Rockaway Beach Pickleball & Golf Opens Saturday

By Katie McFadden

The heat wave is a reminder that sometimes it’s nice to do things indoors, in air conditioning. Just in time, a new place will offer some indoor fun on the peninsula, especially for pickleball fans. Rockaway Beach Pickleball & Golf opens Saturday, June 28.

Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis. While many say it’s a fun game for all ages, it’s the social aspect that keeps people coming back for more, leading pickleball to explode in popularity over the last decade, including locally. The Rockaway YMCA was ahead of the curve, hosting lessons early on in their gym, and places like the Belle Harbor Yacht Club and courts in Breezy Point, to even new outdoor pickleball courts right on Shore Front Parkway, are offering space to play. But on those extra hot days, when it’s raining or during the brutal cold of winter, the paddles are put aside as players wait for better conditions. The wait is over.

On Saturday, RB Pickleball & Golf, located at 97-25 Beach Channel Drive, will fulfill the need for a year-round venue to keep pickleball fans in play. The new facility offers five indoor pickleball courts, but there’s even more for those who may have other interests. There are also two VIP golf simulator rooms with all the bells and whistles. Looking for somewhere to hang out and watch sports or enjoy a post-pickleball cocktail? The space boasts a full bar with several large tv screens above, and they’ll even be serving frozen drinks. And pickleball can work up an appetite, so they’ll have a kitchen offering finger foods and bar bites.

The wow factor hits upon walking into the renovated warehouse, with the courts bringing a beachy vibe, accompanied with surf décor on the walls and a Rockaway Beach Pickleball & Golf logo featuring a wave. The state-of-the-art golf rooms offer a cozy feel with couches, meant to enjoy a casual night out with friends and family, or for private gatherings for special occasions. On the walls of the golf rooms and around the facility itself, you’ll find fine art that will make you feel like you’re in a museum. And even better, the artwork, made by Doug Meyers, will be up for sale, with RB Pickleball giving 10% of the proceeds back to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

RB Pickleball & Golf is a venture shared between firefighter John Walsh and his wife, Justine Moriarty, a retired federal agent, Mike Tellone, who owns Brooklyn Window & Door, and Dan Greaves, who owns an indoor pickleball facility on Staten Island.

John and Justine say they started playing pickleball about eight years ago, when they learned at the Rockaway YMCA, and they quickly fell in love and began playing closer to home in Breezy Point. “It’s a great game and it’s all about the community. You make a ton of new friends playing pickleball,” Walsh said. Moriaty adds, “The learning curve is so easy and it’s very social. It’s for all ages and it makes you feel young again. It can get a little competitive but you’re physically close and meet a lot of friendly people. It’s very addicting.” So addicting, that they began traveling to indoor facilities, which are few and far between. They began to see a need for an indoor spot in town. “There’s no pickleball places to play indoors close around here. We love the sport, so we got this idea to bring it to Rockaway and we took on partners as we started to realize what a huge project this would be,” Walsh said.

That project began when they found the perfect location on Beach 97th Street. “We went to check this place out and within 30 seconds of seeing it we said, ‘we found our place.’ This location could not work out better,” Walsh said. So, they signed the lease in February and got to work, bringing the empty warehouse to life. Walsh, who owns a construction business, did most of the work himself, along with a few helpers. And as they went along, they realized the large space could be multipurpose. “This wound up being bigger than we thought, so we kept adding to it, and decided to bring in two golf simulators. I love golf and we had the space, so we figured if people don’t play pickleball, they might play golf,” Walsh said.

For those whose game is pickleball, or even those who want to give it a try, there will be several options. Utilizing the Pod Play registration system, those who want to use the courts or golf simulators can reserve space right on their website: www.RockawayPickleball.com. There are options to reserve courts as a group during peak and off-peak hours, and open play options where individuals can join a game with random players. And there will eventually be programs like ladies’ night leagues and mixed doubles, opportunities for parties, tournaments based on skill level or DUPR rating, and opportunities to learn the game or brush up on skills with beginner and intermediate clinics. There are even plans to launch a kids’ clinic this summer where kids ages 7 to 13 can learn to play three days a week. With a certified pro on staff, newcomers will have an opportunity to learn from the best.

Regular players may be interested in becoming full members. They offer VIP or Gold memberships, which comes with perks such as discounts and free plays, early access to the reservation system and discounts on merchandise, plus access to private lockers and a members-only bathroom with showers. Discounts on memberships are being offered to the first 100 people. Plus, a 10% membership discount will be offered to first responders, and first responders who aren’t members can enjoy a drink on the house after a game.

The RB Pickleball & Golf team are ready to open their doors this Saturday. “It feels great. My wife and I had a similar vision for this place from day one, and it’s coming true right now,” Walsh said. “It’s exciting, overwhelming,” Moriarty said. “I hope everyone likes it. This area needs something new, and I hope it’s a success.”

So come and check out Rockaway Beach Pickleball & Golf. “People are going to have fun here,” Walsh said. “It’s a fun vibe, good music, fun people and when you experience it, you’re gonna feel like, ‘wow, this place is awesome!’”

RB Pickleball & Golf is located at 97-25 Beach Channel Drive but enter through Beach 97th Street. It will be open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. To book a court, head to Rockawaypickleball.com or call 718-474-2222. For updates, follow @rockawaybeachpickleball on Instagram.