Honcho Pickleball and JOOLA Expand Amateur Tour to Eight Stops in 2026

Since pickleball began to take the U.S. by storm, everyone quickly realized the importance of community in growing the game and keeping people coming back for me. Capitalizing on the community aspect, last year Honcho Pickleball and JOOLA partnered to create the Honcho Amateur Tour Powered by JOOLA, a four-stop tour concept that highlighted community with a new standard for amateur tournament experiences.

With positive initial feedback and success, Honcho and JOOLA just announced the 2026 schedule with an eight-stop national tournament series bringing festival-scale energy, credibility, and elevated on-site moments to the players who drive the sport.

“The amateur player is the heartbeat of pickleball, but too often tournament experiences feel transactional. Players show up, check in, play, go home,” said Max Berg, Chief Operating Officer at Honcho. “We built this tour to deliver so much more. We’re creating weekends that feel alive, high-energy, intentionally designed, and are genuinely player-first. You can come to compete, but you’ll leave feeling like you just attended a music festival instead of playing in a local pickleball tournament.”

Bringing back the series was a no-brainer for the two brands with last year’s tour achieving an average player satisfaction rating of 9.3/10. This year’s expansion will up the ante with consistent “tour weekend” energy to every stop, anchored by JOOLA on-site activations and player-first recognition moments, all designed to make amateur players feel celebrated.

“At JOOLA, we believe players at every level deserve a bigger moment,” said Rachael Minucciani, Partnerships Marketing Manager at JOOLA. “Honcho is building something different, a tour that treats amateur players like the main act. We’re proud to help bring that vision to life at the scale it deserves.”

Events like these are what pickleball has been missing on a wider scale. An opportunity for amateurs to spend an organized weekend doing what they love, surrounded by a festive environment that grows community and connection. This model is a great example of what can be done within pickleball and across other racket sports to bring together the amateur audience in a way that isn’t just focused around the professional side.

If interested in joining the fun, see the schedule and registration information below.

2026 Honcho Amateur Tour Powered by JOOLA Schedule

March 21-22, Stacks Pickleball — Baton Rouge, LA
April 25-26, Austin Pickle Ranch (APR) — Austin, TX
May 23-25, Kingsbury PBC — Medfield, MA
June 27-28, Pickleball America — Stamford, CT
July 25-26, Dill Dinkers (North Bethesda) — North Bethesda, MD
September 26-27, Houston Pickleball Center — Houston, TX
October 17-18, Arch Pickleball — St. Louis, MO
November 14-15, Side Out Tsunami — Seattle, WA

Registration
Registration for the first stop of the 2026 Tour at Stacks Pickleball in Baton Rouge, LA opens February 9, 2026. For schedule details, registration, and to sign up for the newsletter to receive updates on upcoming stops, visit: honchopickleball.com/honcho-amateur-tour

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