Welcome to DinkSF!

“We should start a pickleball business.”​ Courtside hype. Big talk. Rarely real.

​

In early 2023, four players saw a gap: not enough courts, open play that felt intimidating, and a rulebook nobody explained. The sport was exploding—but there wasn’t a clear, welcoming way in. We toured properties. Too many columns. Brutal rent.  Low ceilings.  Bad lighting. Close, but not quite.

​

Then the door cracked open to temporary space to something special...Palace of Fine Arts. DinkSF was born—founded by Martha Ehrenfeld, Lillian Murphy, Paul Chan, and Jon Padilla.

​

From day one, it was built to feel different—welcoming, encouraging, safe place for beginners.  Real coaching. Real structure. Real community. Pop-ups turned into proof of concept. Trial and error turned into momentum.

​

Then came the spark.​ A student got hooked. He had a building. Months later, DinkSF had a permanent home: The Church of Pickleballs.​ Roles evolved. The mission didn’t.

​

Today, under the leadership of Paul Chan, Lillian Murphy, and Veronica Taisch, DinkSF is leveling up—bigger programming, stronger community, more ways to play: open play, bootcamps, clinics, ladders, socials. Three years in, the goal is still simple: A place on the court where everyone belongs!