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The Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour is coming to Lakeland November 18-23.
The Veolia Lakeland Open is the first of its kind for the city.
The PPA will take over the Beerman Family Tennis Center, at 1000 Edgewood Drive in Lakeland, and convert the 18 tennis courts to pickleball courts for the six-day event.
The tournament promises to bring top pickleball professionals to Lakeland. It also will host a side-by-side amateur competition in which local players and other amateurs can compete.
During the tournament, amateurs will play alongside a new, temporary Championship Court, where pickleballers like Anna Leigh Waters, the best female player in the world, will compete in their own matches.
Visit Central Florida Sports recruited the event. It’s expected to attract around 1,000 visitors from outside of Polk County, resulting in an economic impact of more than $800,000, said Neal Duncan, senior sales and events manager.
What will happen to the courts
The city of Lakeland, which owns and operates the tennis center, agreed to turn the courts over to the event organizer believing that this event will be an economic boon for the city.
After the event, the PPA will resurface and convert the courts back for tennis, organizers said.
Michael Marotz, recreation manager for the city of Lakeland, expects that the Beerman facility will be closed to tennis players for about two weeks for preparation and the tournament.
The PPA will resurface and convert each tennis court into four pickleball courts for the event. They will erect stands for spectators around the Championship Court and a Vendor Village, where sponsors, local businesses and restaurants can connect with players and spectators, according to Jeff Watson, vice president of communications at the PPA.
Parking will be at Holloway Park during the tournament. Shuttles will be provided by the PPA, the city said.
The adjoining playground, Common Ground, will still be open and accessible. The parking lot just south of Common Ground on Edgewood Drive will be reserved for the playground.
Visitors and visibility
Duncan, of Visit Central Florida Sports, says bringing the PPA tournament to Lakeland “is a part of our efforts to diversify the sports and special events that we’re bringing to Polk County.”
The PPA will air all Championship Court matches from Lakeland on PickleballTV. Other pro matches will be viewable on the PickleballTV app. In the coming weeks, the PPA will announce ways to watch amateur matches online.
For Watson, at the PPA, the close proximity between the pros and amateurs is part of pickleball’s appeal. “Pickleball’s all about community and the fact that we can bridge the gap between pros and those who are aspiring pros or weekend warriors or picking up a paddle for their first time is really what makes the PPA tour and pickleball … cool and wonderful.”
There are high hopes for this tournament. Others around the state, like the Cape Coral Open in March, have been successful. “Florida’s a huge hotbed for pickleball,” Watson said. “We’ve broken the record three times already this year for a debut event attendance. I’m hoping that happens in Lakeland.”
Events like the Veolia Lakeland Open increase Lakeland’s visibility, which could lead to more opportunities in the future, promoters say. “Sports tourism has always been a vital part of the economy in Polk County,” Duncan said.
Interested in playing or attending?
- Register for the amateur tournament
- Register for PPA Tour Camp, Nov. 18-19: Amateur players can learn technique and court strategy with pros for a fee
- Buy tickets
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Hopefully Lakeland will see the benefits of leaving some of the courts as pickleball after the tournament. Cultivating pickleball in this part of Florida would bring much needed energy to the community.