Pickleball invasion?

treo said:
Pickleball on clay is a real thing at Baltimore Country Club, even the best in the world play there. Palmetto Dunes had all the hardcourts converted to pickleball, are the clay courts next?
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What a primal waste of Hartu and tennis whites.
 
atatu said:
Watched the first point - 21 dinks in a row, but Pickelball fans insist these guys are just as athletic and skilled as Sinner and Alcaraz.
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They're such great athletes they can play on clay and not even slide!

Then again you have to actually move fast to slide.
 
I'm not one to seek conflict honestly. I just want to hit some tennis on the local tennis court. Had another encounter with a horde of picklers this morning. A family with friends, maybe 12 in total. The picklers were all gathered next to the pickleball court.

There was rain this morning and the court tends to collect water so I brought my broom. As I'm sweeping the court i look up and two of the picklers had wandered over and were hitting. While I was sweeping. Sure the court wouldn't be dry for a while, but I couldn't stomach the audacity. The least they could have done was ask.

I walked up to the two young ladies and just said "no, no, no", I'm using this court. They sunk their heads and quietly walked off. Apparently this greatly upset their father. In fact he got so upset that he got on his bicycle and left. The rest of the time the mother watched me like a hawk. She was momma bear.

As I was pulling out it was like a scene from World War Z, they immediately swarmed the court. Disgusting.
 
chuckersthenut said:
I'm not one to seek conflict honestly. I just want to hit some tennis on the local tennis court. Had another encounter with a horde of picklers this morning. A family with friends, maybe 12 in total. The picklers were all gathered next to the pickleball court.

There was rain this morning and the court tends to collect water so I brought my broom. As I'm sweeping the court i look up and two of the picklers had wandered over and were hitting. While I was sweeping. Sure the court wouldn't be dry for a while, but I couldn't stomach the audacity. The least they could have done was ask.

I walked up to the two young ladies and just said "no, no, no", I'm using this court. They sunk their heads and quietly walked off. Apparently this greatly upset their father. In fact he got so upset that he got on his bicycle and left. The rest of the time the mother watched me like a hawk. She was momma bear.

As I was pulling out it was like a scene from World War Z, they immediately swarmed the court. Disgusting.
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This is Gold. Really. It’s like a composition piece in an English literature class. I kind of want to print it out and hang it on my wall.
 
one reason, why pickleball would never take over tennis is because nobody wants to watch pickleball on tv
Ladies golf is more exciting then watching pickleball
 
I think in about five years, the number of tennis courts in Fairfax County Virginia will be cut in half and the number of PB courts will increase by at least 100%. I live about 15 minutes drive from this location: https://www.ffxnow.com/2024/07/08/park-authority-proposes-more-pickleball-courts-at-wakefield-park/

The park authority has proposed converting a tennis court in need of repairs into four pickleball courts and converting the two dual-use courts into tennis-only courts. Wakefield Park would then have 10 dedicated tennis courts and six dedicated pickleball courts.

Located at 8100 Braddock Road, the park currently has nine tennis courts, two dual-use courts, and two dedicated pickleball courts.

However, I heard that they recently modified the proposal to reduce the number of tennis courts from nine to six, and increase the number of PB courts from six to fourteen to meet the current demand.

Yes, tennis people should be worried :-D.
 
I can't even remember the last time a decent player came out of Nova, maybe Kudla, but I think he did all his serious training out in College Park, so they can't really claim him. I guess Treat Huey from Alexandria.
 
sureshs said:
USTA woke up 20 years too late
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Agreed. I took this picture in December of 2022 at 11am:
https://imgur.com/a/C0qMl9Y

As you can see in the picture, there are 4 PB courts and all of them was being used while the other five tennis courts just sat emptied. They since installed expensive windscreen for the PB courts and also lights so that people can play PB in the evening. No lights and windscreen for tennis courts.
 
bobleenov1963 said:
Agreed. I took this picture in December of 2022 at 11am:
https://imgur.com/a/C0qMl9Y

As you can see in the picture, there are 4 PB courts and all of them was being used while the other five tennis courts just sat emptied. They since installed expensive windscreen for the PB courts and also lights so that people can play PB in the evening. No lights and windscreen for tennis courts.
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This is disturbing.

I saw a similar scene on my visit to Atlantic City when I went to the public courts looking for pick-up tennis.
 
bobleenov1963 said:
Agreed. I took this picture in December of 2022 at 11am:
https://imgur.com/a/C0qMl9Y

As you can see in the picture, there are 4 PB courts and all of them was being used while the other five tennis courts just sat emptied.
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So, PB and tennis court usage peak at different times.

