PORT ANGELES — Despite the cooler weather Sunday, pickleball players were out in full force during the rededication of the Elks Playfield.
The playfield, at 14th and Cedar streets, was donated to the city of Port Angeles by the Elks in 1951 and was rededicated in celebration of the renovation of the park.
Two tennis courts that were deteriorating were made into pickleball courts and were completed in mid-June, said Vern Reidel, trustee for the Elks Naval Lodge in Port Angeles.
The Elks and the city split the $30,000 cost to do the renovation.
As soon as it was done, people flocked to the site to play.
“If you come here on a Tuesday, it is just as full as it is today,” said Erick Blume, grand exalted ruler of the Elks in Port Angeles.
Pickleball is similar to tennis but is played with paddles and a whiffle ball.
It has been a staple of the Port Angeles Senior Olympics for several years.
The park was purchased in 1951 for $75,000 by the Elks and donated to the city, Reidel said.
More than 100 people flocked to the park to celebrate the rededication, have hot dogs and cake and play some pickleball.
The courts were maxed out with 24 people at a time playing on the courts.
“The great thing is that with two tennis courts, only eight people at a time could play, but with six pickleball courts, up to 24 people can play at the same time,” Reidel said.
Denna McPhee said she couldn’t be more pleased with the courts.
A pickleball player for about a year and a half, McPhee said she comes every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday when there are planned practice sessions for pickleball players.
“And sometimes, when it is nice weather, I’ll just head on over on other days and hit a ball around,” she said.
“It is so great to be able to do that.”
Marc Agricola, also of Port Angeles, has played for about three years, he said.
“The contrasting colors on the courts are really great,” he said.
Previously pickleball players would play either at the Port Angeles Senior Center or the Vern Burton Community Center.
“It got to be where we had a strict time limit just so everyone could play, and then by the next time your turn came around, it could be 90 minutes later,” Reidel said.
McPhee said she was also happy for the courts’ availability from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
“Sometimes we’d get bumped for other events at the other places, but these courts are amazing, and it is great that they are dedicated just to pickleball,” she said.
Reidel said that the new courts are the only dedicated pickleball courts in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
The Elks upgraded the playground equipment at the park two years ago, Reidel said.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
