America’s Only Public Padel Courts Are in Rhode Island

Move over pickleball, there's a new game causing courtside commotion in New England.

Seems America's love of games with paddles is growing once again. Fifteen years ago the celebrity craze was ping pong, then came the wave of pickleball courts across the country and now padel is joining the ranks of popular court sports.

Though if you want to play on a public court, you can only do so in Rhode Island.

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Though growing in popularity every day, most of us still need a quick internet search to know what padel is.

What is Padel?

Thought to be invented in Mexico in 1969, padel (pronounced pah-DEL) is played with a solid, but perforated racket and a ball smaller, but similar to a tennis ball.

The court is also smaller than a tennis court (three padel courts can fit inside a typical tennis court's footprint) and are enclosed with walls similar to those in squash or racquetball.

How To Play Padel

Though padel has the same scoring system as tennis, the rules are slightly different. All serves must be underhand, must come from below the waist and balls can be played off the court's walls.

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The sport is also much more casual than tennis, with no specific attire needed and music often found blaring through club courts.

Where To Play Padel in New England

Presumably you'd have to bring your own music to enjoy at the country's only public padel courts, now open in Westerly, RI.

Yes there are lots of padel clubs open throughout New England. Boston alone has three private padel clubs.

But if you just want to get together with friends and play a casual game, there is currently only one place to go — Westerly, RI.

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Yes, this past July Westerly opened the only municipal padel courts in the country. The town, along with the Royce Family Fund, turned the lot at 61 Main Street into seasonal padel courts for the public to enjoy.

That same space becomes a public skating rink in the winter months, giving a year's worth of fun to an otherwise empty space.

The courts are currently open into the fall from 6AM - 11PM, with some times available on a first come, first served basis and other times requiring a reservation. You can learn more about booking them through the town's website.

With the first public padel courts now in place here in New England, how quickly will other cities and towns join in with this new courtside craze?