My town is on the brink of losing tennis tournaments because they're converting two tennis courts for PB. Even before stealing those two, any time a tournament was held, there were no courts available for public use.

Perhaps each HS football field should be permanently marred for youth soccer use? Heck, they sit unused 99% of the time.
Or perhaps public parking lots should be reduced 90%, because most sit nearly empty about 15 hours a day.
 
illzoni said:
So, PB and tennis court usage peak at different times.

My town is on the brink of losing tennis tournaments because they're converting two tennis courts for PB. Even before stealing those two, any time a tournament was held, there were no courts available for public use.

Perhaps each HS football field should be permanently marred for youth soccer use? Heck, they sit unused 99% of the time.
Or perhaps public parking lots should be reduced 90%, because most sit nearly empty about 15 hours a day.
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Yeah it's funny to me when PB players say "I went to the tennis courts at 1pm on Monday and no one was using them !" Um yeah, that's because we actually work during the day unlike retired PB players who play during the day then go to Luby's for dinner at 4pm and demand a early bird special.
 
atatu said:
Yeah it's funny to me when PB players say "I went to the tennis courts at 1pm on Monday and no one was using them !" Um yeah, that's because we actually work during the day unlike retired PB players who play during the day then go to Luby's for dinner at 4pm and demand a early bird special.
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That picture was taken in December 2022 when most people still worked from home (WFH). I could show other pictures at different times that the tennis courts next to the PB courts and they still sat emptied. Those five tennis courts are not being used much even after 4pm... There are five tennis courts at the nearby high school and literally nobody uses them after school. Those courts are available for public usage after 3pm, and yet they sit emptied, even on weekends.

As a matter of fact, I was at those same PB courts on both Saturday and Sunday this past weekend from 8am to 12:30pm. All PB courts were filled and people put PB paddles on the rack waiting for their turns. At the same time, I saw only one tennis court got used. This past weekend weather was absolutely beautiful and nobody showed up to play tennis. I also like tennis but PB is winning over tennis for both young and old people. Over 50% of the people playing PB are 35 years old or younger where I play. Just saying.
 
bobleenov1963 said:
That picture was taken in December 2022 when most people still worked from home (WFH). I could show other pictures at different times that the tennis courts next to the PB courts and they still sat emptied. Those five tennis courts are not being used much even after 4pm... There are five tennis courts at the nearby high school and literally nobody uses them after school. Those courts are available for public usage after 3pm, and yet they sit emptied, even on weekends.

As a matter of fact, I was at those same PB courts on both Saturday and Sunday this past weekend from 8am to 12:30pm. All PB courts were filled and people put PB paddles on the rack waiting for their turns. At the same time, I saw only one tennis court got used. This past weekend weather was absolutely beautiful and nobody showed up to play tennis. I also like tennis but PB is winning over tennis for both young and old people. Over 50% of the people playing PB are 35 years old or younger where I play. Just saying.
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That's very sad, I grew up in Fairfax County (Springfield) and played at Wakefield park back in the day. Interestingly when I was visiting my mom in DC over the summer the public tennis courts in Georgetown were absolutely packed with tennis players, I guess DC has a better tennis culture than NOVA now.
 
atatu said:
That's very sad, I grew up in Fairfax County (Springfield) and played at Wakefield park back in the day. Interestingly when I was visiting my mom in DC over the summer the public tennis courts in Georgetown were absolutely packed with tennis players, I guess DC has a better tennis culture than NOVA now.
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I am just reporting the fact that PB is taking over tennis in NOVA, and maybe other places like Montgomery County MD, and possibly DC in a very near future. I was in Arlington Walter Reed Community on Friday to play PB on the tennis courts. The county actually promotes it. PB people actually have priority to use tennis courts for PB over tennis people. That was clearly stated in the sign posted on the tennis fence.
 
Anyone use their drive-way for Pickleball? Know tennis players that use the drive-way for at least 5 yrs that also have/displaced a basketball court.
 
bobleenov1963 said:
I am just reporting the fact that PB is taking over tennis in NOVA, and maybe other places like Montgomery County MD, and possibly DC in a very near future. I was in Arlington Walter Reed Community on Friday to play PB on the tennis courts. The county actually promotes it. PB people actually have priority to use tennis courts for PB over tennis people. That was clearly stated in the sign posted on the tennis fence.
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As a final protest, I’d just demolish the courts. Nobody gets to use them. Especially not pickleballers.
 
