stay at Hilton Garden Inn, email jason.mattern@crestlinehotels.com. 

Ball At The Mall has eight regulation-size courts. One is shown here. (Jacob Baumgart/Patch)

Pickleball Booming Locally, Nationwide

Pickleball is a partner sport most similar to tennis. The ball is bigger, and the court is smaller. This makes it more accessible to players of all ages.

The sport has exploded in popularity in recent years. Pickleball players flocked to tennis courts because of their similar designs. This strained tennis facilities and highlighted the need for dedicated pickleball courts.

The City of Annapolis added official pickleball courts to its existing tennis center at Truxtun Park in June 2021. Ball At The Mall offered another option in Anne Arundel County, and one more facility is on its way. 

The PutAway, a 23,900-square-foot indoor pickleball facility, will open Monday in Millersville. A grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony will follow on Aug. 16 at 5 p.m.

Ball At The Mall plans to offer drop-in and league play. It expects to soon add a players' lounge and lights for nighttime matches.

"For too long, Annapolis has struggled not having enough pickleball courts that are available, have lights, and an experience on par with the thrill of playing pickleball," Ball At The Mall said on its website. "Ball at the Mall is now open for 2023 to provide all of that and more. With our eight regulation-size pickleball courts, we’ll be able to offer leagues, drop-in play, memberships, tournaments, and coaching."

To learn more, visit ballatthemall.com. 

Ball At The Mall, pictured above, will celebrate this weekend with the inaugural Blue Crab Classic tournament. (Jacob Baumgart/Patch)

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