Pickleball is America’s fastest-growing sport, and Fairfax County is here for it, adding more courts to meet demand. This fall, Fairfax’s Greenbriar Park will get five dedicated courts.
The plan is to open the courts first with temporary striping and then with permanent markings in 2026.
The Fairfax County Park Authority selected that site based on a review of its 2021 Pickleball Study and the Update on Pickleball Study. Because Greenbriar offers convenient neighborhood access, ample parking, onsite restrooms, and Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility, it was an easy choice.
“Key considerations include geography and access, parking availability, ADA connectivity, environmental and neighborhood impacts, lighting, and long-term maintenance,” authority officials said.
The new Greenbriar courts will have perimeter fencing and gates to allow for controlled access, and shaded seating areas. To make room for the courts, the county will remove 24 parking spaces. “A parking audit determined that this reduction will still accommodate existing park uses as well as the new pickleball activity,” officials said.
Pickleball, a paddle-based sport that blends elements of tennis, badminton, and pingpong, started in 1965, although interested didn’t take off until the early 2020s. Although lore says that the sport is named after the founder’s dog, Pickles, it actually comes from a reference to pickle boats in crew races. Pickle boats are filled with rowers from multiple teams who weren’t chosen for the main competition.
Pickleball Growth in Fairfax County
Since 2020, the park authority has invested about $2.4 million in pickleball facilities, adding 60 new courts — an increase of more than 300 percent — to meet growing demand.
Today, the county has 92 courts, including 20 dedicated ones and 72 dual-use courts that are shared with other sports, such as tennis.
“Demand for pickleball has been steadily increasing, unlike anything we’ve seen with other recreational activities in recent years,” officials said. “While we haven’t been formally tracking request numbers, community interest and input have been strong and consistent.”
Pickleball has been growing in popularity nationwide as a fun, accessible sport that blends elements of tennis, badminton, and ping pong. It’s played indoors and outdoors, both socially and competitively, and appeals to players of all ages.
All of the courts are open to the public to use for free on a first-come, first-served basis, but reservations are available. They cost $15 per court per hour and have a three-hour minimum.
Although the county has no immediate plans to build more courts, “we’ve been steadily adding courts whenever opportunities align,” officials said. On September 11, the park authority announced a proposal to build six dedicated pickleball courts at Alexandria’s Franconia Rec Center. That would involve returning a dual-use pickleball and tennis court into a tennis-only court and converting half of the tennis practice courts into pickleball-only spots. The plan is open for public comment through September 28.
Feature image courtesy Fairfax County Park Authority
