The pickleball side of Courts and Pints is managed by pickleball pros Nicolle and Chris Berg. They’ll offer lessons and manage the schedule of free play and league play, as well as tournaments and other events.

Nancy Edmonds Hanson

If you’re not proficient at pickleball, Nicolle and Chris Dew are standing by to introduce you to their passion.
The Dews are directors of pickleball at the new Courts and Pints. In that capacity, the two experienced players “will be running everything pickleball-related,” says Nicolle. That includes scheduling courts, organizing leagues, setting up tournaments, offering lessons and setting up special events for pickleball-prone people of all ages, from 8-year-olds to their great-grandparents.
They’re getting ready for Courts and Pints’ soft opening on Monday, June 2. All who’ve signed up for free bronze memberships will get their first glimpse of the new facility that day. Hours are from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., the same schedule subsequently offered seven days a week.
To sign up online for membership, go to www.pickle.fun.
“I’d never heard of pickleball before one of the students in my Silver Sneakers class suggested I try it,” Nicolle says, remembering her accidental introduction in 2018. “I tried it for the first time at the Rustad Rec Center, and I loved it! I bought paddles that same night and invited friends … and they invited their friends and more friends.”
She never looked back. Instead, she brought husband Chris along. “I thought, ‘What a funny name,’” he reports. “I didn’t know anything, either, but I’m always up for an adventure.”
Today, the Horace, North Dakota, couple heads the program at Courts and Pints. They’re looking forward to introducing even more novices to the game, along with helping more experienced players grow their skills.
Pickleball, they say, offers both healthy exercise and a sense of community to those who pick up those paddles. “It’s easier on the body than tennis,” Chris explains, “and doesn’t require so much running.” Pickleball courts are 64 by 34 feet, about one-third the size of tennis. The game is played with a solid paddle, similar to table tennis but larger and somewhat heavier. They smack balls similar to whiffle balls, but rounder, slightly heavier and larger, and designed to be hit with a paddle instead of a bat.
Gearing up for the game is relatively inexpensive. Nicolle says, “All you need to start is a paddle and ball, and you can buy your first ones right here.” Clothing is casual. “You do need good tennis shoes,” she cautions. She recommends court shoes rather than standard running shoes: “Court shoes provide a wider base and stability for quick, side-to-side movements, while running shoes are designed for forward motion.” The soles need to be more durable, too, since the surface of pickleball courts is gritty like tennis courts.
The Dews are familiar to former pickleball beginners throughout the area, thanks to classes they’ve taught for Moorhead, Fargo, West Fargo and Horace park systems. They are initiating the same at Courts and Plus. “We usually do two 90-minute sessions, starting from the ground up,” she explains. “We cover equipment, the court itself and safety practices.” One of those precautions is safety glasses, becoming more common to prevent injuries as players’ skills grow and the game becomes more intense.
“By the end of your first session, you’ll be playing,” she adds. “From then on, you have the option of getting better and better.”
But while growing skills may be the goal of committed, experienced players, the Dews emphasize that the other side of pickleball is its welcoming nature. “This is a great way to build community,” Chris says. “That’s one reason why it’s growing so quickly. People of all ages can play together – 8-year-olds with 80-year-olds, guys in their 50s with Gen Z. You might see a young, athletic guy in his 20s playing with a 70-year-old lady … and she may crush him. It’s healthy for different ages to play and get to know each other.”
While athletic ability is not a requirement, both Dews are familiar with play. Their son Trey played tennis on the Sheyenne High School team through 2018, following in his mother’s footsteps: Nicolle played on MSUM’s tennis team through graduation in 1992. Chris, who is now on the board of the Fargo-Moorhead Pickleball Club, was a distance runner at NDSU.
As the largest facility in the region outside the Twin Cities, Courts and Pints is expected to draw players for all levels of competition, ranging from local league match-ups to regional tournaments. “We’ll be drawing from across a 200-mile radius, including the Twin Cities, Canada, Bismarck and Sioux Falls,” he predicts. The 2025 North Dakota State Pickleball Championship has already booked the new facility for Sept. 19-21.
The Dews expect to see the whole gamut of residents using the facility throughout the day, starting with seniors in the morning to business people during their lunch hours and after work.
High school and college students may dominate the evenings and late nights – a growing audience for the sport. All three local colleges host pickleball clubs. “Varsity teams are showing up in other parts of the country, but we’re not quite there yet,” Chris says. “We expect we’ll see them here in the next five years. High school will be coming next.”