Orange Beach to open 14-court public pickleball complex May 7

Orange Beach is about to add 14 lighted courts to its public pickleball map, and the scale matters: the new complex opens May 7 as a no-membership, no-reservation venue built for everyone from casual drop-in players to regulars chasing more court time.

The grand opening is set for Thursday, May 7 at 10 a.m. at the Rec Center Campus behind the Aquatics Center, 4869 Wilson Blvd. The city says the event will be free and open to the public, with players of all skill levels invited. The opening celebration will include a short ceremony, demos, refreshments and giveaways, while the complex itself brings shade cabanas, restrooms and a covered pavilion to the site.

This is not a sudden project. Orange Beach was already talking about 14 new outdoor pickleball courts on Aug. 27, 2024, with the planned location just north of the aquatic center, where the community garden had been moved. Bid documents were published Feb. 10, 2025, a pre-bid conference followed on March 6, the bid closed on March 13, and the City Council awarded the construction work on March 18 to The Green-Simmons Company, Inc. for an amount not to exceed $2,705,000, plus per-unit pricing. The contract covers the courts along with restrooms, roadway and parking lot improvements, making this a broader capital build rather than a simple court installation.

The new outdoor complex also expands an existing recreation system that has been in place for years. Orange Beach Recreation Center opened in January 2003, and the campus includes two gymnasiums, a 24/7 fitness facility and programming for all ages. The city’s current pickleball program runs Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on six courts, with play available through annual membership or a $10 day pass. The Winter/Spring 2026 session runs through May 22, so the new complex arrives as an addition to the indoor schedule, not a replacement for it.

For South Baldwin County, the opening sharpens the local court race. Before this project, Orange Beach had 12 verified pickleball courts across its venues. Gulf Shores Sportsplex already offers 12 public lighted courts that are free, open daily from sunrise to 10 p.m. Orange Beach now steps deeper into that same regional lane, positioning its new complex as both a neighborhood amenity and a destination stop for the broader Gulf Coast pickleball crowd.