The World Pickleball Tournament was held at The Landings Club from Friday March 3rd through Sunday the 5th, and the large crowd of spectators was treated to outstanding competition. The fact that Landings Club members ran up a large medal count helped to establish our program as a breeding ground for some very serious contenders. There is so much to write about that the allotted space is too small to give the tournament the ink it deserves. Accordingly, this is the first of a two-part article; the second part will appear in next week’s issue.
First, for those questioning the durability of the sport, some statistics: Three hundred and thirty-eight picklers registered for the tournament, a record turnout for The Landings Club. Up until this year the largest category, as defined by skill level and age, were those rated 3.5, sixty-years-old and older, which matched the game’s largest demographic at the time. This year the largest group was rated 3.5, nineteen and older, indicating that we are right in line with current national trends. It should be noted that the youngest Landings medal-winner was Peter Dorward (24) and the oldest, who took silver in his singles category, is bumping up against eighty.
Out of the 338 players, Chris Kader estimates that 25% were from the Landings, another 50% from within fifty miles of Savannah, and 25% traveled from as far away as Massachusetts, Texas and the west coast. One has to wonder what the turnout would have been if we’d had the courts to accommodate more players. In any event, the attention this kind of event brings to The Landings Club is extremely valuable.
According to Tim Sampson, in 2016 when we hosted our first Special Pops tournament, just under 200 people played on the six courts we had at the time. We now boast fourteen courts, four of which were ready just in time for the tournament, plus a practice court. The addition of The Deck makes the Franklin Creek facility a major center of activity for the club. It also makes The Landings an extremely attractive place for tournaments, which means more people living outside the gates are introduced to The Landings.
While it seems clear that expansion will benefit our burgeoning pickleball program, the addition of more courts, beyond the two scheduled for completion this summer, makes little sense without first addressing future plans for the Franklin Creek Sports Complex. The long-term success of The Landings Club hinges on addressing the needs of all users of the Franklin Creek Campus, including pickleball, tennis, bocce, dining and pool patrons alike. This is one of the goals that will be accomplished in 2023, paving the way for continued success for all future tournaments and the day-to-day enjoyment of our Landings Club Pickleball community.
Lastly, and perhaps more evidence of the positive affect Alex Fox and the pro staff have had on The Landings pickleball program, the number of club members who entered the tournament was up from last year, as were the numbers of spectators.
As The Landings hosted, but did not sponsor the tournament, the names and numbers of medalists have not yet been compiled. They will be the subject of next week’s article.