Before speaking at the courts’ grand opening Monday, Eleventh district councilmember Jennifer Reynolds played a pick-up game with Vice Mayor Dan Wu.
“I am a novice pickleball player,” said Reynolds. “I have barely started, but I hear it is the thing to do.”
The sport has been growing in popularity. Though the game is not new - it’s been around since the sixties - it has experienced a recent upswing over the past few years. In 2023, an Apple Heart and Movement Study noted that more participating Apple Watch users recorded playing pickleball than playing tennis. This year, a new report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association found that pickleball players have increased by 311% over a three-year span. As of this year, there are over 68,000 pickleball courts in the USA.
Lexington’s four newest courts are by the Gay Brewer, Jr golf course at the site of a former public swimming pool. The complex is in the Picadome neighborhood, part of Lexington’s 11th district, represented by Reynolds.
“In 2019, when I was first elected, I heard from my constituents that live in the nearby area that they would love to see something beyond just golf on this property,” said Reynolds. “Since it's a public space, they were hoping for more options.“
Vice Mayor Dan Wu said pickleball has broad appeal.
“It truly is a little kids’ all the way to seniors’ kind of game,” said Wu. “You don’t have to be fast or strong if you learn good technique.”
Wu has been playing pickleball for several years, having picked up the racquet sport while on vacation with family. He says pickleball rules are similar to tennis rules.
“I like to tell people that pickleball is for tennis players who want to run less,” said Wu. “It's a court very similar to tennis, but it's about half the size of a tennis court. The net's a little bit lower and you use what is essentially a wiffle ball and a giant ping-pong paddle.”
Monica Conrad, Director of Lexington Parks and Recreation says, counting the courts which opened Monday at Picadome, there are now 45 dedicated public pickleball courts throughout the city.
“That’s exciting!” she said. “These investments, they’re really more important than just sports or recreation. They’re about quality of life. These facilities help make Lexington a healthier, more vibrant, and more connected city.”
The new courts were constructed using ARPA funds, and Mayor Linda Gorton says there’s more like them on the way.
“We are adding new courts and restriping some tennis courts so they can y be used for both sports,” said Gorton. “With the completion of Cardinal Run North Park this fall, there will be public pickleball courts - you have to say that slowly - at 13 of our parks.”
The 11th district has pickleball courts at two other parks as well: Meadowthorpe Park and Gardenside Park. A list of all the city’s public pickleball courts is available here.