15 best pickleball camps in the US

If you're looking to improve your pickleball game in a fun setting with input from top-level pros, I'd recommend trying pickleball camps. These are designed to immerse you in the game for a couple of days, turbo-charging your pickleball skills.

Pickleball camps can be a significant investment, though—especially with travel costs. To help you pick the right one for your game, I've researched the top camps and scored them by levels offered, coach-to-play ratio, overall value, and more. Read on for my list of the best pickleball camps in the US.

Let's take a look at my top pickleball camps, and why I think they'll be great for your game.

With so many great pickleball camps and clinics available, it wasn't easy to narrow down my list to just six. So, I've included a few more great camps that I don't want you to miss out on.

Engage Pickleball is the largest provider of camps in the world, so I couldn't leave them off my list. They offer a huge variety of camps for players of all levels all over the US, as well as in Canada, Europe, and Asia.

They typically charge $625-$650 for a three-day camp with 18 hours of instruction from pro teachers. That price also comes with a free Engage Trident paddle. The camps are hosted at some of the most modern facilities in the US and focus mainly on pickleball strategy.

The US Tennis Association (USTA) offers three-day adult pickleball camps at their national campus in Orlando, FL. These feature 12 hours of direction for intermediate players from their expert coaching team.

These camps focus on three key areas: controlling the non-volley zone, moving in and through the transition area, and starting your play off right.

The price is $625 for the three days, with an extra optional session of open play to get to know your fellow campers on day one. Lunch is included on two of the three days.

Rise Pickleball Camps are run by pro pickleball player and ex-director of LevelUp camps, Rob Davidson.

These camps are designed to help players with a rating of 3.0-3.5 to up their game. They focus on strategies and mechanics that reduce unforced errors and increase your consistency on the courts.

These are three-day events with 12 hours of personal, on-court coaching and cost $595. There's an 8:1 student-to-instructor ratio, with groups limited to 16 students.

World Team Pickleball is run by five-time US Open Champion Laura Fenton Kovanda. These are small group, personalized camps that cover the full range of skills and strategies needed to excel at pickleball—no matter your rating.

Various formats of camp are available, but a three-day camp with eight hours of instruction will cost a very reasonable $295. All skill levels are welcome, and there's an 8:1 student-to-instructor ratio.

Simone Jardim and her pro team offer camps in various locations across the US. They offer 12 hours of court time, with an 8:1 student-to-instructor ratio for all skill levels. All campers get a free JOOLA paddle, bag, and baseball hat.

Simone is the only pro open player to date to have won gold in singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles in all three majors (Nationals, US Open, and Tournament of Champions). Before discovering pickleball, she was the head coach of the Michigan State's women's tennis team.

Pickleball Trips offers unique travel experiences that combine pickleball with cultural expeditions across the globe, from Guam to Japan, Thailand to Belize, and more. If you want to combine your camp experience with a bucket-list vacation, this is a great one to check out.

As part of their yearly schedule, their IPTPA-certified instructor Scott Moore offers pickleball camps. These consist of intensive, semi-private training sessions for 5-6 hours per day, studying ten key principles of the game.

If you like all-inclusives trips, SunCoast is worth checking out. This was the very first organization to offer pickleball camps in the US, back in 2016. Based in Montreat, NC, they hold around 5 camps per year, with up to 64 campers attending each event.

These are all-inclusive social events, with food, lodgings, and entertainment included in the price.

Camps last a whole week (Monday-Friday), with focused training sessions throughout as well as pro exhibitions, tournaments, and plenty of fun social events. An all-inclusive couples ticket for the whole event costs $2,718.

Looking for a camp for your kids? Nike Junior Pickleball Camps are the kids version of my "best for beginners" pick above.

These camps are aimed at children under 12, and are held throughout the summer in California and Massachusetts. They're on for four days (Monday-Thursday) and cost $300 per player.

