Tybee Island opens permanent pickleball courts on Georgia coast

Tybee Island finally has a permanent home for pickleball, and that matters more than the ribbon cutting suggests. The city opened four new pickleball courts and one tennis court on May 28, ending years of dependence on temporary or improvised playing space and giving locals and visitors a reliable place to pick up games on the Georgia coast.

The new setup is practical from the jump. Four dedicated pickleball courts can handle open play, lessons and small local events without forcing players to fight for court time the way they do in many beach towns. The lone tennis court keeps the site flexible, but the bigger story is the permanence: players now know where to go, instead of waiting for borrowed space to open up or disappear when another use comes along.

Tybee framed the opening as more than a parks project. The community was invited to a ribbon cutting and ceremonial first serve with the mayor, city council members and city leadership, a sign that the city sees this as a public amenity worth celebrating. That lines up with the mission of Tybee Island Parks & Recreation, which says the city aims to provide “adequate and safe indoor and outdoor recreational facilities” for citizens, the community and visitors.

The broader racquet-sport footprint on the island helps explain why this opening feels like a step forward rather than a one-off. Memorial Park already offers two lighted outdoor tennis courts, and the city says the park is open to the public daily until 10 p.m., giving players a dependable evening option. Jaycee Park has also played a role in the island’s pickleball growth: the city added pickleball court surfaces there in 2019 through improvements developed with volunteers and the Tybee Island YMCA. The park also includes a basketball court that has been painted to serve as a pickleball court.

Put together, those pieces show a city that has been building toward this moment for years. The new courts give Tybee a sturdier base for regular play and a better shot at becoming a coastal stop where pickleball is not a scramble, but part of the routine. For summer players, that reliability is the real upgrade: a permanent place to show up, find a game and keep the island on the pickleball map.