I'm Steve Kennedy. I coach at Bamford Park in Davie, and over my career I've run more than a hundred camps across Florida and the Caribbean. I'm running one in Costa Rica this December. So yes, I have a horse in this race, and I'll flag that where it matters. But most of what follows applies to any destination camp run by anyone, and my honest goal here is to help you figure out whether this kind of trip fits you and how to avoid booking a bad one.
What a destination camp actually is
A destination pickleball camp combines several days of structured coaching with a vacation somewhere worth traveling to. You stay at a resort or lodge, train in dedicated blocks with a coach and a small group, and spend the rest of your time doing whatever the location offers. The good ones are built around a real curriculum. The bad ones are a vacation with a pickleball logo on it, and telling them apart before you pay is most of what this article is about.
The day-by-day feel
Camps vary, but a well-run week settles into a rhythm that looks something like this.
Morning training block, roughly 8:30 to 11:30. This is the serious work, scheduled early to beat the heat. Expect focused drilling: the soft game, third shot drops, resets, kitchen-line patterns, with the coach rotating through players giving individual corrections. In my camps this block follows an actual progression across the week, so Thursday builds on what Tuesday installed. By day two your body knows it's been training, which is the point.
Long midday break. Lunch, pool, beach, nap. In the tropics nobody should be drilling at 1pm, and the break is where the group starts becoming a group. Some of the most useful coaching conversations I've ever had happened over lunch, when a player finally asks the question they were embarrassed to ask on court.
Late afternoon block, roughly 4:00 to 6:00. Usually live play: coached games, king of the court, round robins where the morning's skills get tested under pressure while the coach watches and interrupts. Lighter in tone than the morning, still instructive.
Evenings. Group dinners, sometimes video review, mostly the social side. By midweek people who arrived as strangers are planning next year's trip together. I've watched doubles partnerships and genuine friendships come out of camp weeks for years, and I'd honestly rank it among the top reasons people come back.
Most camps include one off day or half day mid-week for excursions. In Costa Rica that means things like zip-lining, surfing lessons, or just a long morning doing nothing, and your legs will thank you for the recovery.
Across a five-day camp you're typically getting fifteen to twenty hours of coached court time. For perspective, that's four to six months of weekly lessons compressed into one week, with no gaps between sessions for the learning to leak away. That density is the real product. The beach is the bonus.
Who destination camps suit
They're a strong fit for players from about 3.0 to 4.5 who want a step-change in their game rather than incremental progress, for couples and friend groups who travel well together, and for solo travelers who want a built-in social circle, since camps are unusually easy places to show up alone. Retired players and anyone with flexible schedules get particular value, because the timing usually avoids peak-season pricing.
They're a poor fit for absolute beginners, who will get more from a few local lessons first so the expensive week isn't spent on grips and rules. They also disappoint players who secretly want a pure vacation. If three-plus hours of daily training sounds like an intrusion on your beach time, book the beach and take lessons at home. Nothing wrong with that, but know which trip you're buying.
What to ask before booking any camp
These questions separate real camps from logo vacations, and any organizer who resents them is answering them anyway.
- Who is actually coaching, and are they on court every session? Some camps market a name who appears for one clinic while assistants run the week. Ask directly whether the headline coach teaches every block.
- What's the player-to-coach ratio? Past eight players per coach, individual correction mostly disappears. Small is expensive to run and worth paying for.
- How are players grouped by level? A 3.0 and a 4.5 in the same drilling group means someone is wasting their week. Good camps ask your rating up front and split sessions accordingly.
- Is there a curriculum, or is it open play with a coach nearby? Ask what a sample day looks like. You want a written schedule with named skill blocks.
- What exactly is included? Lodging, meals, ground transfers, excursions, court fees. Cheap-looking camps get expensive when the inclusions are thin. All-inclusive pricing is simpler to budget and usually a better deal.
- What happens if you have to cancel? Get the refund policy in writing before you deposit.
Ask those six questions of any camp, including mine, and you'll be fine.
Packing notes
A few things veterans bring that first-timers wish they had: two paddles, because equipment failures happen far from any pro shop; two pairs of broken-in court shoes so you're never putting wet shoes on for the morning block; more shirts than seems reasonable, since tropical humidity means two or three changes a day; electrolyte packets; sunscreen you've already tested, plus a hat with a real brim; a small blister kit and any braces or supports you sometimes use, because you'll play more hours in this week than any normal week at home. Leave room in the suitcase, since you'll likely come home with camp gear.
About our Costa Rica camp
In December I'm taking a small group to Costa Rica for an all-inclusive camp: morning and afternoon training blocks built on the progression I've refined over a hundred-plus camps, level-matched groups, and the rest of the day in one of the most beautiful places I've ever coached. Spots are limited because I keep the coaching ratio small, and I'm on court every session. If you want details, dates, and pricing, text me and I'll send the full itinerary.
Text Steve at (954) 461-9946. And if you can't travel this year, I coach privates and small-group clinics at Bamford Park in Davie all week long.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens at a destination pickleball camp?
A typical day includes a morning drilling block of about three hours, a long midday break, a late-afternoon live-play session with coaching, and group evenings. Over five days you get roughly fifteen to twenty hours of coached court time plus excursions and free time at the destination.
Are pickleball camps worth the money?
For players around 3.0 to 4.5 seeking rapid improvement, a good camp compresses months of weekly lessons into one week of consecutive, coached training. Value depends heavily on the coaching ratio, level grouping, and whether the headline coach actually teaches every session.
What should I ask before booking a pickleball camp?
Ask who coaches each session, the player-to-coach ratio, how players are grouped by skill level, whether there's a written curriculum, exactly what the price includes, and the cancellation policy in writing.
What should I pack for a tropical pickleball camp?
Two paddles, two pairs of broken-in court shoes, several shirts per day for humidity, tested sunscreen and a brimmed hat, electrolyte packets, a blister kit, and any braces you occasionally use, since camp weeks involve far more court hours than normal.
Is there a pickleball camp in Costa Rica with a professional coach?
Steve Kennedy, USA Pickleball Nationals Senior Pro Champion and veteran of more than a hundred camps, leads an all-inclusive Costa Rica pickleball camp each December with small, level-matched groups. Text (954) 461-9946 for the itinerary.