Call it a quarter-life crisis or just pure boredom, but I’ve been on the hunt for a new hobby for a few months now.
I’ve tried embroidering, yoga, and even casual desktop gaming (my current favourite game is Stray). All of them fill me with joy, yet none of them are really community activities that force me to socialise.
In my search for a more social-based hobby, I stumbled upon pickleball—a sport that was invented in 1965 by Americans Joel Pritchard (a congressman from Washington State) and Bill Bell.
And recently, it’s one of the latest fads that Malaysians both online and offline have been talking about.
Somewhat similar to badminton and tennis, pickleball is played on a court. Instead of the standard racquets you’re used to seeing, though, pickleball uses paddles.
For those who want to get their pickleball game on, here’s a list of five pickleball courts in Malaysia that were specifically designed for the game and can be booked online.
Klang Valley
1. ESM Picksters Club
Next to the grounds of University of Malaya (UM) is ESM Picksters Club, a pickleball club that has its own court. It just opened last November, but the community is pretty active.
The club has seven outdoor courts for players and booking fees start from RM30 per hour. Each court rental comes with four paddles and two balls. Those looking to really learn it can sign up for coaching sessions where kids as young as 8 years old can pick up the sport.
Based on their Facebook page, ESM Picksters Club also frequently hosts pickleball competitions for members called the ESM Monthly Challenge. The most recent one was held last month towards the end of August.
The club recently joined the Asia Federation of Pickleball in June as an official member, so you can expect them to collaborate with other clubs to further develop pickleball in the region soon.
Address: 833, Lingkungan Budi, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: Daily, 7AM to 12AM
Court rental: Starts from RM30 (for one hour), can be booked here.
Coaching classes: Available for beginners and advanced players. Starts from RM130 for one pax, more details can be found here.
Equipment rental: Yes, four paddles and two balls are included in court rental.
2. KL City Pickleball
Located on a golf course closer to the city centre is KL City Pickleball at Kampung Pandan.
According to the booking platform Courtsite, this pickleball has six courts altogether, some are covered while others are not. The covered courts are slightly more expensive and start from RM60, whereas the uncovered courts start from RM30 per hour.
Each court booking comes with four paddles. If you require additional paddles or balls, these can be rented at the counter upon “check-in”.
Address: 18, Jalan Kampung Pandan, Kelab Golf Diraja Selangor, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: Daily, 12AM to 12AM (24-hours)
Court rental: Starts from RM30 (for one hour), can be booked here.
Coaching classes: No.
Equipment rental: Yes, four paddles are included in court rental.
3. Pickleball Park @ Palm Garden Golf Club
Recently opened in July, this Pickleball Park is located at IOI Resort City’s Palm Garden Golf Club.
There are four outdoor pickleball courts in total that are open from 7AM to 12AM daily. Based on Palm Garden Golf Club’s Facebook page, court booking starts from RM30 per hour on weekdays and RM60 per hour on weekends.
Customers can also rent a set of equipment for RM6 per hour, which comes with one paddle and one ball. Though, do note that there’s a RM50 refundable cash deposit for the rental.
The golf club doesn’t have any regular coaching classes yet, but there is a Pickleball Clinic for Beginners happening on October 6 for RM50 per pax.
Address: Palm Garden Golf Club, IOI Resort City, 62502 Putrajaya
Opening hours: Daily, 7AM to 12AM
Court rental: Starts from RM30 (for one hour), can be booked here.
Coaching classes: Available for beginners. Starts from RM50 for one pax, more details can be found here.
Equipment rental: Yes, RM6 per hour (includes one paddle and one ball).
4. The Courts @ KLGCC Resort
Opened from 8AM daily, The Courts at KLGCC Resort in Bukit Kiara is a centre for various sports. This includes padel, yoga and Pilates, spincycle, and of course, pickleball.
The spot features four outdoors and four covered courts, as well as a viewing deck and chilling area for observers. Another newcomer to the scene, The Courts’ pickleball court calls itself a movement where people of all walks of life can come and enjoy the sport together.
For court bookings, you’ll have to create an account on its Pickle Social Club website. It’s a quick sign-up where you’ll immediately gain access to begin reserving courts and coaching sessions. There’s even a free Community Class to meet the coach first before committing.
The court booking is RM17.50 per hour. They also host a number of pickleball events where you can socialise with other players and form your own community.
Address: 3, Jalan Bukit Kiara 1, Bukit Kiara, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: Daily
- Monday to Friday: 8AM to 11PM
- Saturday: 9AM to 10PM
- Sunday: 8AM to 7PM
Court rental: Starts from RM17.50 (for one hour), can be booked here.
Coaching classes: Available for beginners and advanced players. Starts from RM65 for one pax of private classes, more details can be found here.
Equipment rental: RM4/paddle.
Sarawak
5. Pikabol Malaysia
In the Land of the Hornbills, Pikabol Malaysia is one of the newest spots offering pickleball enthusiasts somewhere to train or just have fun. It’s located in Kuching, Sarawak, and only opened back in June.
This indoor pickleball court is open daily from 8AM to 12AM and has 16 courts. For non-peak hours (weekdays, 8AM to 5PM), the court booking rates are RM35 per hour. Weekends have a flat rate of RM45 per hour, which is still relatively cheaper than other courts in this list. The full court rental pricing is listed below.
Players can book and play at any time and any day using the hourly rate. But if you’re looking to invest long-term into the sport, then you could consider Pikabol Malaysia’s value-for-money packages, or “Pikadeals” as they call it (for individuals and clubs or associations).
Aside from court rentals, you could also sign up for pickleball lessons. These are available for children aged 7 to 17 (Junior Camp), and those older (Adult Clinic). Its website states that each programme is skill-specific, covering a few key areas like footwork and strategies to maximise your potential on the court.
Address: Lot 5415, Section 64, K.T.L.D, Off Jalan Pending, Sungai Kuap, 93450 Kuching, Sarawak
Opening hours: Daily, 8AM to 12AM
Court rental: Bookings can be made here.
- Monday to Friday: 8AM to 5PM (non-peak hour, RM35 per hour)
- Friday: 5PM to 12AM (peak hour, RM45 per hour)
- Saturday, Sunday, and Public Holidays: 8AM to 12AM (RM45 per hour)
Coaching classes: Available for beginners and advanced players, more details can be found here.
Equipment rental: RM15 for one paddle and one ball.
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This list is by no means exhaustive as there are many other centres and arenas where you can have a game of pickleball.
But during our research, these are some of the few courts in Malaysia that were designed exclusively for pickleball, instead of being multiple-use courts.
If you’re still unsure about where to start, we suggest joining the many pickleball communities. You can either find these clubs at the pickleball courts, look up a Facebook group nearest to you, or check out the Reclub app.
- Read other articles we’ve written about Malaysian startups here.
Featured Image Credit: Play! Tennis / Gen Re
