Melbourne-based pickleball club searches for a new home due to a court shortage

Pickleball has become one of Australia’s fastest-growing sports. However, despite its success, there are limited options for people to play in the City of Melbourne, with local clubs calling for the council to catch up with other cities around the country.

While there are several private courts scattered in and around the city, the lack of public courts poses a threat to Melbourne’s newly formed Southside Pickleball Inc., which is searching for a permanent home within the city.

The club, which was only formed two months ago and already has close to 50 members, may not be operational by the end of the year if it can’t find courts to play on, due to the venue it currently uses in Albert Park no longer offering pickleball.

The club’s secretary, Peter Taylor, told Docklands News that he had reached out to the City of Melbourne on numerous occasions, but had been unsuccessful in securing a location for the club to play.

“We’re struggling,” he said. “We went to the council, they reviewed it, and they’re saying that they have nothing.”

Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the United States, and in the past year, more than 90,000 Australians played it at least once, according to research conducted by Pickleball Australia Association.

It is a paddle sport played on a badminton-sized court with a slightly modified tennis net, using solid paddles and a plastic ball with holes.

Mr Taylor said the sport has changed his life and allowed him to stay active following a serious cycling accident.

“I’ve had four operations, but I can play pickleball all day,” he said. “Whether you’re five or 90, it doesn’t hurt you and it keeps you active.”

However, with no venue locked in beyond this year, Mr Taylor is desperate to find a suitable location. He proposed to the City of Melbourne that if a location was identified, Southside Pickleball Inc. would raise the funds for court construction.

He also suggested that public basketball and tennis courts could be adapted for pickleball during off-peak times, identifying The Hub in Docklands as a suitable option.

While Mr Taylor acknowledged the presence of private courts in Docklands and South Melbourne, he said it was difficult for a grassroots club to operate from commercial venues due to high fees and restrictions on availability.

According to Mr Taylor, the City of Melbourne is lagging behind other cities across Australia, which have embraced public pickleball infrastructure.

The City of Sydney offers pickleball at a range of recreation centres, Brisbane has been adding public courts in its parks, and Adelaide is also well-equipped with public facilities.

“We’ve got limited recreation space across our city – so we’re focused on making every square metre work harder by supporting courts that can host multiple sports,” Lord Mayor Nick Reece told Docklands News.

As most tennis and basketball facilities within the municipality are managed by the YMCA or other external leaseholders, the Lord Mayor encouraged all court managers to explore adapting their venues for emerging sports.

The City of Melbourne does currently offer pickleball at Carlton Baths and the North Melbourne Recreation Centre, and it will also be available when the Kensington Community and Aquatic Recreation Centre opens in September.

Additionally, Greater Melbourne boasts some of the largest privately owned pickleball facilities in the country. The closest to the CBD is The Jar in South Melbourne. The facility is home to the National Pickleball League (NPL) and features four championship-style courts.

Head of operations at the NPL and co-founder of The Jar, Dylan Ventura-Ho, said pickleball was a sport that was accessible to people of all ages, and that the South Melbourne venue catered to a wide range of players.

Memberships start at $30 per month, and the venue offers sessions for a variety of skill levels – they even host “Pickleball over Prosecco” every Friday night.

While Mr Ventura-Ho is proud to be at the forefront of one of Australia’s fastest-growing sports, he also encouraged the City of Melbourne to consider supporting the development of more public facilities. •