Horry County moves forward with new pickleball courts at South Strand Recreation Center

The practical question for visiting players is simple: do South Strand courts add enough playable options near Myrtle Beach to shape the next retreat booking? Horry County moved forward with new pickleball courts at South Strand Recreation Center, 9650 Scipio Lane in Myrtle Beach, putting another public court stop inside a recreation complex that already includes a full-size gymnasium, fitness room, multipurpose room, locker rooms, a kitchen, a rock climbing wall, three multi-purpose fields, three baseball diamonds, a sand volleyball court and a nature path. That mix makes the site more than a one-sport stop and gives group travelers another place to build a beach-week schedule around active time.

The county’s bid notice shows the project is a formal build, not a quick striping job. Labeled IFB 2025-26-013, Pickleball Courts at South Strand Recreation Center, the package called for a qualified contractor to handle civil, architectural and electrical work. The notice was published Sept. 23, 2025, with a mandatory onsite visit Sept. 29, a question deadline of Oct. 8 and a closing date of Oct. 17. For pickleball travelers, that matters because it signals a court addition designed as public infrastructure, the kind of project that can hold up to steady recreation demand on the Grand Strand.

South Strand also stayed on the county’s radar after that bidding window. A Nov. 12, 2025 Horry County Parks and Open Space Board agenda included “South Strand Pickle Ball” among staff updates, showing the project remained active inside county planning. Horry County Parks and Recreation says its mission is to provide active and passive recreational opportunities that support the mental, physical and social well-being of citizens, and that broader goal fits a coastal market where visitors often want more than beach access alone.

For travelers planning a Myrtle Beach stay-and-play trip, the takeaway is straightforward: South Strand looks like a future boost to the area’s court map, not just another amenity tucked into a park. Once the project is complete and the county opens the courts, the address on Scipio Lane could give groups another public option close to the beach, with enough surrounding facilities to keep mixed-activity retreats moving all day.