There's a 5:1 student-to-instructor ratio. On arrival, campers are assessed and grouped according to age, ability, and experience. Your kids are sure to have a blast and up their game at the same time.

If you live in or travel to California, consider the Templeton Tennis Ranch—a huge, state-of-the-art court complex and recreation club in San Luis Obispo County, CA. They offer an extensive line-up of spring and summer pickleball camps aimed at kids aged 7-12.

The camps run for three days (9 am to 1 pm) with 9 hours of pickleball instruction from certified pros. The kids can also play ping-pong, bocce, and various other games in the beautiful five-acre grounds of the club.

Camps cost $200 per person, with members and sibling's discounts available.

Let's now talk about how pickleball camps actually work, and what you can expect.

Firstly, what about the timeframe? Pickleball camps offer a range of schedules—everything from one-day sessions to week-long experiences. Lunch is often included between morning and afternoon training sessions.

When the camps are multi-day events, accommodation is sometimes provided for an extra cost. If not, hotels in the area are usually available to campers. Some pickleball camps even offer all-inclusive deals.

Days are usually divided into two sessions with a break in the middle for lunch. The idea is to give you a fully immersive experience where you can learn a lot in a short amount of time, whether it's the basics of pickleball or more advanced pickleball strategies.

Generally, there are professional coaches available throughout your time at the camp and maybe even a pickleball celebrity. The pros also give specialized hours of instruction focusing on various aspects of your pickleball game.

Pickleball camps and clinics are designed to help you improve your skills and leave you with plenty of takeaways to practice when you get home. You should choose a camp that will benefit you the most, so you'll first need to decide what you want from the experience.

To pick the best pickleball camp for your needs, keep in mind the following criteria.

Are you looking to have fun with other pickleheads in a friendly resort with poolside drinks in the afternoon? Alternatively, do you want an intensive day or weekend course where you can focus purely on upping certain skills?

These are the first questions that determine what type of pickleball camp is right for you.

Another important criteria to keep in mind is how much actual pickleball instruction you will receive. Are there one-to-one sessions? How many instructors are there per group? Will you actually get time with the pros?

Remember to check out the camp curriculum beforehand. Are they focusing on areas of your game that need improvement? There's no point going on a dinking crash course if that's already your strongest area.

Finally, look at the technical parts, like the camp dates, their cancellation policy, and whether the camp is USA Pickleball-approved.

To get the most from your experience, it's crucial to find a camp or clinic that matches your skill level and physical ability. There's no point in aiming high by attending a pickleball camp for intermediate players if you're a complete beginner. It's just a waste of money.

Be honest with yourself about your pickleball skill level and sign up for a camp accordingly. Many camps specify the skill level range that they accept, which makes it much easier to choose.

Your pickleball experience will be much more fun when you play and train with players who have a similar skill level to your own.

I've used the terms "camp" and "clinic" interchangeably, and many training providers do the same. A pickleball clinic is usually more like a training session with a pro, where the focus is on specific aspects of the game. You might have a clinic specifically for serving or dinking.

Pickleball camps are generally longer, sometimes multi-day events where a wider range of skills are addressed. However, as I've said, the terms "pickleball clinic" and "pickleball camp" can be used interchangeably.

That's my rundown of the best pickleball camps in 2024. Camps and clinics are an awesome way to improve your game, expand your pickleball network, and learn tips and tricks to avoid strain and injury over time.

Whether it's an intensive one-day camp in a local pickleball center or a week-long pickleball vacation, I really can't recommend camp experiences enough.

From simple pickleball tips to deep technical knowledge of the game, these experiences help you to play better pickleball and get more from the game we all love. After that, you can take your skills to a pickleball court near you and see how you fare against local opponents.

Have you attended a camp or clinic that you'd like to share with your fellow pickleheads? Reach out to us on our socials—we'd love to hear from you.

I've done a major revamp of this list. Many of the camps are the same, so I mainly focused on adding more information to help you choose which camp is right for you.