Locally, a park with 10 hardcourts was renovated to 6 Hardcourts and 4 Pickleball courts. Newly lit with bocce, horseshoe pits, shuffleboard, and a repaved parking lot and restrooms. Drove by after dark and only the picklers were playing.
 
Ronaldo said:
Locally, a park with 10 hardcourts was renovated to 6 Hardcourts and 4 Pickleball courts. Newly lit with bocce, horseshoe pits, shuffleboard, and a repaved parking lot and restrooms. Drove by after dark and only the picklers were playing.
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The Picklers have the inherent advantage that their noise pollution drives away players of competing sports.
 
travlerajm said:
The Picklers have the inherent advantage that their noise pollution drives away players of competing sports.
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Posted this before. Had to use this facility/park while our home courts were re-surfaced. The noise level at dusk was unreal. 10 courts being used. Horseshoes, bocce, bikers contributed to the racket. The unnerving IMHO was the whistle blowing by the shuffleboard babes. Btw, this park was a block from a local hospital and Emergency room. Ambulance chasers united
 
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travlerajm said:
And deforestation.
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Pretty sure there are fewer trees on tennis courts and PB courts than on golf courses. Golf courses are actually important sources of urban marshland and parkland for wildlife, birds, pollinators, etc. Much greener than the old days.

The biggest problem is the nature is only appreciated by golfers and not the general public which tends to get them vilified.
 
Dartagnan64 said:
Pretty sure there are fewer trees on tennis courts and PB courts than on golf courses. Golf courses are actually important sources of urban marshland and parkland for wildlife, birds, pollinators, etc. Much greener than the old days.

The biggest problem is the nature is only appreciated by golfers and not the general public which tends to get them vilified.
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Tough when our road has a Duck Crossing sign. And traffic has to stop when the ducklings cross
 
There's good and bad to golf courses, the bad part is that runoff from the courses can increase nutrients into the adjacent watercourses, plus chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides.

Also there is always the danger of conflict between golfers and waterfowl
 
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atatu said:
I can't even remember the last time a decent player came out of Nova, maybe Kudla, but I think he did all his serious training out in College Park, so they can't really claim him. I guess Treat Huey from Alexandria.
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Sure we can, he grew up in Fairfax right next door to one of my hitting partners. He was beating them left hand handed when he was seven and they were twelve years old.
 
atatu said:
There's good and bad to golf courses, the bad part is that runoff from the courses can increase nutrients into the adjacent watercourses, plus chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides.

Also there is always the danger of conflict between golfers and waterfowl
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The golf course is still much better than replacing it with thousand of homes and concrete
 
atatu said:
There's good and bad to golf courses, the bad part is that runoff from the courses can increase nutrients into the adjacent watercourses, plus chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides.

Also there is always the danger of conflict between golfers and waterfowl
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Our daily problem. Geese and pools, streams, even an Amazon parking lot.
 
Just ignore it and will go away soon enough. I'm just going to accept that people are silly and will paint Pickle lines on my beloved tennis courts. Then in a few years we will paint over them and all will be forgotten. Wouldn't the pickle blow away in the wind on outdoor courts.?? Seems like it's better suited for indoors?
 
pickelball is taking over. at UCLA, more pickelball going on and tennis looks like could be done. men's team reaplacing tennis with pickelball teams
 
I saw this with racketball. everybody said it would replace tennis. now, YMCAs and Rec Centers have dark cavernous racketball courts that sit empty and are being converted to yoga rooms, etc.
 
stapletonj said:
I saw this with racketball. everybody said it would replace tennis. now, YMCAs and Rec Centers have dark cavernous racketball courts that sit empty and are being converted to yoga rooms, etc.
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Document
 
stapletonj said:
I saw this with racketball. everybody said it would replace tennis. now, YMCAs and Rec Centers have dark cavernous racketball courts that sit empty and are being converted to yoga rooms, etc.
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George Mason Univeristy has 8 brand new dedicated pickleball courts on its main campus because of so much demand for PB. The university also has 8 dedicated tennis courts. PB is here to stay.
 
stapletonj said:
I saw this with racketball. everybody said it would replace tennis. now, YMCAs and Rec Centers have dark cavernous racketball courts that sit empty and are being converted to yoga rooms, etc.
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Squash and racketball are not easy to learn. That is the difference between all other racket sports and Pickleball.
 
Pickleball taking off big in India. All India Pickleball Association is hosting numerous tournaments with participants from Asian countries.
 
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