Fort Lauderdale resort opens floating pickleball court in marina

Pier Sixty-Six turned its marina into a bookable pickleball stage on Monday, setting a full-size court on the water along Fort Lauderdale’s Intracoastal Waterway. The platform is anchored in place, so rallies do not wobble with the chop, and players can reserve one-hour sessions for up to four people, add 30-minute blocks for $30, and get paddles, balls, bottled water and chilled oshibori towels included. The court runs daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is open to every skill level, from seasoned regulars to first-timers curious enough to try pickleball with yacht views.

The court is the latest piece of Pier Sixty-Six’s $1 billion redevelopment, which left the waterfront property with 325 guest rooms and suites, a marina built for superyachts up to 400 feet long, a 13,000-square-foot spa, multiple pools and a dozen restaurants and bars. That scale matters because the pickleball setup is not tucked into a side court or a pop-up lawn activation; it sits inside a resort trying to make the marina itself feel like the main attraction. A pickleball reservation does not include pool access, which still requires a separate day pass, keeping the experience segmented rather than bundled.

That makes the floating court more than a photo stop. The view is the hook, but the booking details make it a real playing experience: a fixed surface, clear hours, a defined price, gear at the ready and enough room for a foursome to treat it like a casual match or a novelty outing. Pier Sixty-Six fits travelers who want pickleball folded into a waterfront weekend with marina energy, resort dining and spa time, not a pure court-only trip. The marina may be the backdrop, but the reservation is the point.