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As sports like pickleball and padel continue to grow in popularity, Pickleball Mangawhai is looking to get ahead of the game by creating a purpose-built centre to give both sports room to grow in Northland.
The lack of facilities in eastern Kaipara has increasingly become a concern for local sports clubs, many of which struggle to grow their membership or host large tournaments because of limited space.
Since starting in 2025 and becoming an official club in March this year, Pickleball Mangawhai has grown from a handful of players to more than 30 full-time members, with many others joining in during holiday weekends as visitors to the area look for somewhere to play.
For now, the club uses the Mangawhai Beach School hall for its various sessions and monthly mini tournaments. But, according to Pickleball Mangawhai club president Gary Hey, when members want to play at other times or take part in larger tournaments, they often have to travel south.
“People just want to play but unfortunately, with the limited facilities, they can’t, so they are having to travel. We have to travel to places like Matakana and Warkworth because Mangawhai doesn’t have the facilities,” Hey says.
The club is seeking a permanent base for both pickleball and padel. Its concept for a 1,000sqm site includes four pickleball courts and one padel court.
Pickleball is a fast, social racket sport played on a small court that combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis.
It originated on Bainbridge Island in Washington, United States, in 1965 as a family game improvised by three friends.
Over 60 years later, the World Pickleball Federation estimates that millions of people play it in more than 100 countries.
The sport’s appeal stretches across generations. Players range from teenagers to those in their 80s, with some returning to sport after decades away.
“You can literally pick up a bat and have a game. And if you have played any racket sport in the past, you will probably pick it up in no time.
“A lot of folk who have come to play probably haven’t played a sport in 10 to 20 years, and now, even in their 70s and 80s, they find it is a fun sport they can come back to,” Hey says.
Hey says despite being a relatively easy game to play, pickleball is still competitive.
“Even at the age of 80, our members still have that competitive edge,” he says.
Pickleball Mangawhai has been in contact with the Mangawhai Activity Zone (MAZ) committee regarding the development of four public pickleball courts on the lower field.
While Hey welcomes the addition of pickleball courts, he says they would not give the club the base it truly needs.
With new courts opening around New Zealand to meet increased demand, Hey says a dedicated centre could help make Mangawhai a premier destination for pickleball.
“We’ve got players travelling across New Zealand just popping into different towns to play. If we don’t get onto this soon, we will miss our opportunity to keep growing the sport and making Mangawhai a destination to come and play pickleball because other towns will be way ahead of us with their infrastructure,” he says.
