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More pickleball courts coming soon to Peconic?

In response to the fast-growing popularity of pickleball, Southold Town is considering constructing three courts at Tasker Park in Peconic dedicated solely to the sport, which is played with a small racquet and a whiffle ball.

The town offers pickleball classes that are maxing out, town recreation supervisor Janet Douglass noted. The sport is often played by beginner tennis players and aging tennis players, she said.

“Our pickleball numbers are outnumbering our tennis numbers at this point.” Ms. Douglass said.


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Last year, the town added pickleball court lines to two tennis courts at Jean Cochran Park in Peconic to gauge how much the courts would be used. Supervisor Russell noted the popularity of pickleball last week while presenting his tentative 2018 budget. The cost of installing the courts would be covered by parks and recreation fees, he said.

Initial estimates put that cost at about $50,000, but those numbers are subject to change after bidding, department of public works director Jeff Standish said.

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Photo credit: Kelly Zegers