Florence Hosts Inaugural Shoals Open Pickleball Tournament Benefiting Local Nonprofit

The Shoals region is getting its first major pickleball tournament this spring, with the inaugural Shoals Open set for April 18-19 at Veterans Memorial Park in Florence, Alabama. Registration is already open across three competitive categories: singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. Proceeds from the event will benefit One Place of the Shoals, a local nonprofit that provides services and support to the community.

Organizers are billing the Shoals Open as the first tournament of its kind in the region, and they're casting a wide net, hoping to draw competitors from across the Shoals area and beyond. Florence isn't starting from scratch when it comes to local pickleball infrastructure. The city has at least five established court locations, including Veterans Memorial Park itself, Broadway Recreation Center, Royal Avenue Tennis Courts, and the YMCA of the Shoals, which gives the event a solid foundation to build on.

The timing puts the Shoals Open at the center of a busy stretch for Alabama pickleball. The weekend prior, the Inaugural Mayor's Cup in Gadsden wraps up April 12, and the following weekend brings the Daybreak Paddle Battle to Decatur on April 25-26. Players traveling through the region for one event may well find themselves adding the Shoals Open to their calendar.

What's still missing from the public record: entry fees, division breakdowns by age or skill rating, match format, and the specific fundraising mechanism that connects registration revenue to One Place of the Shoals. The tournament's website, referenced in the announcement, is where registration is being handled and should have those details. If you're planning to enter, lock in your spot early, since inaugural events tend to fill faster than anyone expects once word spreads through local courts.