Washburn pickleball court project moves forward

When Washburn native Kate Bailey returned to her hometown about a year ago, she and her husband were glad to see a familiar sight — a pickleball court

The two enjoyed playing while living downstate and continue to play as often as possible. Bailey says playing the game has positively impacted her life, both physically and socially.

“We started playing in southern Wisconsin and made such a layer of friends. Now here we are, and we just made a whole new layer of friends. There’s just no downside to the pickleball story,” she said.

That is, unless players don’t mind playing on a court that needs some time, labor and care. Bailey was one of a handful of pickleball players who’s part of the Washburn Tennis and Pickleball Association who spoke during Monday’s city council meeting. The group asked council to help fund a project to improve the playing conditions and add more pickleball courts based on popular demand.

“Pickleball has taken off everywhere. Washburn is no different. The courts are regularly full and we often have waiting times. We need more room,” said fellow enthusiast Kris Edmunds.

With that in mind, the group launched a project last September to restore the court surface at East side Courts from tennis to pickleball. Many residents, businesses and groups have donated to the cause, but more funding is still needed. To date, the WTPA has received $9,500 in grant funding, with a pending application for $6,500, and has received quotes from two local contractors that included more than $26,000 in in-kind support for the resurfacing.

After some discussion, the council also agreed to contribute $24,500 using funding previously borrowed that’s been approved for the project.

Assistant City Administrator Tony Janisch said the city has a long-standing partnership with the WTPA for maintenance and upkeep of the courts, as well as tennis lessons.

Pickleball enthusiast Mark Hart of Washburn said the project could benefit tourism. As a recent retiree, one thing he looks for when traveling is the availability of pickleball courts where he’s going.

“I think having a good pickleball facility that’s dedicated to pickleball can be very attractive in terms of attracting tourists,” he said.

As fellow fans of the sport, Bailey and husband hope the project meets the needs of existing players and encourages more people to play. Ideally, the group wants to start the project in the coming months.