Dalton’s Parks and Recreation Department is so serious about pickleball that it completed a project to convert the tennis courts at Brookwood Park into pickleball courts. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open and dedicate the courts on Thursday at 1:30 p.m.
Invented by two friends in 1965, the game of pickleball was called “one of the fastest growing sports in America” by NBC News in April 2019. It most closely resembles tennis, but also combines elements of badminton and ping pong. It’s played on a 44’ by 20’ court divided by a low center net. The game can be played by single players or by teams of two players. Players serve underhanded and each side must let the ball bounce on their side of the court once before an air volley can begin. Hit the ball out of bounds, into the net, or allow it to bounce twice on your side and you lose the volley. There’s a center area near the net where players aren’t allowed to step that’s referred to as “the kitchen.” If that sounds confusing, there are videos and instructions available at playpickleball.com that can quickly get players ready for their first game.
Because the size of the court is so much smaller than a regulation tennis court, the space that used to house two tennis courts at Brookwood Park was able to be converted into six courts for pickleball. The project was approved by the Dalton City Council on May 18 and work was completed in July.