Dill Dinkers Pickleball Signs Lease To Open Indoor 11-Court Facility In North Bethesda

NORTH BETHESDA, MD — Dill Dinkers Pickleball has signed a lease to open a new indoor pickleball venue in North Bethesda that will have 11 courts, the company's first facility in Montgomery County.

The new courts, scheduled to open this summer, will be inside a two-story building that features 22-foot ceiling heights and more than 220,000 square feet of space, the company said Tuesday.

Located at 4942 Boiling Brook Parkway, the complex will be less than a mile from Rockville Pike, a half-mile from Viers Mill Road and four miles from Interstate 270. The site also is less than a mile from the proposed redevelopment of White Flint II.

Dill Dinkers opened its first pickleball facility in Columbia in 2022 and established a new 12-court facility in Carroll County last month.

“We have learned from our Columbia location that employees enjoy playing pickleball during their lunch break or immediately after work, so we are benefitted by the nearby office buildings and business communities,” Will Richards, who co-owns Dill Dinkers with his wife, said in a statement. “So, when looking for the ideal Montgomery County site, that was an important consideration.”

The site is also near residential neighborhoods like Randolph Hills and Garrett Park Estates in Montgomery County.

Pickleball is a game that combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping pong. The Sports & Fitness Industry Association said in its 2023 Topline Participation Report that last year, the number of pickleball players grew by nearly 86 percent year-over-year and by almost 159 percent over three years. The trade group estimates the number of players over age 6 at 8.9 million in 2022, an increase of 4.8 million players accounted for in the prior year.

The new Dill Dinkers facility in North Bethesda will offer drop-in play, leagues and tournaments, and private lessons. Two “skinny courts,” measuring 15-feet wide, half the width of a standard pickleball court, will be dedicated for singles play. The facility will also be equipped with black lights for glow-in-the dark pickleball events and parties.

The North Bethesda location will have large bathrooms with space to change. It will also have a pro shop that features pickleball paddles, clothing and accessories. Outside the facility, a rotation of local food trucks will provide freshly prepared meals about once a month.

Co-owners Will and Denise Richards said they instantly fell in love with pickleball after their first lesson in 2021. After having trouble finding outdoor courts, the couple started to realize that there was a need for an indoor facility.

Bill Harrison, senior vice president, along with Ned Brady, principal, and Eric Skogmo, associate, of Lee & Associates represented the Richards in leasing the new space in North Bethesda. Randolph Buildings Limited Partnership is the landlord and owner of the building. Lee & Associates is a commercial real estate brokerage, management and appraisal services firm.

“Denise and Will Richard have created a highly successful and popular concept from day one and are now looking to replicate this formula both locally and regionally,” Harrison said in a statement. "The relative tightness of the light industrial and warehouse market will require creativity and diligence to uncover suitable locations to support this growth, but we are also encouraged by the vacant retail boxes in neighborhood strip centers and shopping malls that are being converted to this use."

Pickleball players can visit the Dill Dinkers website to be added to the membership waitlist for the North Bethesda location.