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Update regarding the Department's Pickleball Pilot Court Program (Greg Mediati, Parks and Recreation Director)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Parks and Recreation Commission be apprised of the status of the Department's pickleball offerings and the location of a proposed dedicated court pilot project.
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BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
As reported at the September 2023 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, the sport of pickleball is commonly recognized as one of the fastest growing activities in the United States.
The sport simply employs the use of paddles and pickleballs, similar to a whiffle ball, and a net. A pickleball court is the same size as a doubles badminton court and measures 20 feet by 44 feet. Courts can be constructed specifically for pickleball or can be converted using existing tennis or badminton courts. In most cases, a single tennis court can be striped with four pickleball courts within the same footprint. The sport, with its smaller playing area, is accessible to those of all abilities, ages, and skill levels.
In recent years, the Department has expanded pickleball programs, in large part due to community demand for this growing sport. Currently, the Department offers weekly classes at the Terrabay Gymnasium and drop-in programs twice per week.
As previously reported, the City does not have any dedicated pickleball courts. Tennis courts at Buri Buri Park, Stonegate Tennis Courts, and Westborough Park have been striped for pickleball, in addition to tennis. The Orange Memorial Park Master Plan does envision the construction of six new pickleball courts, however, funding for construction does not yet exist. As a stop gap, and to test the effectiveness of a dedicated pickleball court at Orange Memorial Park, a pilot program was created to temporarily dedicate an existing tennis court for pickleball.
Feedback from the Commission indicated that the stand-alone court at Orange Memorial Park, court #5, w...
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