Purpose

To provide a better linkage between State Championships and the APC rewarding those players who win AR event gold medals at the State Championships with reserved free entry into the related AR event at the APC.

2026 will be a pilot year for the introduction of the APC Golden Ticket. Gold Medal winners of State Australian Ranking (AR) events will receive the Golden Ticket. If 2026 is successful an extension to bring in further age groups and DUPR levels will be investigated.

2026 APC Golden Ticket Entry Qualifying State Championships

ACT Pickleball Championships: 6^th - 8^th December 2025 (APC Golden tickets will be backdated and awarded to AR event winners)

Tasmania Pickleball Championships: 6^th - 8^th February 2026

WA Pickleball Championships: 27^th February - 2^nd March 2026

Radiance Wealth Victorian Pickleball Championships: 6^th - 9^th March 2026

New South Wales Pickleball Championship: 17^th - 19^th April 2026

South Austalia Pickleball Championships: 22^nd - 23^rd May 2026

Yeperenye Northern Territory Pickleball Championships: 30^th - 31^st May 2026

Queensland Pickleball Championships: 2^nd - 5^th July 2026

AR Categories

To qualify for an APC golden ticket at State Championships the event must be designated AR event and the highest bracket event in the age category*

The following AR age groups and ability events will be eligble for APC Golden tickets in Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles categories.

Opens, U18, 19+, 35+ 50+, 60+, 70+, Para Standing, Wheelchair, PWID.

*Where possible States will aim to preserve AR events however this may not always be possible due to no entries or limited of entries. In this situation a Golden ticket will not be awarded for that event category.

APC Golden Ticket Conditions of Use

All golden ticket winners must meet APC event entry requirements.

The Golden ticket is for the corresponding APC AR event (ie If a player wins the State 19+ Men’s Singles 3.5+ AR event the reserved entry will be into the 19+ Men’s Singles 4.0+ AR event).

The only exception to this is Open and 50+ AR State Championship events as the corresponding reserved entry will be into the PRO and SENIOR PRO events.

For doubles event only 1 reserved entry will be held so State winners must enter the event together to claim the reserved space. Should the players wish to enter the same AR event with a different partner they may do so and still claiming the event discount code but they will not be guaranteed entry.

All Golden ticket winners will have until the 1^st August to claim their reserved entry. After the 1^st August golden ticket winners may still enter the associated AR event using their discount code but they may be placed on the waitlist if the event is full.

If a player has already entered the APC in their corresponding AR golden ticket event the player will receive a refund of the entry fee for that event.

A player may not use the reserved entry or event discount in an alternative age / DUPR bracket event to the one that was specified on the Golden Ticket.

Discounts are for event entry only, registration and other event fees will still apply.

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