Durham to build new pickleball courts as Duke bounces outside players
There’s this thing called the Piney Wood bounce.
The pickleball is coming your way and you’re in perfect position, but instead of a predictable bounce, it lands on a clump of dirt or a weed rising from the cracked court, falling awkwardly out of reach.
But soon, the Piney Wood bounce will be no more.
The city of Durham is building 12 new pickleball courts, fenced in and lighted at night. Construction could kick off as early as this week and is scheduled to wrap up by Oct. 12.
Sandi Metz, president of Durham Area Pickleball Players (DAPP), is thrilled.
“Durham’s behind. Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America,” Metz said. “The newest people tend to play on the worst courts.”
Duke limits access to pickleball courts
The repairs come as one of Durham’s most popular places to play, Duke University, begins to more strictly enforce its private status.
“That’s been our home court forever,” said Ned Phillips, a Durham resident who picked up the sport a year ago.
Duke restriped and swapped the nets of a couple of its tennis courts on East Campus to create six dedicated pickleball courts. They opened in August 2022.
“Due to the increased use, we needed to limit the scope of use to the Duke community,” Felicia Tittle, executive director of recreation and physical education, wrote in an email.
“The policy is not new. The popularity of the courts encouraged enforcement,” she said.
Duke University staff occasionally patrols the facility, requesting Duke IDs from each person present. Guest passes can be purchased at nearby Brodie Gym. They cost $10 a day.
Phillips said Duke padlocked the courts over winter break, but he first noticed security coming around in mid-May, the day after graduation.
He’s got a Duke ID, but not all his pickleball-playing friends do. He said he’s seen it play out at the university’s basketball courts and soccer fields.
“It’s been my experience with Duke since I was a child,” Phillips said. “You can play for a little, then they slowly start checking IDs and enforcing those permissions, and it’s completely shut down.”
A first in Durham
Pickleball was invented in the 1960s, but exploded in popularity amid COVID-19 lockdowns.
“People come for the fun and stay for the community,” Metz said.
Plus, it’s easier on the joints than tennis, thanks to a smaller court and lighter paddles and balls.
“It’s a great balance of fun and competition,” Phillips said. “You start to like twitch if you go a couple days without playing.”
The Durham City Council voted last week to spend nearly $750,000 on the repairs at Piney Wood park, giving the city its first dedicated outdoor lighted pickleball courts.
The upgrades have been on the city’s radar for a couple of years, Parks and Recreation Director Wade Walcutt said.
“Originally, bids came back 3X more than what was budgeted. Since that time we’ve been working together to fill this funding gap,” Walcutt said in an email last month.
The City Council approved a $477,640 contract in November, but when the chosen contractors checked out the park in the spring, they realized it was in such poor shape that they’d have to tear up the existing asphalt and start from scratch.
Where to play pickleball in Durham, NC
Piney Wood Park is located in southern Durham, at 400 E. Woodcroft Parkway.
Durham also has pickleball courts in:
- Forest Hills Park
- Garrett Road Park
- Bethesda Park, at designated times
Pickleball can be played on a tennis court if new lines are painted, though the nets are supposed to be 2 inches shorter.
Metz said anyone interested in playing pickleball can contact DAPP at DurhamPickleball@gmail.com.
This story was originally published June 12, 2023 at 2:16 PM with the headline "Durham to build new pickleball courts as Duke bounces outside players."
