POST FALLS — The pickleball craze is attracting big business to North Idaho.  

Come June, casual players and professional picklers alike will be able to take to 24 new indoor courts at The Flying Pickle, a Meridian-based franchise location under development in an 85,000-square-foot facility at 140 N. Beck Road.  

General manager Mike Johansen called the $5 million facility “world-class.” 

“With this amount of space, we’re really going to be able to get creative with what we do and offer to players,” he said.  

For area enthusiasts like Chris Cheeley, more options for indoor play will be a game-changer.  

“There’s absolutely a high demand for indoor courts around here,” Cheeley said.  

Cheeley is a regular on the courts at PEAK Health and Wellness Center’s Post Falls campus, which has eight indoor courts. He enjoys playing there. That is, when he can get on a court.  

“Between about 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ... you have only a 30-second window or so to reserve a court,” Cheeley said. Courts at PEAK must be reserved 72 hours in advance.  

The Flying Pickle will be the largest pickleball facility in the area. Currently, there are a total of 36 courts across six locations in Post Falls and 50 courts across 10 locations in Coeur d’Alene, according to the website Pickleheads.  

It’s also likely to become a social hub for picklers across the Inland Northwest.  

“I love that (the facility) is on the state line with Washington, so it can really bring the entire community together,” Johansen said. 

Like the flagship club in Meridian, amenities at the Post Falls location will include a bar and kitchen, a designated space for events and cameras on each court for players to review their gameplay.

A club director and pro director will be on site to coordinate programs, lessons, and tournaments. 

Johansen said that with 24 courts, The Flying Pickle will be eligible to host Professional and Amateur Pickleball Association tournaments. 

Pickleball is a growing sport, with more than 20 million players of all ages nationwide.

The Flying Pickle will also sell Selkirk Sport products at its retail pro shop through a partnership with, fittingly, its next-door neighbor.  

Selkirk Sport’s manufacturing and fulfilment operations have been headquartered at 140 N. Beck Road since 2023, occupying about half of the 163,000 square foot industrial space. 

Montana-based Cushing Terrell is the architect of the project; overseeing the project is the Spokane office of Swinerton Builders. 

For more information on membership, visit theflyingpickle.com.