Eight years ago, Georgetown had just four pickleball courts at the Georgetown Tennis Center. The city now has 16 courts at the Tennis Center, as well as 12 courts at other facilities, in response to increased interest in the sport, city officials said.
“I've never seen a sport explode like pickleball has,” Georgetown Recreation Program Coordinator Pete Polkinghorn said. “It's just an absolute phenomenon.”
The impact
Polkinghorn attributes the increased popularity of pickleball to its physical and social benefits, as well as its accessibility.
“One of the things that I see in pickleball is it has gotten so many people off of the couch and so many people that have just never exercised out moving around and playing,” Polkinghorn said.
Compared to tennis, pickleball requires more cardio, because the ball is typically in play for longer, Polkinghorn said. But while tennis can take years to master, Polkinghorn said someone who has never played pickleball could play a game after an hour of lessons.
The game is also “very social,” on and off the court, Polkinghorn said.
“There's a lot of banter among the players,” Polkinghorn said. “And, because there's so many people playing, there's generally a lot of people waiting around to play, and so they have a lot of social interaction.”
The options
Georgetown has three facilities that offer pickleball:
Georgetown Tennis Center
- Number of courts: 16
- Type: outdoor
- Reservation required: yes
- Cost: up to $4 per player per hour
McMaster Athletic Complex
- Number of courts: 6
- Type: outdoor
- Reservation required: no
- Cost: free
Georgetown Recreation Center
- Number of courts: 6
- Type: indoor
- Reservation required: no
- Cost: up to $6 per player per day
The city added lights to the McMaster Athletic Complex courts in June 2024 so that players can play early in the morning or late in the evening, Polkinghorn said.
In addition to open play, Georgetown offers various pickleball programming such as family play days, and introductory and intermediate pickleball classes.
