Southold Town is in a pickle about where to place a court for a new sport that’s got some fans lining up.
Last month, the town spoke with Art Leudesdorf and Ken Reeves about pickleball, which, according to the USA Pickleball Association, is a “paddle sport created for all ages and skill levels.”
The idea was to use the tennis courts at Cochran Park in Peconic. But after a public outcry from some, and a meeting this week with those not happy with the plan, the decision was made to take the tennis courts off the table.
“We have agreed to look at other site options for a pickleball court. Among them is to consider a dual use of the basketball court,” Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said yesterday.
At this week’s town board work session, Russell said he would be meeting with community members to see if a separate court might need to be created. After the meeting, the decision was made to leave the tennis courts out of the discussion moving forward.
Justice Louisa Evans asked if the double use of the court for both tennis and pickleball had been discussed.
Russell said he’d received articles on both sides of the issue and said there are some “concerns” over using the tennis courts for pickleball, due to wear and tear and courts that “never get a rest.”
Also, he said, some said there might be confusion about the separate lines on the courts for the two different sports.
Despite some concerns, Russell said there “seems to be a lot of demand” for pickleball, with a list of residents looking to sign up. Over 70 residents have expressed interest in forming a pickleball group, Reeves said.
The rules “are simple and the game is easy for beginners to learn, but can develop into a quick, fast-paced, competitive game for experienced players,” the USAPA said.
The sport combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping pong and is played both indoors or outdoors on a badminton sized-court, with a modified tennis net. The game is played with a paddle and a plastic ball.
According to the USAPA, currently, over 400,000 players actively play pickleball across the country.
Reeves said he’s had a lot of requests for information. “It’s one of the activities that goes unnoticed here,” he said.
The game is played by young and old, Leudesdorf said.
The cost, both said, would be nominal; all that would be needed would be to superimpose painted lines, in another color, over the existing tennis court configuration. The cost to the town would be approximately $1,000 for two courts.
Participants would bring their own paddles and a portable net.
“It’s not a lot of equipment. Players just have to come up with a lot of enthusiasm, to do it and run around,” Leudesdorf said. “It’s a lot of fun.”
Councilman Bob Ghosio asked if leagues would be forming.
“We’ll see how it goes,” Reeves said, adding that an instructional program could be set up.
“The places I’ve been to, basically, it’s the over-50 and under-16 crowd where this is organized. The events have always been packed. Pickleball is really popular in certain places,” Ghosio said.
Evans said if the new sport brings more use to a town facility, it was a good idea.
The board agreed to okay the pickleball plan.
