The game of pickleball was invented in 1965 by a family who found themselves bored; they had a badminton net but no shuttlecocks, a wiffle ball with no bat, and ping pong paddles but no table. How did they solve this dilemma? By inventing a game that required all that spare equipment made for 2-4 players.

Far from being named after the food, pickleball’s name comes from a type of boat called a “pickle boat” – the last fishing boat to come in with its catch at the end of a day or the last sailboat to finish a race. Pickleball was made from the leftovers of other sports – just like a leftover boat!

Pickleball is a medium-energy sport and courts can be indoors or outside. Outdoor courts provide more exercise as the ball is known to bounce higher and faster on harder surfaces but indoor courts cancel out the possibility of the light ball being disturbed by wind.

Below are 14 pickleball courts in the southwest Illinois area- snag some friends to form a team and go play!

1. Gordon Moore Park, 4550 College Ave., Alton, IL has six outdoor courts. Play daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

2. Edwardsville YMCA, 1200 Esic Dr., Edwardsville, IL has five indoor courts. Play weekends from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

3. Township Park (Airplane Park), 6368 Center Grove Rd., Edwardsville, IL has five outdoor courts. Play weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

4. Plummer Family Park, 3501 Sports Park Dr., Edwardsville, IL has 12 outdoor courts. Play daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

5. Miner Park Tennis Courts, 192 S. Main St., Glen Carbon, IL has six outdoor courts. Play daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

6. Tri-Township Park, 410 Wickliffe St., Troy, IL has four outdoor courts. Play Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed weekends.

7. Drost Park, 400 E. Division St., Maryville, IL has one outdoor court. Play daily from dawn to dusk.

8. Glidden Park, 398 Branch St., Collinsville, IL has three outdoor courts. Play daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

9. Central Park, 401 E. Water St., Hillsboro, IL has two outdoor courts. Play daily from dawn to dusk.

10. Fusion Fitness and Aquatic Center, 1210 E. Tremont St., Hillsboro, IL has two indoor courts. Play Monday through Thursday from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

11. Litchfield Community Center, 1100 S. State St., Litchfield, IL has two indoor courts. Play daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

12. Litchfield Tennis Courts, South Van Buren Street, Litchfield, IL has two outdoor courts. Play daily from dawn to dusk.

13. Wilson Park, 2900 Benton St., Granite City, IL has six outdoor courts. Play Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Closed Saturday and Sunday.

14. Glazebrook Sports Complex, 1401 Stamper Ln., Godfrey, IL has eight outdoor courts. Play daily from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.