July 2025

Serving Up Fun: The Pickleball Craze That’s a Big “Dill” By Casey Sky Noon, CoolSys Energy Design

Visual Art Agency/E+/Getty Images Plus

P ickleball may have a funny name, but its popularity is no joke—especially in community associations. Blending tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, the sport has attracted overactive adults and players of all ages. As more boards seek amenities that promote well ness and attract buyers, many are exploring how to bring pickleball to their neighborhoods. Mike Nugent, president of the Greenbriar Oceanaire Pickleball Club, shares how his community embraced the sport—despite space con straints and early challenges. Greenbriar Oceanaire, a premier 55+ gated community in Waretown, NJ, offers a resort-style lifestyle with 1,450 homes and numerous amenities, including golf, swimming pools, a fitness center, and more. However, when it was built in 2003, it lacked one of the fastest-growing sports in the country: pickleball. “One real constraint we faced was space,” Mike explained. “We’re in a designated Green Acres site, which is part of the national forest, so we can’t alter the land or remove trees.” Expansion wasn’t an option.

The solution? Sharing space with the existing tennis club. Greenbriar Oceanaire began their pickleball journey by setting up temporary nets on their existing tennis courts, which proved highly effective in gauging community inter

est before investing in permanent facilities. Tip 1: Paddle Before You Pave — Try Temporary Nets First

Temporary pickleball nets are an ideal low-cost trial meth od that allows residents to test the waters without a large financial commitment. These nets typically cost between $100 and $500. Tip 2: Put the Paddle in Their Hands — Lower the Barrier to Entry To encourage participation, supply paddles and balls so that residents don’t need to make an upfront investment. Mike said, “We keep about half a dozen paddles on-site, so people can just show up and play. It’s a small thing, but it really lowers the barrier to entry and helps grow the sport.” Now that pickleball is one of the community’s CONTINUES ON PAGE 40

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JULY 2025