Los Angeles

LA pickleball is a beach-town in some neighborhoods and a country-club scene in others. The Westside (Santa Monica's Memorial Park, Venice's Penmar, and Westchester) runs hardest in the mornings before traffic kicks in. Pasadena, Glendale, and the Valley have steadier afternoon play.

Public free courts are abundant, but most are tennis lines repainted, so etiquette matters: bring chalk if you need to mark your lines, share courts on weekends, and don't camp. The private clubs (Chicken N Pickle Long Beach, the Picklr in Glendale, plus a wave of new boutique courts in West Hollywood and Manhattan Beach) handle the rainy day and the no-line crowd.

Long Beach and Manhattan Beach are quietly the best for sea breeze games. Bring sunscreen and water, and don't be surprised when someone challenges you to a $5 game.