Pickleball Fever Fuels Rapid Court and Club Growth in Cagayan de Oro

Pickleball in Cagayan de Oro has vaulted from niche pastime to visible urban trend, with clubs, converted halls and mall hubs multiplying across the city. Metro Cagayan de Oro reports that "The popularity of pickleball in Cagayan de Oro has reached new heights, with brand-new courts dedicated to the sport continuing to sprout across the city. From purpose-built facilities to idle warehouses being transformed into playing spaces, more venues are opening to keep up with the steadily growing demand from enthusiasts and players alike. Below is a list of pickleball courts in the city and nearby areas, including upcoming facilities, as of February 2, 2026. Court bookings are typically made through the Reclub app or via the venues’ contact numbers and official Facebook pages. This list will be updated from time to time as more courts open."

That city-level inventory, dated February 2, 2026, names a mix of operating courts and projects labeled SOON or UNDER RENOVATION. Active sites include Country Village Hotel - Rockwood Hall (Villarin St, Carmen | 0956-776-4501), Dink and Drive Pickleball (Biasong-Tinib Road, Macasandig | 0994 145 6085), Match Point Sports Center in Balaos, Iponan (0956 283 0458) and SM Active Hub at Masterson Avenue inside SM City CDO Uptown. Middleton Pickleball Club on Lirio St, Carmen is listed as UNDER RENOVATION (0961 431 8522). Several entries remain in development: Homecourt - SOON, Indahag Pickleball Club - SOON, Pickle World Limketkai - SOON, and Pickleball Center at Bulua Business Park - SOON. Metrocdodev also lists Pickle Point as having a "SOFT OPENING February 7."

The local boom mirrors a national push by mall operators. Steven Tan of SM Megamalls said 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 installing 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," and noted that "most of the venues in SM Malls are available for use during mall hours, from 10 am to 10 pm." Ayala Malls also staked an early claim - "Ayala Malls claims to have been the first to put up the first pickleball court in a mall - in Market! Market! in BGC, Taguig City" - and launched Picklemall in October 2023 with Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala and his family playing the sport.

On the ground, social posts underscore local appetite. An Instagram post praised Match Point: "New Pickleball Court in Cagayan de Oro City Match Point sports ... Great courts, good vibes, surrounded by the calming greens of nature." A Reddit thread in r/cagayandeoro asked where hourly-bookable courts can be found beyond Middleton, Q Sports and Pickle Park, signaling unmet demand for more hourly slots and consolidated listings.

Business and cultural implications are clear. Low-cost installations let malls repurpose parking and multipurpose spaces into revenue-driving activity hubs that keep shoppers longer. Local entrepreneurs and barangay organizers can convert idle warehouses into clubs, creating informal talent pipelines and weekend economies for coaching, gear rental and small tournaments. For players, the proliferation reduces scheduling friction - "Court bookings are typically made through the Reclub app or via the venues’ contact numbers and official Facebook pages." For city planners, the trend raises questions about liability, zoning and equitable access as some venues are private or members-only and others are free to use.

For players and organizers, the immediate takeaway is practical: check Reclub, follow venue Facebook pages or call listed numbers to reserve courts; watch for Pickle Point's soft opening on February 7 and for more SOON entries to firm up. As courts multiply, expect more local leagues, youth outreach and commercial partnerships that could turn Cagayan de Oro into a Northern Mindanao pickleball hub.