Tybee Island opens permanent pickleball courts at Memorial Park

Tybee Island has turned Memorial Park into a much stronger stop for anyone trying to fit pickleball into a beach trip. On May 28, the city opened four permanent pickleball courts and one permanent tennis court in a space that sits directly behind City Hall and within walking distance of the Tybee Island beach.

The upgrade replaced temporary courts and gave the island a more settled place to play. The city had already said on April 23 that the Memorial Park tennis courts were closed for resurfacing and restriping for about two weeks, with the new layout set to include four permanent pickleball courts and one permanent tennis court. That shift matters on Tybee, where court access has often been improvised. At Jaycee Park, the city added pickleball court surfaces in 2019 as part of volunteer-led improvements with the Tybee Island YMCA.

City leaders have made clear they see this as more than a casual park refresh. In an April 27 council update, officials said pickleball was growing in popularity on Tybee and that they were glad to offer more playing opportunities without requiring players to bring their own nets. They also said they considered a full conversion but kept one public tennis court because it still gets regular use.

That balance fits the way Memorial Park already functions. The park includes two lighted outdoor tennis courts, two lighted outdoor beach volleyball courts, a lighted basketball court, picnic areas, playgrounds, restrooms and pavilions. It also holds the only cemetery on Tybee Island, which gives any redesign there a layered feel: this is both a recreation space and a place with a strong local identity.

For visitors, the bigger takeaway is simple. Tybee is no longer just a place where pickleball happens if the weather, the nets and the temporary setup cooperate. The city’s Parks & Recreation mission is to provide adequate and safe indoor and outdoor recreational facilities for citizens, the community and visitors, and Memorial Park now looks like the clearest sign that pickleball belongs in that plan. On an island built around sand, salt air and easygoing days, the courts now offer something more dependable: a permanent reason to pack a paddle.