SM Supermalls Adds Seven Permanent Pickleball Courts at Shaw, Muntinlupa

SM Supermalls has added two permanent pickleball sites in Metro Manila, bringing seven new courts to its network and signaling an aggressive push to make pickleball a regular mall activity. The new facilities at SM Center Shaw and SM Center Muntinlupa opened in partnership with Paloo, with Shaw offering three outdoor permanent courts and Muntinlupa adding four indoor permanent courts.

The expansion is part of SM’s wider SM Active Hub and SM Sports and Lifestyle Center initiatives. SM said it closed 2025 with 61 court locations across the Philippines, consisting of 37 total permanent courts and 24 semi-permanent courts. Philstar’s reporting noted those 61 locations were spread across 25 properties, a footprint the company and press materials describe as the largest number of mall-based pickleball courts among operators.

Joaquin San Agustin, SM Supermalls Executive Vice President for Marketing, framed the rollout as an effort to make sports accessible. “SM launched SM Active Hub in March last year with the strong intention of giving athletes, sports enthusiasts, and even casual players alike high-quality and easily accessible spaces that can house their best sports experiences, whether that's lighthearted fun or high adrenaline competition,” he said. San Agustin also noted, “On top of the permanent courts, we also have 24 semi-permanent courts all over the country to accommodate the maximum amount of activity our customers seek.” He added that “Closing 2025 with our largest pickleball court locations while adding two new permanent courts in SM Center Shaw and SM Center Muntinlupa in Metro Manila is evidence that sports remains not just a strong interest, but a new way of life for our customers.”

Demand drove the strategy. SM reported strong demand and fully booked courts through the end of 2025, and San Agustin said, “The high volume of bookings across all our courts hints that pickleball isn't an exclusive sport, anyone can play. And because it is inclusive and easy to learn, SM saw this as an opportunity to naturally drive active lifestyles for our customers.” The company says its upcoming thrust focuses on building more permanent courts to increase its inventory to close to 80 in 2026.

Operational details reflect a community-first approach. Steven Tan, president of SM Megamalls, said in an email to Rappler that the company “learned through our shoppers and partners that there is an active pickleball community seeking venue support. We have since worked with pickleball groups and organizations to provide not only courts, but also convenience in terms of parking, dining, running errands, grocery shopping, and safety.” Tan added that setting up courts is “not very costly and can even be as simple as setting up the lines and nets on the surface of our provided venues.” Most venues follow mall hours, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., though some sites such as SM Center Antipolo Downtown run earlier hours and converted badminton courts open as early as 7:00 a.m.

SM’s rollout already spans different regions and formats. As of mid-August, SM had set up courts in 30 malls out of its 86 Philippine malls, with locations named in reporting including SM Seaside City Cebu, SM Center Ormoc, SM City Consolacion, SM City CDO Uptown, SM City Lanang, SM City North Edsa, SM Southmall, and SM Center Antipolo Downtown. The company’s social posts highlight the growth: an Instagram excerpt reads, “That brings a total to over 60 locations nationwide. Yeah. That's the most among any mall chain. From first timers to tournament beasts this is” (post truncated).

Some phrasing in SM materials is ambiguous. The company says the expansion represents “almost doubling the 44 courts initially constructed,” a baseline that the released materials do not fully explain. For players, coaches, and organizers this means more permanent places to play, but also the familiar caveat to book early, high demand and multipurpose venues mean popular time slots will fill fast. Expect SM to roll out more permanent courts through 2026 and check local mall booking policies and hours before heading out to dink, serve, and rally.