"Pickleball is very popular, and an indoor facility will likely be successful," Wellington Planning, Zoning & Building Director Tim Stillings told the Town-Crier in September. He was talking about an old Circuit City store on Forest Hill Boulevard.
That building, and seven glass padel courts going up on Lyons Road, will change who decides when you can play. So far in Wellington, that decision has belonged to the sun. Between December and January, the village should have its first public-access racquet courts where weather and sunset don't set the schedule.
Six courts, sunrise to sunset
The Village's public pickleball runs through Greenbriar Park at 2975 Greenbriar Boulevard. Wellington Parks and Recreation opened six courts there with a ribbon cutting on November 14, 2024. Play is first come, first served, and the park and courts are open daily from sunrise to sunset. You bring your own paddles and balls.
The Wellington Tennis Center at 3100 Lyons Road added pickleball "both indoor and out" in an earlier expansion, according to a Village news item. Even so, the Village sends open-play pickleball to Greenbriar.
That rule costs players more in winter than in summer. The courts close at sunset, so open play ends earliest in the season when most of the village wants to be outside. Rain still cancels a game, and so does August heat. Anyone who works until five has had a short window most weeknights.
Wycliffe Golf & Country Club has eight lighted pickleball courts, but you get them through club membership. For everyone else, the daylight hours at Greenbriar have set the limit.
An empty box that fits indoor courts
Diadem Pickleball Complex plans to fill that gap at 10570 W. Forest Hill Blvd., in the Shoppes at Wellington Green plaza in front of the mall. The building went up in 2002, and it has been mostly empty since Circuit City closed all its stores after filing for bankruptcy in 2008. The Town-Crier reported that several proposals for the site came in over the years, and none went forward.
The plan calls for:
- 11 air-conditioned indoor courts
- Two pickleball simulators and two golf simulators
- A pro shop and a private party area
- A restaurant and bar
Gene DeVito runs the original Diadem complex in Coconut Creek. He told the Town-Crier the company picked Wellington for its established pickleball community and its limited indoor options. He also said the old store had what they needed: high ceilings, air conditioning and a big open floor. The company wants to keep all 11 courts busy throughout the day, with coached programs for different skill levels.
Diadem has said it plans a soft opening in December and a full launch in January. When the Town-Crier article ran on September 18, the interior build-out was permitted and underway. Court installation is a separate job by a different contractor, and that contractor had not yet applied for permits. Diadem's website lists memberships at $200 a month or $1,500 a year, but those are Coconut Creek prices. Wellington pricing hasn't been published yet.
Seven glass courts on Lyons Road
The second new venue is a different sport at a familiar address. Padel Co is opening seven panoramic glass padel courts and a clubhouse at the Wellington Tennis Center. Doors are scheduled to open at 7:30 a.m. daily.
This project has already slipped once. The Town-Crier reported a June 14, 2025 groundbreaking for seven padel courts and six new tennis courts, with play expected in early 2026. Padel Co's site now lists the grand opening as "Fall '26" and invites sign-ups for the opening-day notice.
The price list is already up, and it treats residents well. Courts are rented per court for up to four players and booked through Playtomic. Verified Village of Wellington residents in the 33414, 33449, 33470 and 33411 ZIP codes pay the member rate.
| Court rental, per court | Member or resident, through Dec. 2026 | Non-member, through Dec. 2026 | Member or resident, from Jan. 2027 | Non-member, from Jan. 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 minutes | $55 | $65 | $60 | $85 |
| 90 minutes | $80 | $100 | $90 | $130 |
| 120 minutes | $105 | $135 | $120 | $175 |
Split four ways, a 90-minute resident booking at the opening rate comes to $20 a player. That's what a reserved court costs, set against Greenbriar's public open play, which is limited to daylight and first come, first served. The opening rates run only through December 2026. Even if the courts open in the next few weeks, residents get about two months at founding prices.
Current Wellington Tennis Center members get Padel Co's Tennis · Padel membership free for six months from opening day. After that it costs $500 a year. It includes all-you-can-play off-peak time, Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., up to 90 minutes a day booked ahead on Playtomic. Players new to padel can book a first-time clinic for $30, with equipment and a coach included.
Where beginners still start for free
The new venues add capacity at the top end and in the evenings. Greenbriar keeps the free starting point. The Village brought back its free Learn to Play Pickleball clinics this October, with seven dates scheduled through spring 2027. Clinics are open to ages 10 and up, aimed at players who are just starting or recently started, and cover rules, basic strategy and serving. You don't need equipment.
With the October 10 session past, six remain:
- Saturday, November 7
- Saturday, December 5
- Saturday, January 16
- Saturday, February 13
- Saturday, March 13
- Saturday, April 10
Sessions run 9 a.m. to noon, followed by open play. Clinics are free, but you have to pre-register through the Village's CivicRec catalog, and space is limited.
The December 5 clinic falls in Diadem's planned soft-opening month. A beginner who learns at Greenbriar in the fall could move indoors by January, when the courts at the old Circuit City are scheduled to be fully open.
How the winter breaks down by hour and weather
Taken together, each venue covers a different part of the day.
| Situation | Greenbriar Park | Diadem, planned | Padel Co at the Tennis Center |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekday after work | Until sunset | Indoor courts | Doors open 7:30 a.m. daily |
| Rain or summer heat | Weather decides | Air-conditioned indoor courts | Panoramic glass courts |
| Cost to play | Public open play | Wellington rates not yet published | $55 to $105 per court for residents through Dec. 2026 |
| Getting a court | First come, first served | Programs and bookings | Playtomic reservations |
| Brand-new player | Free Village clinics | Coached programs for all levels | $30 first-time clinic |
The first row carries the most weight. Until now, the after-work hours have been the hardest to fill at the village's public courts. A weeknight game after sunset needs a covered court, and Diadem would supply it.
The dates that are still plans
Both openings are announced plans, and the dates are worth tracking:
- Padel Co Wellington: listed as Fall '26 on the operator's site, after an early-2026 target at groundbreaking. Opening rates end in December 2026 whatever the opening date.
- Diadem Pickleball Complex: soft opening planned for December and full launch for January. Court permits were still to be filed as of mid-September.
- Greenbriar Park: unchanged. Six courts, first come, first served, sunrise to sunset, with the next free clinic on November 7.
Some buyers in Wellington list a private court, or a short drive to Lyons Road and Forest Hill Boulevard, alongside barns and arenas. When those details matter, Matt Johnson can talk through how a property's location and grounds fit the way you play. Request a Private Consultation.
