From Padel at Mountain Park to Championship Pickleball and Tennis: Racquet Sports at The Cliffs

Spring settles over The Cliffs with its own kind of charm. The morning mountain air arrives cool and crisp, gently warming up through the afternoon, and the Blue Ridge is blooming in every direction—pulling you outside onto the courts. And once you’re there, they welcome you as if they were a second home. Across all seven communities, racquet sports at The Cliffs come alive each spring with a full season of padel, pickleball, and tennis, one that’s as much about the people you play with as the game itself. 

The joy woven into the moments here is hard to describe until you’ve lived them. The camaraderie that’s formed from a simple post-game cocktail, swapping stories into the sunset, wondering how you didn’t start playing sooner. Racquet sports have always had a social dimension, but at The Cliffs, that dimension becomes something else entirely. It becomes a community. 

Padel: The Sport Everyone Is Talking About 

Padel made its debut at The Cliffs at Mountain Park in summer 2025 with the opening of the new Sports Pavilion, and it has already become one of the most talked-about additions to The Cliffs membership experience. A fast-paced, enclosed-court game played primarily as doubles, it blends the accessibility of pickleball with the strategy of tennis and is genuinely addictive from the very first rally. 

As one of the newest racquet sports at The Cliffs, members are supported from the very beginning through introductory clinics, small-group instruction, and private lessons. Under the direction of Adri Atkinson, the Mountain Region Racquet Sports Director, members new to the game find their footing quickly, while competitive players find a fresh challenge worth chasing.

This spring and summer, Mountain Park anchors the padel calendar with two events worth planning around:

• June 5 | Padel & Pizza | Mountain Park 
• August 17 | Padel, Picnic, & Pool Party | Mountain Park 

Both events capture exactly what makes padel at The Cliffs so appealing. Padel & Pizza turns a competitive evening into a full community occasion, while the August Padel, Picnic & Pool Party is the kind of summer afternoon that makes you extra grateful to be a part of The Cliffs community.  

What’s Your Net Worth? Tennis at The Cliffs 

Tennis at The Cliffs in the springtime is an understated luxury. The slower pace of winter gives way to something eager and alive, the satisfying sound of a clean groundstroke, the rhythm of a long baseline rally, the particular pleasure of stepping onto a well-kept court on a bright April morning with good company and nowhere else to be. 

The infrastructure matches the ambition: 22 courts across the network, sixteen of them premier Har-Tru clay, 18 lit for nighttime play, and a full roster of clinics, private lessons, and personalized matches for every level. 

The highlight of the spring tennis calendar is the arrival of Dave Marshall, a guest coach from the ATP Tour, at The Cliffs at Keowee Falls on May 4 and 5. Events like this are a reminder of what The Cliffs membership makes possible—access and experiences that create memories that last a lifetime. The season stretches beautifully into summer with the Roland Garros French Open Event at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove and Breakfast at Wimbledon in July, bringing the energy of the Grand Slams right to the community. 

• April 20 | Tennis Season Opener Brunch | Walnut Cove
• May 2 | Tennis Season Opener | Valley
• May 4 & 5 | ATP Tour Guest Coach Dave Marshall | Keowee Falls
• May 19 | Men’s Tennis Day, Lake & Valley | Keowee Falls
• May 24 | Memorial Day Tennis Round Robin & Kids Clinic | Walnut Cove
• May 25 | Memorial Day Tennis | Valley
• June 4 | Tennis Live Ball & Margaritas | Glassy
• June 5 | Roland Garros French Open Event | Walnut Cove
• July 10 | Breakfast at Wimbledon | Walnut Cove
• August 15 | The Cliffs Games | Network-wide

Pickleball: Where Friendships Are Made

Pickleball at The Cliffs levels the playing field in the best possible sense. It doesn’t matter if you’re a lifelong athlete or haven’t broken a sweat in years; within a few points, everyone is laughing, competing, and already thinking about the rematch. Add a warm spring morning and mountain views in every direction, and it’s difficult to imagine a better way to spend a few hours. 

With 17 dedicated courts across the network, several lit for evening play, and clinics and lessons available for every level, there’s always a court and always a path to getting better. 

This season’s calendar spans every community and skill level: 

• March 20 | Pickleball Trifecta | Keowee Falls
• April 13 | Member-Associate Pickleball | Keowee Falls
• April 16 | Member-Associate Pickleball | Keowee Springs
• April 18 | Pickleball Bash | Glassy
• May 22 | Memorial Day Pickleball | Mountain Park
• May 25 | Memorial Day Pickleball | Glassy
• July 3 | Red, White & Blue Pickleball | Mountain Park
• July 4 | Freedom & Fireworks Pickleball | Glassy
• August 6 | Pickleball Mixed Compass | Keowee Falls
• August 17-21 | Lake Region Pickleball Championships | Keowee Falls

The Member-Associate format deserves special mention. These events pair members with associates, making it one of the most genuine expressions of The Cliffs community culture. Competitive enough to be exciting, relaxed enough that everyone leaves as friends. And The Lake Region Pickleball Championship in August gives the season a finish line worth working toward. 

The Courts Are Only Part of the Story

What members often say about racquet sports at The Cliffs is that they came for the game and stayed for everything around it. The pregame warm-up that turns into a real conversation. The post-match drink that stretches into dinner. The weekly ritual that quietly becomes the social anchor of the season. Spring and summer in the Carolinas are already one of the most beautiful times of the year to be outdoors, and at The Cliffs, the courts give you a perfect reason to be out in all of it. 

Padel, pickleball, and tennis aren’t just amenities here. They’re one of the primary ways The Cliffs membership becomes a life, full of people who share your energy, your sense of humor, and your appetite for a great match followed by even better conversations. 

The courts are ready. The season is here. All you have to do is show up. 

Explore The Cliffs membership and view the full 2026 Social Guide here.