Pelican Bay Foundation will host a grand opening Feb. 16 at Collier County’s Pelican Bay Community Park, featuring pickleball demonstrations, professional exhibition matches and community activities at the newly renovated racquets center.
The free event will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and feature pickleball professional Ben Johns, widely regarded as one of the sport’s top players, with more than 150 PPA Tour titles and No. 1 singles and doubles rankings. He will participate in a panel discussion and headline a special exhibition match during the day’s festivities.
Pickleball and tennis courts at the county-owned park are now operated through a public-private partnership with the foundation, which invested $6 million in upgrades. Improvements include 20 Novacrylic pickleball courts, two new tennis courts, renovations to six sub-irrigated, lighted Har-Tru clay tennis courts, a pro shop, shaded waiting area, sound mitigation wall, fencing and other park and parking enhancements. The foundation manages the tennis and pickleball courts, with 10 courts reserved for public play by non-Pelican Bay residents.
A view of the upgraded pickleball courts at Pelican Bay Community Park, 764 Vanderbilt Beach Road, in North Naples. The improvements are part of a public-private partnership between Collier County and the Pelican Bay Foundation.
The public park, 764 Vanderbilt Beach Road in North Naples, was deeded to the county in 1994 by Pelican Bay developer WCI as part of an agreement to allow denser development in the 6,500-home luxury community. The park had not been updated since. Renovations followed a decade of negotiations, with construction beginning in 2024 and the upgraded park opening in early December. Some improvements, including an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant playground, are still pending.
Joining Johns for the panel discussion will be Michelle McMahon, an Emmy Award-winning sportscaster for PBTV, Tennis Channel and FOX Sports. The discussion will focus on the growth of pickleball and the future of racquet sports.
The grand opening marks a new chapter for Pelican Bay, which had been unable to find land within the community to build courts. The park provides members and residents with a racquets destination designed to promote community engagement, wellness and competitive play. A tournament will also be held during the event, with a $10 participation fee.
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