Suncoast Pickleball’s Montreat Camp #1 sells out for 2026 retreat

Suncoast Pickleball’s Montreat Camp #1 sold out around a simple idea that keeps working: make the camp feel like a retreat, not just court time. The 2026 run at Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, North Carolina, was set for May 17-22, capped at 48 players, and already had a waiting list for last-minute openings.

That full-immersion format is the real sell. Suncoast bundled training, meals, lodging, and evening socials into one stay, then layered in play-with-a-pro sessions and private lessons for an additional fee. The food program went well beyond grab-and-go camp fare, with buffet-style breakfast, lunch, dinner, salad, dessert, and dietary options. Lodging leaned the same way, with hotel-style rooms and cleaning service available on request. For players who want to spend a few days living in pickleball instead of commuting in for a clinic block, that is the difference.

The social side was built just as deliberately. Evening activities on the camp page included live bands, trivia, board games, Texas hold’em, country line dancing, and the Rachael Kroog Variety Show. That matters because the best retreat-style camps do more than feed and house players. They create the off-court time where friendships form, rec play continues, and the instruction sticks instead of fading after the last drill.

Suncoast also gave the 2026 edition a fresh management identity. The camp ran under new ownership by Mindy Yoder, Scott Tingley, and John Sperling, while Suncoast said the three are high-level pickleball professionals with deep coaching and training experience. The organization also pointed to its own history, saying it was recognized by the IPTPA in 2016 for creating the first pickleball camp in America and that the ownership group has led more than 50 camps together. That mix of continuity and new control is exactly what keeps a retreat brand from feeling stale.

The setting helped, too. Registration for the Montreat camp opened on January 12, 2026, and Suncoast described Montreat as nestled in the Smoky Mountains about 15 minutes from Asheville. Montreat Conference Center says it hosts groups from mid-August to mid-May, which makes the venue a natural fit for a residential pickleball camp when the calendar opens up.

For players who want more than a few coached hours and a parking lot goodbye, Montreat Camp #1 showed why the bundled model keeps outperforming stripped-down retreat offerings. The demand was there, the 48-player cap vanished, and the sellout confirmed that the all-in experience still has the edge.