Fountain City, Georgia’s first-ever public pickleball facility is on the horizon, thanks to two years of concerted efforts by the Columbus Pickleball Association. President Lance Tankersley has revealed the site will be at Columbus Water Works Uptown Park, conveniently located near Veterans Parkway and Talbotton Road.
It’s Fun, Great Exercise
Cody Phillips, a board member of the association and a keen player since 2022, was quick to emphasize the game’s enjoyable nature and its ability to create social connections.
“It’s fun, great exercise, you meet a lot of cool people. It can take over your life if you’re not careful, but in a good way,” he said.
He also mentioned how he usually travels to nearby Opelika to play if it’s raining because covered pickleball locations are scarce in Columbus. He plays on taped courts at Cooper Creek Tennis Center during dry weather.
Not A Great Solution
However, as he points out, that’s not a great solution: “We got ten courts laid out with painter’s tape and temporary nets. That’s not really ideal, especially for people who really want to play a serious game.”
All that is set to change with the introduction of the new facility.
“We have secured this amazing location (Columbus Water Works Uptown Park) that will hold enough courts, 25-30 courts, to be a central location for pickleball,” Tankersley told WVTM.
Half the courts will be covered, and the proposed amenities also include dedicated check-in spaces, restrooms, showers, and more. While the estimated cost ranges from six to eight million dollars, the project has been divided into manageable phases
“So, right now, our goal is phase one, which will be about 15 to 16 covered courts with a small check-in area, fully fenced, fully lit, with parking. Our goal is going to be $3.5 million right now,” said Tankersley.
Significant Progress
Despite significant progress, fundraising efforts are still underway, with the association striving to bridge a $600,000 funding gap.
“We’re looking to do the last push so we can all be playing pickleball. It will be a great draw to the city. I mean, if you can get 1,600 players to come to Macon Mall for a pickleball tournament, I mean, what can Columbus do?” said Phillips.
Tankersley agreed, saying, “If you do a large enough facility, you can actually have players come in for tournaments from out of state, and they can come in. Tournaments usually last several days. So, those players are coming in from out of state, staying in the hotels, eating at the restaurants.”
Starting Construction This Year
He added that they hope to start construction this year, but they still have to reach an agreement with the city before raising the money: “We have to do an MOU (memorandum of understanding) with the city to figure out who’s going to operate it and how that partnership is going to work.
“We see it as a definite partnership with the city, and then the Columbus Water Works is going to be involved also.”
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Read more of our coverage about pickleball in Georgia here.
