Things to Do
Pickleball excepted from an article by Erik Matuszewski for Forbes
While golf’s popularity soared across the country over the past year and a half, it was actually the No. 2 participation sport in terms of growth at many country clubs, resorts and golf course communities.
Tennis has long been a natural complement to golf, but it’s pickleball that’s seen an explosion of adopters in recent years – both in terms of participants and facilities adding courts. “Pickleball has certainly caught people’s attention,” said Troon President and CEO Tim Schantz. “There are clubs with multiple tennis courts that are converting some of that space into pickleball courts and, given the demand for those pickleball courts, they’re thinking about more. There’s something in the game that combines competitiveness for people that like racquet sports, but also the ability to play at a competitive level for a long period of time. That’s kind of the magic of golf too.”
Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar are among those on the PGA TOUR who play pickleball, a sport that combines elements of tennis with badminton and ping pong. It’s played on courts that are a good bit smaller than tennis courts, which is why a number of clubs, resorts and communities have transformed some existing tennis areas into multiple pickleball courts. Others, like BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, have sought to expand their pickleball presence in a meaningful way that complements its outdoor activities. In addition to its three 18-hole championship golf courses, BallenIsles has been rated as the No. 2 tennis facility in the country and the posh South Florida club has been the home training ground for Venus and Serena Williams for almost two decades. But while the tennis program continues to thrive, BallenIsles added an entire complex of pickleball courts this year to keep up with the growing craze; in just two years since introducing options as part of a strategic plan, the club saw its number of active and interested pickleball participants almost quadruple.
“It’s been on our radar for so long, but this last year has been a real eye-opener on how much our program has grown,” said Gary Henderson, the Director of Tennis at BallenIsles and former world-ranked player who competed at Wimbledon and as a member of Great Britain’s 1995 Davis Cup team. “People can take to the sport with maybe not an advanced skill level in racquet sports and can immediately play again. You can elevate your game very quickly, to a point where you can compete or enjoy a game of social pickleball with people who have played for many years. And the pickleball community, they fit in with each other very well straight away. You’re seeing such growth because of nature of the sport.”
The synergies between golf and pickleball are significant – from the demographics to the facilities – and are really helping grow the sport, especially at properties like resorts, country clubs and residential communities.
“The momentum it has right now, we wake up everyday and are blown away where the sport is going and where we think it’s going to be,” said Mike Barnes, co-founder of one of pickleball’s leading equipment brands, Selkirk Sport’s. “We don’t see it slowing down anytime soon.”
