The Map
The map shows venues geographically instead of as a list.
When the map is the better view
You don't know the area. New city, visiting, or just moved. A list of venue names tells you nothing; a map tells you which ones are on your side of town.
You're deciding by route. The closest venue by straight-line distance is often not the easiest to get to. Seeing them placed against real geography makes the actual choice obvious.
You want to know what's around a specific place. Near work, near a friend's, near where you'll be on Saturday.
For everything else — especially "where is there a game right now" — the Hot Venues list is faster.
Using it
Pan and zoom to browse. Tap a venue to open its profile: hours, access type, courts, and amenities.
From the profile you can get Directions, which hands off to your device's maps app.
What it can't tell you
Position, not activity. A pin doesn't say whether anyone is playing there.
That's the tradeoff against Hot Venues, and the reason to use them together: the map to learn the area once, Hot Venues to decide on a given afternoon.
Adding what's missing
If you know a venue that isn't on the map, add it. See Adding or Claiming a Venue.