If you didn’t know that there was a pickleball craze sweeping the country, well, it should become highly evident to you soon enough. 

In a move toward promoting the game in Guilford County, Pickleball is making its grand debut in Bur-Mil Park.

The ribbon-cutting for the “Bur-Mil Park Family Tennis & Pickleball Center” will take place on Friday, August 13.  If you’re a pickleball fan who’s not superstitious, you might want to check out the new county offering on that date at 5834 Bur-Mil Club Road in Greensboro.

Guilford County Parks has reconfigured a portion of what were tennis courts at the park into 10 permanent pickleball courts.

 The game, which is sort of a mash-up of badminton, ping-pong and tennis, is by some accounts the fastest-growing sport in America.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the pickleball courts will take place on August 13 at 10 a.m., and, following the ribbon-cutting, Precision Golf & Tennis will offer a short pickleball demonstration.

The game is good for older adults and those with mobility constraints since it doesn’t require a great deal of movement as does, say, tennis or a triathlon.

The Family Tennis & Pickleball Center boasts three regulation tennis courts, four junior tennis courts – and 10 permanent regulation pickleball courts. The pickleball area includes two rows of five pickleball courts with seating on each end.

Bur-Mil Park Supervisor Todd Moore said this week that the great thing about pickleball is that it’s “a sport for virtually anyone,”

 “We saw a big demand for pickleball during COVID,” he added, “and we figured it would be a great way to repurpose our older tennis courts into something more people could use.”

The courts are available to the public for free on a first-come, first-served basis during regular park hours when not in use for scheduled programming.  Regular park hours are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The pickleball courts will host tournaments as well, starting with the “Precision Summer Slam” in mid-August.

Precision Instruction, in partnership with Carolina Tennis & Paddle, is going to provide free and paid programming – including “learn to play” clinics, leagues and tournaments for those who want to improve their games while meeting fellow pickleball aficionados. Interested players can follow @burmilpickleball on Facebook or send an email to carolinatennisandpaddle@gmail.com for more information.

A schedule board will be posted at the courts with upcoming events, and an online calendar will be available with scheduled activities.

For more information on Bur-Mil pickleball courts – or other Guilford County Parks and amenities – you can call 336-641-2020 or visit www.guilfordparks.com.

 

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