A Golden Summer at the San Carlos Pickleball Club

As the sun sets on another vibrant summer in San Carlos, we’re reminded of the energy, community, and beauty that make our club so special. This stunning photo, captured by Tomas Palacios at our very own courts during a lively Táctica Tuesday night, perfectly reflects the spirit of the season.

The past couple of months have been full of action, growth, and connection — and our club has been right at the center of it all. In this issue, we’re sharing construction updates, highlights from recent events, important updates, and a preview of what’s ahead as we gear up for a fresh season of pickleball, community, and fun.

San Carlos Pickleball Club Team

At the heart of everything we do, the Board and Management Team are united by a shared vision: to build the greatest pickleball club in Latin America. This vision is rooted in four core pillars that guide our decisions, shape our events, and inform our long-term strategy:

• Creating a positive impact in our community

• Fostering an inclusive environment for all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels

• Delivering unique experiences and events for our members and the broader community

• Promoting the sport and our one-of-a-kind destination

These principles keep us focused, inspired, and aligned as we continue to grow — not just in size, but in purpose and impact.

All of this is in service of our mission: To grow the sport of pickleball by creating a vibrant, inclusive, and community-driven club that offers exceptional experiences, promotes healthy living, and serves as a model for positive impact—locally and across Latin America.

As we continue building toward our shared vision, it’s important to pause and reflect on the journey and how far we’ve come together as a community.

The story of pickleball in San Carlos began in 2010, when the first court appeared in town. Just three years later, in 2013, the founding members of the San Carlos Pickleball Association organized their very first tournament — held across four makeshift courts built throughout the town. These early tournaments were not only fun but impressively well-run, setting the tone for what was to come. By 2017, the club had grown strong enough to take a major step forward: building its first dedicated pickleball complex. The opportunity to refurbish two old tennis courts fit our budget perfectly, and we transformed them into a six-court facility within one of San Carlos’s emerging developments.

As our community continued to grow, so did our dreams. The Association began searching for a new location — one that could accommodate over 300 members and the rising demand for tournament play. That dream became a reality in March 2023 with the grand opening of the San Carlos Pickleball Club, featuring 14 courts. Our first tournament at the new facility was a proud moment, even if we only had portable potties at the time!

Fast forward to today — just two years later — and we now enjoy beautiful restrooms, lighting on all courts, shade structures, a cool zone and entrance wall currently under construction. But the growth hasn’t only been physical. We’ve expanded with heart — driven by a strong sense of purpose and community through our social impact programs.

We’re committed to running our programs and managing our membership in a sustainable way — ensuring that our club and its facilities thrive for future generations of San Carlos players. We invite all members to become ambassadors for the sport and for our unique and vibrant destination.

It fills us with joy to witness the growth of pickleball not just in San Carlos, but throughout Sonora, Mexico, and beyond. We celebrate the success of fellow clubs and are endlessly grateful to our team members, volunteers, donors, and sponsors who’ve been with us since Day One. Your generosity, time, and vision have been instrumental in helping us achieve so much.

Get to know the Board and Management Team and read about the Structural Organization of the Club.

Cool Zone & Construction Update

We’re so excited to share the progress on the next big step of our dream — the “Cool Zone”!

Construction is moving right along with a major piece now going up in the center area, and the momentum just keeps growing!

This wouldn’t be possible without the amazing support from you, our incredible members. Your energy, donations, and belief in the club are what make all of this happen.

Our dream is truly coming to life — together! Stay tuned… more updates coming soon!

Tournament for a Cause

Summer Tournament “Together we Fight” at San Carlos Pickleball Club!

The San Carlos Pickleball Club is more than just a place to play — it’s a true source of community. We are incredibly proud of everything we’ve accomplished — the tournament, the teamwork, and the way everyone came together to support one of our own, raising funds to support Reyna Munguía’s medical expenses in her fight against cancer.

At the heart of it all, this is who we are.

A heartfelt thank you to Match Point, the SCPB management team, players, sponsors and all the volunteers who made it possible.

Táctica Tuesday for the whole family

Táctica Tuesday offers the best weekly competition experience among friends, with fun and competitive games, featuring courts for all skill levels, in a family-friendly environment… and with the most spectacular sunsets!

This summer, we’re also launching: Táctica Kids & Teens (for those under 15 years of age). Just like almost 700 players who are already part of Táctica’s history, our younger players will have their own ranking and court rotation. As they level up, some may advance to the main adult ranking. Stay tuned!

Schedule: Every Tuesday at 7:00pm
Duration: Approximately 2 to 2.5 hours
Only at San Carlos Pickleball Club

Registration is required for all players, including kids and teens.

Costs:
Táctica Kids & Teens: $100 MXN
Adults (Táctica Tuesday): $150 MXN
Club members: $100 MXN

We deeply thank our anonymous sponsors for supporting the talented children of Castaway Kids and Casa Hogar Ancla de Amor. Their generosity is priceless!

Join a vibrant and welcoming community!

Are you Ready to Learn Pickleball?
We are excited to welcome new players who join our all day membership and night events during the summer, like Táctica Tuesday. To help everyone feel comfortable and fully understand the game, we offer beginner classes (in both Spanish and English):
🗓 Monday, 6:30pm

$350 MXN (adults)
$250 MXN (under 15 years of age)
(Includes class, use of equipment, and entry to a weekly event: Táctica Tuesday or Skinny Singles Thursday)

At San Carlos Pickleball Club, the sport is for everyone. Families and children from low-income backgrounds that apply to the social impact program with Castaway Kids and Ancla de Amor receive a 100% scholarship for our weekly classes.

