JONES COUNTY RECREATION
If there was any doubt about the enthusiasm for pickleball in Jones County, last Tuesday’s celebratory ribbon-cutting illustrated it with gusto.
More than 30 minutes prior to the scheduled ribbon-cutting, local pickle ball players were already on the scene, spread across the new courts with rounds of pickleball, dinking and volleying the ball back and forth with the popping sound of rackets hitting the plastic ball across the net.
The courts, formerly tennis courts at the Morris Bank Recreation Complex, have been resurfaced and restriped for pickleball use.
“It’s really great that we’re able to bring something like this to Jones County because pickleball is such an inclusive sport for so many populations,” said Jones County Parks & Recreation Director Bert Rosenberger. “Whether you have some age on you or not, if you are male or female, this is really a sport that’s available to all people.”
Lynn Dugger, who says he has played the sport for about three years, is among those who are excited.
“This is great, I’ve played with some friends over in Baldwin County; we play there most of the time,” Dugger said. “They’ve done a good job here. These are some really nice courts and something to be proud of.”
Prior to the new courts, pickleball was played on tennis-court surfaces in Jones County. But with pickleball courts having different dimensions, temporary tape was placed on the courts with cracked surfaces, providing a surface that, while capable for pickleball, was one that created confusion for players with tennis lines on the courts not in use, making it tough to distinguish court boundaries.
“There’s no comparison,” Dugger said. “They have done a complete resurface and done a wonderful job. These are the nicest courts that I have played on; these are super-nice.”
What’s more is that Dugger is among local residents who previously pitched Jones County Commissioners on the need for dedicated pickleball courts.
“It makes me feel really good to know you live in a community where the county commissioners will listen to you,” Dugger said.
Wendy Vaughn – who serves District 3 on the Board of Commissioners – came aboard after the effort to put the courts in place had begun, was among the local dignitaries present on Tuesday, making it a point to also credit former county Commissioner Jonathan Pitts for helping to lay the groundwork.
“It started as just a temporary thing with temporary tape and two nets on this court. Jonathan Pitts had already started some of the foundation part of it within the commissioner’s office and talking to parks and rec and getting those temporary nets in place,” Vaughn said. “Then it came time for me as a commissioner to push it forward. I really tried to get a court of 12 built, but I won out on six. I’m glad to start with six. If it continues to grow, which I hope it does, maybe we can build some additional courts somewhere and another set at the park on Highway 49. Those are some pipeline dreams.”
The new courts should see plenty of traffic. In addition to regulars playing pickleball, events scheduled include pickleball leagues and a Pickleball 101 course led by Paul Midkiff, president of the Macon Pickleball Association, South Georgia Director of the Georgia Pickleball Association and Pickleball Ambassador for Macon-Bibb County. The Macon Pickleball Association, whose courts are among those where local pickleball players previously had to travel to in order to play on dedicated courts, donated 50 brand new pickleballs to Jones County Pickleball on Tuesday.
Both the pickleball leagues and Pickleball 101 will begin next week. More info on pickleball events in Jones County is available on Facebook by searching for “Jones County Pickleball.”
