Wantagh, NY – While the U.S. Open Tennis Championship may have ended, Nassau residents will be able to volley, rally and lob balls on refurbished tennis – and new pickleball courts – in County parks. With residents flocking to the fast-growing game of pickleball, County Executive Laura Curran announced 21 new courts are now ready for play in Nickerson Beach Park, North Woodmere Park and Wantagh Park. The added amenity is part of the County’s recent $1 million investment to refurbish a total of 17 crumbling, cracked tennis courts, many now also striped for pickleball, as well as four basketball courts – completed over the summer. The announcement comes following an inaugural free adult pickleball clinic and mixed doubles tournament hosted by Sportime on Saturday in Wantagh Park in partnership with the County.
“Pickleball is on the upswing and I am happy to meet the demand for our many residents flocking to this fast-growing sport,” said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran. “County parks are gems in our communities and provide countless health and recreational opportunities for residents. By modernizing our parks with popular new amenities, we’re also attracting new markets, new partnerships and opportunities to boost our economy. I want to thank Sportime for bringing their inaugural Pickleball tournament to Wantagh Park which we hope becomes a tradition for many years.”
“We were so happy to have 45 adult beginners participate in our instructional clinic and 32 intermediate players participate in our competitive tournament,” said Joseph Siegel, Managing Director, Sportime Clubs. “The feedback from the players regarding the courts, the instruction and the organization was extremely positive. Almost all of the participants inquired about future pickleball playing opportunities at Wantagh Park and at Sportime. It was a huge success. We were thrilled to partner with Nassau County to host such a great event.”
Renovated and New Courts in County Parks
Wantagh
- Five tennis courts resurfaced and striped to create 10 new pickleball courts.
- County Investment: $167,100
Nickerson
- Two tennis courts and two basketball courts resurfaced.
- Added additional lines were added to the tennis courts for two pickleball courts.
- County Investment: $175,300
North Woodmere:
- Ten tennis courts and two basketball courts were resurfaced.
- Additional lines were added to five of the tennis courts to create 10 pickleball courts.
- County Investment: $560,000
No fees are required to use County pickleball, tennis or basketball courts. Players currently can bring their own portable pickleball nets to play and will be able to pick up nets at each park’s administration building in the near future.
Pickleball can be played on courts specifically built for the sport or by “striping” tennis courts, adding new lines to existing courts and setting up portable nets.
Nassau County has 6,000 acres of parks, providing green space, basketball courts, baseball fields, ice skating rinks, golf, swimming, summer camps and much more. The county’s parks attract more than a million visitors in a typical year.
Pickleball has been growing rapidly, as tennis courts are modified and pickleball courts are built, providing a fast-paced sport on 20-foot by 44-foot courts. The number of pickleball players in the United States grew from 3.1 million in 2018 to about $4.2 million by 2020, according to pickleballportal.com.