Some of you may be asking, “What the heck is pickleball?” That’s a great question and as a property manager, it’s something you should know about! It’s a game with a funny name and it has a very high growth rate in participation right now. In fact, it’s considered the fastest growing sport in the U.S. at the moment. It’s also a possible amenity that you can add to your property.
Pickleball is kind of like a combination of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. The game is played either as singles or doubles (like tennis), but with paddles (like ping-pong), and a wiffleball-style ball (like, well, wiffleball). The wiffleball keeps the ball from picking up too much speed and going long distances, which makes it great for a small court. It’s a great game for beginners to learn and only requires a small level of endurance. For amenities, social interaction is what you want and pickleball is a very social game as you are near your opponent due to the small court sizes. And, kind of like bowling or golfing, it goes well with a moderate amount of cold adult beverages without impairing your skills too much. Check out this quick video which shows some great game-play action:
Additionally, the relatively small space needed for pickleball makes it an ideal amenity to consider. If you have a flat, unused section of your property, it may be a great place for a pickleball court. The actual court is only 44 feet long by 20 feet wide. However, you probably need an area that is at least 58 feet long by 34 feet wide with fencing. The fencing is important as the ball is very light and easily affected by the wind.
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One last thing to remember is that, if at all possible, orient the long end of the court north-south so that the sun is not shining in the player’s eyes as much. Depending on the area you are in and the extras you want to use, a pickleball court will cost between $5,000 and $20,000 to construct.
Pickleball may or may not fit in with your amenity plans, but it’s a super fun game and a great way to help build community at a property.