A joint committee of elected officials from Albemarle and Charlottesville have voted to convert two remaining tennis courts at Darden-Towe Park for pickleball, a sport that takes up less room and has become more popular.
They did do so on March 11 after reviewing the results of a survey filled out by 730 respondents. Of these, 471 said they played pickleball and 397 indicated tennis.
The survey also includes written comments ordered by date. There were 684 responses in all. Initially almost all of the responses were in favor of this conversion.
“I play at Darden a lot and the additional 2 tennis courts are almost always used for pickleball I think they should all be converted,” read one from December 22, 2024.
Another from that date boiled it down to providing a service for taxpayers.
“On a square foot basis, pickleball courts serve at least twice as many taxpayers as tennis courts, assuming both sports were played equally,” reads that anonymous comment. “It’s pretty evident that a large number of your taxpayers are simply feeling ignored.”
The two courts are often temporarily used for pickleball anyway, as one respondent noted on December 28, 2024.
“When I am there the portable nets are often in use anyway, and the advanced groups I play in sometimes sometimes have to go to PVCC to avoid the crowds,” reads the survey.
Others called for more lights, which was not a question asked in the survey. Another asked for a canopy as well as windsocks to indicate weather conditions.
The first opposing view came on January 11, 2025.
“There definitely needs at least one tennis court at Darden!” said that person.
Around this time, more voices continue including the head of one advocacy group who pointed out that tennis cannot be played on a pickleball court, though the reverse is true.
“I am the president of [the] Piedmont Area Tennis Association,” reads one note from January 13. “I play both tennis and pickle. I have lived in Cville for 23 years. I have played tennis in Cville for 23 years. I am a firm believer that public courts need to be multi-use and include pickle and tennis.”
Around this time, more tennis supporters began to make their comments.
“While the growing popularity of the sport is undeniable, it’s a shame to take away a valued resource for tennis players,” reads one from January 13.
Others seem bothered by the potential for division raised by the question.
“I am saddened that Tennis people are upset by pickleball lines being put on tennis courts, and I am saddened by Pickleball people wanting to convert tennis courts into Pickleball courts,” reads another from January 13.
Take a look at the survey here.
The cost to convert the pickleball courts will be paid for by the Albemarle Parks Foundation. Abbey Stumpf, Albemarle’s director of communications and public engagement, said the work won’t take place until after fundraising takes place.
You can learn about this project and other projects the Albemarle Parks Foundation is promoting at their website.
Before you go: Where do stories come from? This one dates back to January 2025 when I came across an email notifying me of the survey. The newsletter I write is called Charlottesville Community Engagement and one of its purposes is to notify readers of opportunities to provide feedback. So I wrote one story around that time and this is a follow-up. It originally went out in the March 13, 2025 edition.
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