Golf, Tennis, and Pickleball in Turks and Caicos
Keeping Fit on Your Vacation
Squeezing a workout into your Turks and Caicos vacation is easy thanks to the wealth of fitness activities and sports you can participate in during your time in the islands. Several sports centres and clubs offer programming throughout the year with packages geared to short-term visitors of the islands. Once you’ve arrived on Providenciales, it’s easy to see why travellers love participating in the islands’ fitness culture. The beautiful weather Providenciales experiences year-round makes it a great place to take up or revisit outdoor summer sports like golf, tennis, and pickleball. Read on to learn what you need to know about keeping fit—and where you can do so—on your Turks and Caicos holiday.
Where to Golf in Turks and Caicos
The golfers in your family are in for a treat when they book a tee time at the Royal Turks & Caicos Golf Club on Providenciales. This 18-hole championship golf course has been around since 1992 and is one of the best golf courses in the Caribbean. In fact, USA Today readers have named it as such for several years running.
Recently re-turfed with Platinum Paspalum grass—an environmentally sustainable turfgrass that’s the new gold standard in the golfing world—the club boasts a wide range of facilities, which include a full-service pro shop that rents equipment, hosts private lessons, features a warm-up net, a restaurant and bar, and even has tennis courts.
The Royal Turks & Caicos Golf Club is located between Grace Bay and Leeward in Providenciales. Nine-hole games start at $120 USD, with prices varying seasonally and based on the time of day you visit. Tee times are available as early as 7 a.m. and as late as 5:40 p.m, depending on the time of year. The club recommends booking your tee time online well in advance to ensure availability.
Playing Tennis in Turks and Caicos
Tennis has a large following among visitors and residents in the Turks and Caicos Islands, so there are several courts to choose from if you’re looking to pick up a racquet. The two most popular spots for tennis are The Royal Turks & Caicos Golf Club and the Graceway Sports Centre.
The Sports Center is centrally located off Leeward Highway and has four newly refurbished outdoor tennis courts equipped with lights for night games. It welcomes visitors for drop-in matches, which start at around $30 USD, and provides on-site private or group lessons for players of all skill levels. Tennis rackets are available for rent and balls can be purchased inside. The Graceway Sports Centre is a great place to test out other racquet games like badminton, pickleball, squash, and table tennis too, if you’re feeling adventurous.
The Royal Turks & Caicos Golf Club, the home court of the TCI Tennis Academy, is the ideal location for families with golfers and tennis players, or for kids looking for something to do while mum and dad are on the green. The academy offers one-on-one private tennis lessons as well as group training through their adult and children’s tennis programming.
Balls and racquets are available for purchase in the islands, but for avid players we recommend bringing along your gear.
Where to Play Pickleball in Turks and Caicos
The fastest-growing sport in America is now gaining a following in Turks and Caicos. If you haven’t heard of pickleball yet, this low-impact racket sport blends elements of tennis, ping-pong, and badminton on a 20- by 44-foot court. It uses a hard plastic ball, instead of a soft tennis ball, and solid paddles.
Pickleball can be played indoors or outdoors—and with a backdrop of palm trees, tropical birds, and vibrant hibiscus clusters, playing pickleball in the Turks and Caicos Islands is enjoyable and picturesque. Given that it is a new sport in the Turks and Caicos Islands, equipment for purchase at the local courts is limited. We recommend bringing your paddles and balls from home if you plan to play a match on island.
Like tennis, the most popular places to play pickleball on Providenciales are The Royal Turks & Caicos Golf Club’s multi-use courts and the Graceway Sports Centre. The TCI Tennis Academy, which operates out of the golf club’s courts, has started offering pickleball lessons for newcomers to the sport. You can book up to 7 days before your match and rent equipment from the club shop.
Gyms and Other Fitness Centres in Turks & Caicos
If pickleball, tennis, or golf isn’t your thing, consider trying one of the several other popular fitness activities offered on island, like CrossFit, spin cycling, yoga and pilates. Yoga is a popular choice, particularly with boutique yoga and wellness company KYN, which offers private lessons at villas across. Day and week passes are available at local studios as well, like Tri Island Yoga and Studio 90 Degrees.
Several gyms on island offer passes for visitors as well! Stop in to Graceway Sports Centre, Wrightfully Fit or Xtreme Fitness for a traditional gym experience. For those looking to WOD in paradise, Iron Shore Crossfit is the island’s best equipped gym for crossfitters, with rigs, ergs and rowers, daily workouts and more.