Pickleball Takes Center Court at The Polo Club of Boca Raton

Barry Steinman didn’t plan on becoming a pickleball regular. In fact, when he moved into the Polo Club of Boca Raton in 2020, he was just trying to find a decent tennis match. “Most of the players here were either older than me or just way better than me,” he said. “So I decided to try pickleball… I had never even heard of it until I moved to the Polo Club.”

Fast forward to today, and Barry plays five times a week. He’s far from alone. “We have about 500 active pickleball players and about 500 active tennis players at the club,” he explained. “But the pickleball folks? They play more. On average, it’s 3.5 times a week—some even twice a day.”

That enthusiasm came into full view during the club’s recent World Series of Pickle, or WSO Pickle, a unique and fast-paced tournament format that Barry helped bring to life. “It’s trademarked,” he said proudly. “Players sign up as individuals but play doubles with a different partner in every match.”

Above: Barry Steinman (in the middle). Photo credit: Polo Club of Boca Raton.

This round-robin structure tested versatility and chemistry, and it attracted a serious level of competition. “In the last edition, we had 27 players,” Barry said. “Only three were amateurs, and the rest were on the A.P.P. Tour. The prize pool was $14,000.”

That prize pool turned heads. Mark Dancourt, a local tennis coach from Boca and a product of the Rick Macci Academy, walked away with the win—and $7,000 in prize money. “That’s more than any A.P.P. event this year,” Barry pointed out.

And the momentum is just getting started. “We’ve already reserved the courts for the week after the big A.P.P. event at Patch Reef Park in November,” he said. “All the top players will already be in town, so we’re expecting to be oversold.”

But at its core, the Polo Club’s pickleball program isn’t just about prize money or elite competition—it’s about community. “The whole thing really took off during COVID,” Barry recalled. “One of our residents who used to run a softball league couldn’t play anymore due to injury. He picked up pickleball and helped start what we now call the ladder.”

Photo credit: Polo Club of Boca Raton.

That ladder system now runs every Wednesday morning, with 180 players rotating through different partners based on skill level. “It’s like a mini WSO Pickle,” Barry said. “It’s competitive, but really it’s about getting people on the court, moving, and meeting each other.”

And the programming doesn’t stop there. The club offers open play sessions on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, leagues for men and women, and even a Palm Beach County 55+ league on Saturdays. “Dink Masters during the week is where it gets really intense,” Barry said. “I’m 57, and I’m out here playing against 32-year-olds. It keeps you on your toes.”

For those newer to the sport or just looking for some fun, the Polo Club’s white-glove approach makes a difference. “We have pros who help set up games for people who don’t know anyone yet or aren’t sure of their level,” Barry said. “It’s social, it’s inclusive—and it’s packed.”

Photo credit: Polo Club of Boca Raton.

So popular, in fact, that it’s led to rapid growth and new challenges. “We spent over a million dollars building ten regulation-size pickleball courts and a 135-person covered viewing area,” Barry said. “But now we’re managing ten-plus pickleball teams, in addition to all our tennis programming. We’ve had to expand our administrative staff just to keep up.”

And the expansion might not stop with pickleball. “We’re looking into padel,” he said. “A nearby country club built two courts as a test—and now they’re adding four more.”

Space, however, is a challenge. “We don’t really have the land for it here,” Barry admitted. “But we’re talking with a local facility to potentially offer our members access to padel courts at a discounted rate. Just to try it out.”

While pickleball leads the charge, racquet sports at the Polo Club are thriving across the board. “We’ve got more than ten tennis teams too,” Barry noted. “This is a full-service racquet sports community—whether you're looking to compete or just enjoy a morning game.”

Photo credit: Polo Club of Boca Raton.

With another WSO Pickle tournament already in the works, the club is also dreaming bigger. “We’re thinking about modeling it after The Masters in golf,” Barry said. “An invitational event held at one iconic place each year—right here at the Polo Club.”

To make that leap, they’ll need major sponsors. “We’re in talks. A brand like Mercedes-Benz could want reserved seats, test drives... we’re open to that,” Barry added. “But for now, it’s members only—with very limited guest access.”

Whether it's the next breakout pro or a retiree finding their rhythm, the Polo Club’s courts are alive with energy. “Pickleball is social in a way tennis can’t quite match,” Barry said. “You’re just closer to each other. You can talk, joke, connect. It’s more than a game—it’s a community.”

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Written by Associate Editor Osvaldo Godoy.