Forest Glade Optimist Pickleball and Tennis Court Improvements

Recent upgrades at Forest Glade Optimist Park include the complete rebuilding of the parking lot with a new accessible parking area. The multiuse sports courts behind the library were redeveloped last season, and a splash pad was just completed and opened this summer. A new washroom building went in this summer to complete the splash pad and is a welcome addition to the area, which includes a skate park and two playgrounds. Plans including drainage improvements throughout the park and improved lighting along the pathways were completed this summer. Together with the new tennis and pickleball courts that opened in August, these improvements have completely renewed the park so it will continue to serve the needs of the community for years to come.

The work started in April 2022!

Windsor City Council is spending $850,000 on improvements to the City's tennis facility in Forest Glade, which will be upgraded from the aging courts and fencing seen today to a modern tennis and pickleball facility of tomorrow.

Removal of all the existing courts began on April 11, 2022, and took approximately two weeks to complete; then the transformation began.

Six new tennis courts and ten new pickleball courts, all with specialized surfacing and colour coating, were installed over a two-and-a-half-month construction period. There are also new court access points, and new fencing was erected as well as wind and noise blocking mesh. A new meeting and rest area was created off court, and better drainage has been installed around the entire area.

Tennis and pickleball fans have lots of options and courts to choose from; just visit the tennis page of CityWindsor.ca for details.

Pickleball is a paddleball sport (similar to a racquet sport) that combines elements of badminton, table tennis and tennis. Two or four players use solid paddles made of wood or composite materials to hit a perforated polymer ball, much like a whiffle ball, with 26-40 round holes, over a net. The sport shares features of other racquet sports: the dimensions and layout of a badminton court, and a net and rules somewhat similar to tennis, with several modifications.

Pickleball was invented in the mid 1960s as a children's backyard game. It is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States and Canada. The spread of the sport is attributed to its popularity within community centers, physical education classes, public parks, private health clubs, YMCA facilities and retirement communities.

Source: Wikipedia: Pickleball