Pickleball? America’s Best are in Grand Rapids This Week

From it's humble beginnings in 2018, the Grand Rapids Beer City Open Pickleball Championship has grown to it's massive size of quality and competition, to a national tournament for Major League Pickleball and their Edward Jones Mid-season Tournament

This week, over 1,300 teams from across the U.S., amateurs and professional, are in Grand Rapids competing for bragging rites, awards and some top prize money.

Their website, Beer City Open.com says back in the beginning, 2018, there were 400 participants and a prize purse of a very modest $12,500. It exploded from there. By 2022, the Amway Hospitality Group joined as major sponsor and 900 players were competing for $90,000 in prizes.

Flash forward to this year, 2025, with 1,300 teams competing, and Major League Pickleball joining in, the cash prize purse has grown to $250,000.

And, topping it off, ESPN has joined in and will cover the tournament.

Over the years pickleball fans and players have caught on to the excitement and have been packing the stands to watch some of the most amazing pickleball, amateur and professional.

 👇 BELOW: PICKLEBALL COURTS GROW ALL OVER MICHIGAN! 👇

I consider myself a pickleball player. Okay, maybe of extremely little or no skill. But seriously, my wife Susie and I have fun playing, and it is a good couples thing to do, even a bad as we are.

Last night, Wednesday, pickleball combined with my golf league, sort of. I was matched up against Mike. No last name to protect the innocent. He had just finished playing in the Beer City Open amateur division 50 and over, and won it. Way to go Mike.

He was a little beaten up from pickleball, thank goodness, and I won our match. I know how to catch them when they're down! Ha!

The Beer City Open is tons of fun and runs through Sunday. CLICK HERE for all the information, tickets, parking, transportation, food options and more.