See you on the courts! Contact Darren at 622-165-1762 or Mariel at 622-107-0085 for more info and registration.

Updated Tournaments & Events Calendar

Save the Dates. San Carlos Pickleball Tournament Calendar is Here!

Big News! San Carlos Pickleball Club has been invited to co-host the closing leg of the Skechers Pickleball Tour Mexico 2025 with Elevate Sports— one of the most prestigious tours in the country, offering some of the biggest prizes of the year!

As part of this exciting partnership, we’re proud to announce that a Senior Category will be added specifically for our community — a rare addition not typically included in the tour’s format. And club members will get a $100 pesos discount per category.

To fully support and participate in this incredible opportunity, we have updated our tournament calendar. We’re thrilled to unveil the official tournament calendar for the Autumn & Winter 2025 – 2026 Season!  This gives everyone plenty of time to plan ahead for another unforgettable season of pickleball, friendship, and fun in beautiful San Carlos, Mexico!

Let’s get ready to rally, represent, and celebrate this milestone for our San Carlos pickleball family.

MEMBER DISCOUNT
To get the club member discount you need to select X on early bird discount and then add the respective code,

• SCPC100-EARLY (For individual registration in 1 category)
• SCPC100-EARLY-2 (For individual registration in 2 categories or doubles registration in 1 category)
• SCPC100-EARLY-4 (For doubles registration in 2 categories)

For any question about registration feel free to contact Diego Zevada +52 1 554-351-9512.

Click here to Register Now for the Sketchers Tour.

Pickle Smart Academy: A Successful First Season!

The 1st season of the Pickle Smart Academy was a tremendous success!

Founded in 2024 by our Club Pro, Kevin Duff, the academy welcomed 45 enthusiastic members in its inaugural year. By the season’s end, an overwhelming 97% of participants reported being satisfied with their experience, and 100% agreed it offered excellent value.

We are privileged to have Kevin Duff leading the academy program at our club. A passionate pickleball player and instructor for over a decade, Kevin is known for his commitment to the evolution of the game and for teaching innovative strategies. Kevin is an IPTPA Level 2 Certified Instructor and one of only two IPTPA Directors in Mexico. Along with his pickleball expertise, he brings a deep understanding of sports performance, injury prevention, and teaching methodology, supported by academic degrees in Kinesiology, Physical Therapy, and Public Health.

During August, Kevin will be on a well-deserved leave visiting family. We look forward to his return on August 23rd and exciting updates for the academy. Stay tuned for news on Pickleball Academy upgrades and what’s coming in the second season, which will be announced in September.

We thank Kevin for his leadership and can’t wait for the next season of the Pickleball Smart Academy!

For more information about pickleball instruction or the Pickle Smart Academy, please send a WhatsApp message to Kevin at +52 622-147-2979.

Rent the Ball Machine

The Club’s Erne Pickleball Machine is available for use at San Carlos Pickleball Club.

Rental rates:
*200 pesos per hour for members
*300 pesos for non-members (plus daily pass).

Take advantage of this great new feature and elevate your pickleball practice!

To operate the machine, simply download the Erne App on your phone. You can reserve the machine with Enrique at +52 622-162-6652.

Click here to download the Erne App on Android devices and click here to download it from the Apple store. And, you can download the Erne manual for tips on drills and how to operate it.

August – September Court Schedule and Activities

Check out our weekly Event Calendar for the months of August and September.  As the weather continues to warm-up, some groups have stopped meeting until late September.

Walk-in events:

• Open Play – Monday to Saturday from 8:00am to 11:00am. Courts are divided into self-rated groups: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. Paddle Stacking within each group. Free to members.

• Sorteo Sundays – Sundays at 7:30am (be there by 7:15am). First come – first served for all skills levels, limited to 70 people. Free to members.

  We recommend to organize open play inviting players in the Community chat group and Summer players chat group to ensure participation.

Events that you need to Register for in advance:

• Táctica Tuesday (skill-based Round Robin) – 7:00pm (arrive by 6:45pm). $100 pesos for members and $150 pesos for non-members.
• Skinny Thursdays fun and dynamic 1-on-1 format that improves your shot placement, builds endurance, and gives you tons of focused repetition — perfect for training and developing your skills 7:00pm (arrive by 6:45pm).  $100 pesos for members and $150 pesos for non-members.Ask Darren to add you to the groups or scan QR code.

Anytime a court isn’t reserved for scheduled play, you’re welcome to use it to practice or for private play.
Plan your week and join in on the action!

Contact Us

We have a WhatsApp business phone line for your queries

We have a business phone line designed to streamline communication and assist you promptly with any questions or inquiries related to memberships and gate codes. To  get into the courts, the Pro Shop, or to purchase merchandise, please reach out to our Management team staff support, Enrique Dorame at SCPC Admin Services:  WhatsApp +52 622-162-6652.

And for any further questions or concerns, please contact our Management team, Darren Thompson and Mariel Rivera.

Mariel Rivera: +52 622-107-0085. Tournament sponsorship and Social Programs.
Darren Thompson: +52 622-165-1762. Court schedules, activities and tournaments.

We are here to help and support you in any way we can.

Court Reserve:

We use Court Reserve to enhance your experience at the club. If you are not already on Court Reserve, then find courtreserve.com on your phone or computer and Sign Up.  Then look for San Carlos Pickleball Club.  With this system, you can easily:

• Reserve a court
• Buy your membership or daily passes
• Check out our weekly events
• Register for workshops or paid events