Oliver Parks and Recreation to add four new pickleball courts to outdoor facility

The three-court outdoor facility has been shared between tennis and pickleball players for years but the pickleball players have outgrown the space.

The racquet sport courts in Oliver, B.C., are getting a facelift. The outdoor facility is being updated to meet the growing needs of the local pickleball community.

“We’re very excited that this is happening, and we are so glad that the city of Oliver has taken this sport under its wing and decided to upgrade it,” said the Oliver Pickleball Club president Rickard Sullivan.

The three-court outdoor facility has been shared between tennis and pickleball players for years but the pickleball players have outgrown the space.

“We started out with about 50 or 60 and it’s been growing exponentially. I think we have about 130 members now,” said the Oliver Pickleball Club former president Blaine Watson.

“We have had to share the courts with the tennis club which has been a very nice arrangement for many, many years but since we have so many members the demand for space on the courts has grown along with the club membership. We anticipate with the dedicated courts now the membership will double or triple overnight.”

Pickleball courts are traditionally smaller than tennis courts. Up until now, the pickleball players have been using portable nets and makeshift lines on the tennis courts.

“We are expanding the court surface that we have here out towards the hill to allow for a dedicated pickleball facility,” said Oliver Parks and Recreation manager Carol Sheridan.

“So, in addition to our three beautiful tennis courts, we will also have four pickleball courts.”