Author: Molly

The location of the Bumpy Pickle is a little off the beaten path on the east side of Houston in a warehouse distribution area. I had seen on the Bumpy Purple website that open play was mornings from 8 to 12. I showed up at 8:30 AM and only two people were there and they were engaged in a lesson. The Bumpy Pickle is not quite finished inside the building where there is to be a restaurant bar area setting. They were people working at the site and you could tell they were committed to its upkeep. There are beautiful sand volleyball courts and pickleball courts, as well as various TVs and sitting areas throughout the facility. It is very nice. I stayed around until the lesson was over and was fortunate to be able to get an hour workout in with the young pro there. I was told that the evenings are the best time to come for open play, but I am hopeful that this facility will start to attract more players during the morning hours. It’s a shame to let something so nice sit there without being used.

PALA is easily accessible, right off of interstate 45 in the Spring/Woodlands area of northern Houston. It is in an area where you have ready access to shopping and restaurants, housed in the building, where there were previously grocery and retail stores yet many now abandoned. There are several outdoor courts as well as indoor courts and the area feels very safe and secure. The surfaces for play are new, and the space surrounding the courts is generous. I was readily greeted by a friendly staff at the front desk, and soon after I was welcomed by owner/operator Guillermo Ordorica. $20 for open play, 2 1/2 hours felt pretty steep to me, especially since there is no guarantee of the quality of play. Fortunately, I found there to be several levels of play available and soon was able to meld into a group that was compatible for me. We had lots of fun :-)