Boca Raton's pickleball players are about to get out of the sun. Boca Paddle by CityPickle, a 100,000-square-foot racquet club at 50 W. Jeffery St., has set its grand opening for Nov. 18, with 25 courts for pickleball and padel, most of them indoors or under cover, plus saunas, cold plunges and a restaurant run by Farmer's Table.

The club's latest construction update, posted in September, showed sod going down on the west side, ceiling baffles going up in the lobby and lighting being finished in the pro shop. A second round of memberships is on sale now, and the club is booking hard hat tours for anyone who wants a look before the doors open.

Twenty-five courts, built for Florida weather

The draw here is simple: this is a club built from the ground up for paddle sports, where you can play at 2 p.m. in August without baking. The court lineup, per the club's Play page:

  • Pickleball: 19 courts in all, with 14 indoors, four outdoors and one covered stadium court with seating for tournaments and pro matches.
  • Padel: six high-clearance courts, two indoors and four under a covered canopy.
  • The details: cushioned playing surfaces, professional lighting, sound dampening and PodPlay technology that keeps score and records replays.

The indoor courts are climate controlled, according to CityPickle's announcement from the June 2025 groundbreaking. The club pitches its pickleball setup as the most complete in South Florida, and with indoor, covered and open-air courts all on one property, the claim has some weight.

Who is behind it

CityPickle, which runs pickleball clubs in New York City, manages the club. The partner list reads like a who's who of the sport: top-ranked pros Ben Johns, Anna Bright, Jorja Johnson, JW Johnson and Gabe Tardio are all investors, along with Life Time and the owners of three Major League Pickleball teams. Butters Construction is the developer, and the managing partners are Brian Levine and Dr. Stewart Davis.

The staff has serious credentials too. General manager Eric Levin spent more than 25 years running golf and country clubs. Head pro Martin Emmrich is a former ATP player who reached No. 35 in the world in doubles, played Davis Cup for Germany and now competes on the PPA Tour.

The club will also be the home court of the Palm Beach Royals of Major League Pickleball, which means pro matches and exhibitions right in Boca.

Food from a local favorite

The restaurant and bar are run by Boca's own Farmer's Table, known for its clean, seasonal cooking. Michael Schenk, the restaurant's culinary director since 2017 and a former chef at the Polo Club of Boca Raton, is overseeing the kitchen, the club announced in September. The menu has not been posted yet. One useful detail from the club's FAQ: the restaurant and bar are open to walk-ins, no membership or pass required.

What it costs

Boca Paddle is a membership club, but it is not members only, and it charges no initiation fee. The model is monthly dues plus pay-to-play at member rates. Individual memberships, per the membership page:

  • Community: $49 a month, with member rates on programs weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Standard: $149 a month, with a 10-day booking window.
  • Plus: $299 a month, with a 14-day booking window, 12 open play passes and two guest passes a month.

Couples run $268 or $418 a month and families $399 or $549. Paying annually knocks off a month, and members can cancel with 30 days' notice. Billing does not start until opening day.

Not ready to join? A day pass is $40, or $35 for Boca Raton residents with proof of residence, and it lets you book courts at member rates. Members can also bring a friend free once every 60 days. Indoor pickleball courts rent for $60 an hour at peak times for members ($80 for non-members), dropping to $45 on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Member open play runs $10 to $12.50 a session.

Getting there

The club is a few minutes from downtown Boca Raton and Mizner Park, with quick access to Federal Highway and I-95, and it expects to draw players from across Palm Beach and Broward counties.

For Boca players who have been chasing open courts and shade, the math changes on Nov. 18: no more waiting out the afternoon heat or a summer rain to get a game in, a $35 drop-in rate for locals, and a lunch spot that doesn't care whether you brought a paddle.