It seems my last article, an update on the anticipated changes at Franklin Creek titled Change Is On The Horizon, was not appreciated by the club leadership. The misunderstanding stemmed from my reference to the proposed pickleball pavilion. Apparently, it is being proposed that the whole project, including the pavilion, be done at the same time, not at a later date as I originally reported. At the board’s request I removed the digital version of the article, which was quickly replaced by a corrected update. So as not to upset the balance of power at Camp Skidaway, in the future I will defer all future updates on construction at Franklin Creek to the board, while I stick to local pickleball play and national trends. As John Lennon said, “Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.”
Sadly, The Landing Club is losing one of our stalwart picklers. Vanessa Marin and her husband Mike are returning to Green Bay, Wisconsin in mid-October. Their decision to move is not driven by dissatisfaction with The Landings, the soul crushing summer heat or a yearning for arctic weather. Vanessa promised her late brother she’d help care for his four young children. Family comes first. While applauding her decision, Vanessa’s take no prisoners style of play leaves a void on the pickleball courts. A Green Bay native and life-long Packers fan, Vanessa attacks a pickleball much as the Packer’s fearsome Ray Nitschke attacked visiting quarterbacks. She is a daunting competitor. Bon Voyage Vanessa, you will be missed.
So, about pickleball and noise. Apparently, Ross, California is debating the merits of banning private pickleball courts for its residents. It seems a bit extreme, but it is, after all California. While noise is clearly an issue, the proper answer might be to regulate distances between the courts and neighboring property. The town council in Ross is not the only group weighing in. According to CNN chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour who was speaking with London Bureau Chief Mark Landler, “There’s something going on with pickleball, and apparently the USTA chief and the others are very concerned that it could overtake tennis.” Landler responded that he had just tried pickleball for the first time, playing with relatives who are pickle zealots. He went on to comment that the noise is unfortunately a factor and, “…. people who live near the courts are being driven absolutely nuts.” He went on to say that pickleball felt like glorified ping pong and he doubted it would ever overtake tennis in popularity. He might end up eating those words. Stay tuned.
Finally, we’ve all seen the E*TRADE commercial with two toddlers playing pickleball. According to my non-pickleball playing neighbor Steve Spearman, “Pickleball is tennis for babies, except babies know how to fall and not hurt themselves.” I wonder. Afterall, Steve is a low handicap golfer who has yet to venture to the pickleball courts. Perhaps it’s time to pick up a paddle and release your inner child Steve!