Pine Islanders keeping in shape with Pickleball while hoping for new courts
Some of the ball players on Pine Island are eager to stay fit by playing their chosen sport; Pickleball, at the Phillips Park tennis courts every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning from 8 – 10 a.m. Among them, are players like Brittany Fenning, who said she wouldn’t mind having a fundraiser to reline the tennis courts and maybe even put in a Pickle ball net, which is lower than the current tennis nets. Fenning said some of the local players have questioned whether the Parks and Recreation Department might be interested in employing help from some islanders who meet regularly to play.
“If we were to have a fundraiser, can we re-stripe it and can we put in a new net?” Fenning questioned.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s the players, the county or anyone else who would care to volunteer to help, Fenning added, explaining that after the damage from Hurricane Ian was assessed, they were told funds would be allocated for a total of four pickle ball courts.
‘I guess the money just needed to go to other places, but we’d really like to re-visit that,” Fenning said.
Pickle ball player, Dave Howerton said no matter what was said or promised in the past, there remains plenty of room for more courts, even as is.
“There is a lot of room out here to reconfigure and put more courts in,” Howerton said.
On average, Howerton said there are approximately 15 to 25 people regularly on the three days they currently play, before the busy fall and winter seasons take over. Although it’s a good utilization of the courts, people do end up sitting for quite a while, he said. There was an expansion idea proposed prior to the courts that are there now, but he said the white lines, which are used for tennis are confusing and the nets are fixed at tennis court height.
“I had proposed to the county before that they put a Pickleball court on the basketball court in Matlacha Park,” Howerton said.
He also emphasized that what he supposes stops many people from coming out to join the other players is the idea that they aren’t skilled enough, or maybe, at all, at Pickleball. We all started there, he said, maintaining that a lack of experience should not stop anyone from coming out to meet the players and possibly learn the game. Howerton said this time of year, during preseason, is an optimal time to give Pickleball a try. In fact, he said, by mid-season, they are likely to pick up a few tennis players.
“There are two or three out here now that are tennis players first and Pickle-ballers second,” Howerton said.
Lee County Government Communications Director, Betsy Clayton said Lee County has plans to build three pickleball courts just east of the existing tennis courts. (See photo of location of future courts at Philips Park.) Lee County Parks & Recreation anticipates completion during the second half of 2026. The Lee Board of County Commissioners just approved funding for the project as part of the county’s fiscal year 2025-26 budget, which was passed Sept. 16, Clayton said.
To reach PAULETTE LeBLANC / pleblanc@breezenewspapers.com, please email