Driving past the Highland Park tennis courts might look a little different now, as two tennis courts have been converted into eight courts for pickleball. The Casper Tennis Complex was built in the later half of 2023, but it was quickly determined that the two northernmost courts might be better suited for something else.
Casper Parks, Recreation and Public Facilities Director Zulima Lopez said that the memorandum of understanding between the city and the county allowing for the complex to be built was amended to convert the courts for pickleball.
“This decision was made in response to the fact that pickleball is widely known as one of the fastest growing sports in the country, the pickleball community in Casper is active and growing, and no dedicated outdoor pickleball courts existed in Casper at the time of the MOU,” Lopez said.
The cost of the conversion was about $98,000, according to Lopez. The courts, which are under the ownership of the Natrona County School District, have been through fence installation around the perimeter and inside to separate the four new courts in each old tennis court, surface removal, crack and imperfection repairs and now resurfacing and repainting. Lopez said that a part of the decision to delegate more areas for pickleball came from community input, especially from indoor pickleball players at the Casper Rec Center and others that would use outdoor tennis courts for the sport.
“Various members of this group contacted City leadership frequently to request dedicated pickleball courts in the community,” Lopez said. While they actively utilized existing tennis courts to play, having dedicated facilities with permanent nets and correct striping for their sport was a priority to sustain and grow the sport in Casper.”
The courts are slated to be completed by the end of the week as of June 27, Lopez said. They are not yet usable.
Source: https://oilcity.news/local-2/2024/06/28/pickleball-courts-installed-at-casper-tennis-complex-near-highland-park/