Photo by Kathy Tran.
Dallas Park and Recreation wants to know: Does Willis Winters Park need more pickleball courts?
Willis Winters Park, which celebrated its centennial in 2022, has four tennis courts. Pickleball lines are painted on two of them, with two pickleball courts on each tennis court.
The park department is asking park users whether pickleball lines should be added to the other two tennis courts, adding four more pickleball courts.
If the lines are added, there would be eight pickleball courts and four tennis courts, though each court would be “multi-use,” suitable for tennis or pickleball. Courts are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
It costs about $300 to add pickleball lines to each tennis court, said District 14 Park Board member Rudy Karimi.
To share your thoughts, take this survey, which will be open for about 30 days.
There are pickleball courts throughout the city, including at Samuell-Grand Park. According to a 2023 report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country.
Friends of Willis Winters Park President Barbara Cohen said she’s glad park users have the opportunity to share their opinions on this project and is excited to see the results. (She’s also looking forward to this fall, when the friends group will get to use the newly renovated historical pavilion during a neighborhood night out event.)
District 14 residents have been known to speak out about what’s going on in their parks. Dedicated readers will remember the public engagement surrounding the Tietze Park sand volleyball court. And even more recently, we at the Advocate have received emails and phone calls about the pickleball courts at Willis Winters Park.
“Hopefully this won’t be as contentious as some of our other park projects,” Karimi said, “but you just never know around here!”
