Pickleball Interest Growing in Desert

[bc_video video_id="6100024266001″ account_id="5728959025001″ player_id="Hkbio1usDM" embed="in-page" padding_top="56%" autoplay="" min_width="0px" max_width="640px" width="100%" height="100%"] The game of Pickleball began in 1965 off the coast of Seattle on Bainbridge Island. Kids complaining about nothing to do prompted three fathers to come up with a game that anyone can play. "It’s really easy to learn pickleball and get a good workout and make new friends," said Pickleball Champion, Buzz Summers. "Only the server can win points, the receivers can stop the servers with a good shot and then it’s their serve," said Summers. Buzz has been playing for ten years. "In the last three or four years the number of players has just boomed," said Summers. Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America. The Courts at Palm Desert Resort Country Club were built less than a year ago, and they already have a waiting list. "In three months we had 300 members and so we knew we were on to something. So by the end of the season we decided to build more. We built 20 Pickleball courts making us the largest on this side of the states. We have a little more than 400 members," said Charis McFarlane. Other clubs are now following suit. Transforming old unused tennis courts to Pickleball courts. "We could make this an entire Pickleball facility, look how many are on my waiting list, but we are not going to do that. We are going to continue having tennis here. I think what the deal is they have been athletes is they played racquetball and tennis their entire lives and now due to age knees or hips and now this."