3 Additional Pickleball Courts Coming To Peconic

PECONIC, NY — For all the pickleball fans in Southold Town — three new courts are on the way.

At Tuesday's Southold Town board work session, Supervisor Scott Russell said he'd already spoken to the board and would discuss the idea of three new, additional courts to be sited at Tasker Park in Peconic with Jeff Standish, Southold Town's director of public works.

The three new courts make sense "given the incredible use" of the pickleball courts and especially "since we are getting into the season," Russell said.

The supervisor said when the three courts were initially created and unveiled last fall, the town left room to expand to the east and add the three new courts.

Standish said the cost was a bit less during the first go-round, because the town already had the necessary milling needed due to roadwork. Councilwoman Jill Doherty said that the town highway department has milling now and Standish said even if additional milling is needed, he believes he can create the three new courts with about $50,000 from the town's parks and playground fund.

Russell asked Standish to work on a budget timeline and funding.

"It's great to see us do something different, and now people are enjoying it," Councilman Bob Ghosio said.

Standish said the courts are most definitely widely used.

"Bring it on," Councilman Bill Ruland said.

Russell and other town staffers marked the official opening of the newly completed pickleball courts, located at Tasker Park on Peconic Lane in Peconic, last fall.

"We are happy to provide new courts that meet the growing popularity of a sport for the entire public to enjoy," Russell said.

Although the initial cost of the first project was expected to be $50,000, the actual cost came in $10,340 under budget, at $39,660, Russell said; Latham Sand & Gravel excavated the site free of charge and the grading and milling was done in-house by Standish.

Back in 2017, the town board discussed the pickleball courts, with an eye toward accommodating a sport that's rapidly growing in popularity. In recent years, the town had allowed pickleball on re-striped tennis courts.

When pickleball enthusiasts first approached the town, Russell said at first the board wasn't sure of the public's interest in the game. Soon, he said, he realized how very popular the sport had become.

Janet Douglass, Southold Town's recreation director, said at a 2017 work session that the numbers of residents playing pickleball outnumbered those participating in tennis.

All agreed that constructing the new courts was a winning idea.

"I don't see pickleball going away," Douglass said, adding that it's a sport popular for all ages, including seniors.

"It's amazing how popular pickleball has become," Ghosio said.

Justice Louisa Evans said she's played in a school gym and found it a fun sport.