PicklePort brings year-round pickleball, dining, and events to Myrtle Beach

By the time The PicklePort opens in Myrtle Beach, the game plan will reach far beyond court time. The project is being positioned as a weather-proof pickleball destination across six acres on JetPort Drive, directly across from Myrtle Beach International Airport and next to Whispering Pines Golf Course, with membership and walk-in access aimed at both regulars and vacationers.

The facility’s initial site plan calls for 12 climate-controlled indoor courts, four covered outdoor courts and a championship court, with room for more outdoor courts later. Visit Myrtle Beach lists an even bigger outdoor footprint, with six covered outdoor courts, and says the venue is slated to open in summer 2026. The PicklePort is also planning a reception area, snack bar, pro shop, instruction and practice areas, and social gathering and court-viewing spaces, along with food, beverage, live music, video and simulator games, and big-screen viewing of pickleball tournaments.

That mix is what makes the project more than a court complex. The PicklePort says it will be Myrtle Beach’s sole reservation-based pickleball venue when it opens, a detail that should matter to travelers trying to lock in court time before a weekend trip or family vacation. The programming list is built for every part of the pickleball ladder, from beginner-friendly lessons and clinics to leagues, tournaments and open play sessions. For a tourist market that lives on convenience, that is a clear pitch: show up, reserve a court, rent time, play indoors when the weather turns, then stay for food and the social side of the sport.

The city has been moving the deal forward for more than a year. Myrtle Beach City Council considered a letter of intent in January 2025, with a 180-day exclusive negotiation period, and later approved a first reading ordinance tied to a concession agreement on September 23, 2025. City documents place the project at 900 Harrelson Boulevard on city-owned land and describe an initial 20-year term with three optional five-year renewals. The draft payment schedule starts at $17,500 a year, rises to $35,000 by year five and then adjusts with CPI.

The timing fits a market that is already deep enough to support a destination club. Pickleheads lists 21 pickleball locations and 83 courts in Myrtle Beach, including 28 indoor courts and 55 outdoor courts, while city officials have said they heard growing demand and were looking for city-owned sites to add courts. Coastline Resorts framed The PicklePort as part of Myrtle Beach’s sports-and-recreation growth, and that is exactly where the sport is heading here: less park-only drop-in pickleball, more full-service travel stop built around play, dining and events.