‘Not just an old man’s sport’: Cary pickleball players want more courts in town.
Pickleball has taken Cary by storm, but with just over a dozen courts in town, local players are demanding more.
At a recent Cary Town Council meeting, dozens of people asked the town to make the sport a bigger priority, citing its benefits to Cary including the economy.
Terry Heartley said he turned to the sport at a “low point in my life.” Recently, he was the chief financial officer and director of tour operations for the Association of Pickleball Professionals.
“When I found pickleball, I found community, a sport that I had fallen in love with, and a whole new lease on life,” he said “I found my people.”
Pickleball, invented in 1965 in Bainbridge, Washington, combines tennis, ping pong and badminton and is played with paddles and a ball. Two or four player hit the ball over a 34-inch net on a badminton-sized court. The first side to get 11 points wins.
The Association of Pickleball Professionals reports 48.3 million players nationwide, a 35% increase from last August.
Cary has become a pickleball hot spot. Still, many players travel to nearby communities to play. The town has 14 courts with and without reservations, some of which are also used for other sports.
Planning and construction has begun for more courts including six at McCrimmon Park and outdoor courts at the future Western Cary Community Center, which is still in the early planning stages.
“We need courts, and we need them now,” said John Buben, a pickleball player at the Cary meeting.
‘Not just an old man’s sport’
Pickleball is a low-impact sport, which helps explain its popularity among older players. The net is lower and the court is smaller than a tennis court.
Though adults 55 and older make up a core number of players, the average player is 34 years old. More than 70% of frequent players are between 18 and 44, according to the Association of Pickleball Professionals.
“It’s not just an old man’s sport; we’ve got kids playing,” said Lori Crossland, a 30-year Cary resident who spoke at the meeting. “If you go to Method Road in the evening and see some of those N.C. State players, it’s just phenomenal what they’re doing now. The games become harder and faster.”
Crossland picked up the sport recently but because Cary lacks organized teams, travels to Durham to play in leagues there.
Other players go to Apex, where there are 18 open-play courts. Wilson, to the east of Cary, will soon be home to the largest pickleball complex in eastern North Carolina after the town and Wilson County approved $4.2 million for the construction of the pickleball and tennis courts.
“I have to pay for that, and I’d much rather have my money going toward the town of Cary,” Crossland said. “We really would like to see something like what we’ve been doing with tennis all these years.”
Mayor Harold Weinbrecht told attendees that in addition to the new, planned courts, voters could help add more courts at Cary Tennis Park on Louis Stephens Drive.
“There is a potential for 30 pickleball courts at the Cary Tennis Center ... if we have a bond,” Weinbrecht said. “There’s a 95% chance that we’ll have a bond next fall. If we do, we need your help. If that bond fails, the pickleball courts come later.”
The amount and components of the bond referendum are not clear, however, it could include a future sports complex on Buck Jones Road, now called The Centre.
Heartley said he helped organize a five-day pickleball competition in Delray Beach, Florida, that had an economic impact of $1.1 million. If Cary wants to be a destination pickleball spot, the town should “consider collapsing the time frame for a proposed 20-plus court expansion at Cary Tennis Park in favor of our town leading the way in pickleball,” he said.
Where to play pickleball in Cary
Cary’s pickleball courts can be found at parks and in the town’s recreation centers.
There are eight outdoor courts, three without lights, at Ed Yerha Park, Carpenter Park, and Walnut Street Park. Players can use those courts without a reservation.
Other outdoor courts are at Cary Tennis Park. They are on a first-come, first-served basis and annual pass holders at the park can make reservations to play on them. Playing time is limited to one hour.
There are scheduled times for pickleball indoors at the Bond Park Community Center, Herb Young Community Center, and the Middle Creek Community Center. Residents and non-residents are charged a fee to play on a reserved court.
This story was originally published October 31, 2023 at 8:00 AM with the headline "‘Not just an old man’s sport’: Cary pickleball players want more courts in town.."
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly spelled the name of Lori Crossland.