The City of Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors announces Chattanooga’s first public outdoor pickleball courts, coming to Batter’s Place in East Brainerd, with additional locations in Lookout Valley and Hixson planned to open in the Spring of 2023.
Pickleball courts located at Batter’s Place (8011 Batters Place Ln.) will be reconfigured as five regulation pickleball courts, replacing damaged tennis courts from the Easter tornado of 2020. The courts will feature new resurfacing with blue coloring, matching Chattanooga’s state of the art Champion's Club Tennis Complex. The new courts will also feature restriping, fencing, seating area, new lighting, shade structures and an upgraded parking lot.
“Thank you, Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors staff, for your diligence and perseverance in rebuilding the courts at Batters Place after the devastating tornado in 2020,” said Darrin Ledford, chairman of Chattanooga City Council and District 4 councilman, “East Brainerd will be home to Chattanooga's first outdoor pickleball courts. This opportunity to enjoy a growing sport across our nation benefits our health and overall wellbeing. In addition, a very special thank you to the Greater Chattanooga Realtors for awarding a grant to help make this project a reality for our community to enjoy time and friendship outdoors.”
In Fall of 2022, the City was awarded a $25,000 grant from the Greater Chattanooga Realtors for shade structures that will accompany the new pickleball courts.
Construction on the new lights and fencing has begun this winter while resurfacing and restriping will begin once temperatures rise towards spring. Completion of the courts will be early spring, weather permitting.
Officials said, "Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong using a paddle and plastic ball with holes. It is a game that is appropriate for players of all ages and skill levels. Rules for pickleball are simple, making it a great introductory sport. It can also be quite the challenging, fast-paced and competitive game when people become more experienced at playing."
Additional courts are planned in 2023 at Lookout Valley High School in partnership with Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors and Hamilton County Department of Education. Two full size tennis courts will be converted into four pickleball courts for the community to use while two remaining tennis courts will remain open. Courts are also planned behind Hixson Community Center. In addition to the new courts for the community to enjoy, Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors will help provide programming opportunities like city leagues, open court time and classes for beginners of all ages. Parks and Outdoors has also assisted in the creation of indoor courts at numerous City community centers along with hosting black light pickleball events and partnering with TN Senior Olympics and civic groups.