24 indoor pickleball courts open to public in Chapel Hills Mall

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Peak Pickleball opened its doors to the public earlier this month inside of the Chapel Hills Mall as one of the largest privately-owned indoor pickleball facilities in the world.

"I'm a D1 tennis convert, and I'm a full pickleball addict now because of the community in Colorado Springs," said Peak Pickleball pro athlete Alli Hazrari.

It costs $10 per hour, per person to play without a membership, while monthly memberships offer a reduced hourly price. However, Wilson said all newcomers are welcome to a free, two-hour personal lesson with one of their pros, no strings attached.

That's what Pickleball's all about," Wilson said. "We're really about newbies. We want to teach you how to play pickleball."

Peak Pickleball has 24 courts on two stories, including a private court for their beginner lessons. Wilson said they built the courts with wider out-of-bounds margins than the average court and noise reduction efforts to encourage conversation. He said that's the most important aspect of America's fastest growing sport.

"We want people to come and revitalize Chapel Hills Mall so that people get together again and have more community," Wilson said. "We've gotten too isolated as a community. We need to get together and talk about our differences, talk about the things that we have in common."

Peak Pickleball is the latest "experience" style venture to replace a typical retail store at Chapel Hills Mall. The space replaced the Burlington Coat Factory, a long-time staple at the mall. The Mall is also planning to welcome an interactive aquarium next summer.