Nancy Popenhagen
Pickleball Open Play system: In order to get the highest utilization from our overcrowded pickleball courts, we do not allow individual reservations. In place of reservations we use a system called Open Play. In Open Play, groups of four players rotate onto the court, play one game, and then rotate off as another group comes on. Using this system, it allows for more players to play with hopefully only short wait periods in between games. It is possible on our busy days, that there are six or more groups waiting at each of our three Open Play pods so wait times can always vary between very short and quite long.
To keep track of what group is up next to play, there are white paddle boxes hanging on the fence outside of courts 5, 13, and 19. The paddles waiting in the box do not move, however there is either a beaded or cloth necklace to drape over the set of four paddles that are next in line to play. As a group of four goes onto the court they move the necklace to the next set of four paddles.
Paddles (sets of four) are always placed to the right of the next-in-line indicator (necklace).The group going onto the court moves the necklace to the next set of four paddles. The paddles do not move.
To play:
* All four paddles must be together before placing them in a box.
* No player may place extra paddles in the box … 1 player, 1 paddle.
* All games use traditional scoring to 11 points, win by 1.
* Paddle groups rotate onto the first open court (in the POD of courts) in the order that the paddles are in the box. The group of four going onto the court picks up all four paddles and moves the necklace to the next set of paddles as the next group moves onto the court. The necklace moves, not the paddles.
Complete rules are posted at the bulletin boards by court 4 and on the pcpickleball.org website.
PebbleCreek pickleball in-house tournaments: The pickleball club is looking forward to our member only, Final 4 tournament. The Final 4 tournament will have three different events, men’s, women’s and mixed doubles, on three different days. On Nov. 1, there will be mixed doubles play throughout the day followed by women’s doubles on Dec. 8 and men’s doubles on Dec. 9. We invite all residents to stop by the courts, watch some fantastic pickleball, and to cheer on your neighbors.
The winter schedule is out for weekly fun events: This year the pickleball club offers 27 weekly round robins (men’s, women’s, and mixed), plus men’s and women’s ladder and various player development opportunities for beginners to advanced play. In addition, the club offers multiple hours of both Open Play and Drop-In Play. The club schedule and other helpful information can be found on the club website at pcpickleball.org.