Flower City Park tennis courts to be converted for pickleball

PROTECTED CONTENT

If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.

Username

Password

Login

Lost your password?

Username and Password Help

Please enter your email and we will send your username and password to you.

Email

Submit

← Back

by Mark Cheffey

By popular demand, the fast growing sport of pickleball is coming to Palmyra. 

Doug Meyers, Palmyra parks and recreation director, said work is already underway to convert the Flower City Park tennis courts to pickle ball courts with the hope of making them available to the public by this fall.

“Pickle ball courts have been the main request from all ages,” Meyers said, who indicated the project has been looked at by the park board for some time now.

The final go-ahead came last Monday when the board approved a bid from Gerald Perry Tennis Co., of Springfield for six pickle ball courts at a cost of $41,250.

“It is a very experienced company that we used when the tennis court was rebuilt,” Meyers said.

Patchwork for the project got under way last Wednesday. 

“For the uninitiated, pickleball is something of a mix between tennis, racquetball and ping pong,” Meyers said. “Players use special paddles and a wiffle ball, and games take place on tennis courts with specific pickleball lines. 

“Nets and court sizes are smaller than their tennis counterparts, and the most common game is doubles, although singles is also an option.”

Meyers said the game, one of the fastest growing in the country, can accommodate people of all ages and different fitness levels while offering a good aerobic workout. 

“Pickleball also requires using key brain skills and is an exciting way to interact with others,” said Meyers, who expects the courts to be a very popular venue in the park.

“I have definitely already been contemplating leagues and tournaments,” said Meyers, who indicated equipment rentals are “definitely a possibility in the future.”

According to the specifications for the project, Gerald Perry Tennis Co. will:

• fill all cracks and sand the surface smooth;

• patch and sand around the net posts;

• apply one coat of acrylic resurfacer;

• apply two coats of color to be selected;

• lay-out and line six pickle ball courts;

• install sleeves in concrete footings, net posts and nets; and

• install two new tennis nets and paint net posts.