Naples: Pickleball Capital of the World – Learn More April 6

We hope you will join us Thursday, April 6, 2023, for a lively luncheon meeting at Hilton Naples focusing on the hottest sport around – pickleball!

Bob Strommen

Our guest speaker will be Robert Strommen, managing partner of the Naples Pickleball Center, who will tell you everything you’ve ever wanted to know about this fast-growing sport, including how Naples became the pickleball capital of the world and the positive economic impact on our community.

The Naples Pickleball Center in East Naples is the largest single location pickleball facility in the world with 66 dedicated pickleball courts, a membership of 2,250, and it hosts more than 15,000 annual tourist visitors from around the world. The center features an additional 14 courts at its Veteran’s Park campus serving North Naples and beyond.

The center is home to the Annual Minto U.S. Open Pickleball Championships, which will be held April 15-22 this year, attracting an additional 25,000 visitors to Southwest Florida. The center also provides a full range of private and semi-private lessons, skill and drill sessions, and open play, and features a state-of-the-art 2,000-square-foot pro shop with pickleball equipment and apparel.

Robert Strommen, owner and managing partner of the center, is one of the four founding owners of Naples JBB, a professional pickleball team with the National Pickleball League.

A Minnesota native, Strommen has a college degree in education and psychology and has been involved in a family financial services business in Minnesota, Strommen & Associates, which was started by his father. He and his family have had a resident winter home in Naples since 1987.

Purchase your ticket today on Eventbrite by clicking here. Cost is $45 for press club members, $55 for guests, and $20 for students. While we recommend you pre-purchase your ticket, if you’d prefer to pay at the door, reserve your seat by sending an email to rsvp@pressclubswfl.org. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m., lunch will be served around noon, followed by Strommen’s presentation and time for Q&A.

Hope to see you there!