Pickleball Trending at Corporate Developments

The trend is our friend...

For decades, corporate real estate developments seemed to always have identified tennis an one of the offered amenities. I don't know if that has completely gone away, but there is plenty of evidence that another amenity has become a priority - pickleball. Inc. Magazine had an article in 2017 titled Taking Over Tennis: Pickleball Picking Up Heat as Latest Active Trend in which one developer discusses the trend. Excerpts are shown below:

Pickleball is trending nationwide as a sport played as an alternative or in addition to tennis. Invented in the 1960s in a Bainbridge Island, Washington backyard, pickleball is a blend of badminton, tennis and ping pong. A pickleball court is slightly smaller than one used for tennis and players use larger sized ping pong paddles to hit a ball similar to a whiffleball.

One reason for the quick growth of the sport is its adoption by major corporate entities and celebrities.

Discovery Land Company (DLC) Chairman Mike Meldman is responsible for igniting the trend of pickleball throughout his company's portfolio of luxury residential private club communities. The pioneering real estate development firm encompasses some of the most exclusive destinations, including the forthcoming Silo Ridge Field Club, a private residential luxury golf and outdoor recreation community just a 90-minute drive from Manhattan. The exclusive heirloom community sits on 800 acres in the Hudson Valley and will offer 285 residences, a world-class 18-hole Tom Fazio-designed golf course, a family barn for recreational gatherings, year-round field house for extensive sports and recreation programming, including pickeball.

"It's becoming one of the biggest sports at all of our properties," said Meldman.

While DLC properties are known around the world for their acclaimed Tom Fazio-designed golf courses and region-specific outdoor pursuits -- like archery, equestrian, fishing and hunting -- pickleball has turned into one of the most popular pastimes for members...

"Everyone from golfer Phil Mickelson to tennis legend John McEnroe have played pickleball on our courts. Even Hank Haney, one of the greatest golf instructors of all time has turned into a student of pickleball," said Meldman. "Pickleball is an active, social, and athletic sport that can be played by anyone, which is why so many of our members love it. All ages and skill levels can play together, and there is a steep learning curve so beginners pick it up quickly."...