Gulf Shores is getting in on one of America’s fastest-growing sports. City officials joined Gulf Shores | Orange Beach Sports & Events for a groundbreaking ceremony marking construction of a dozen new pickleball courts at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex.
The 12 lighted, regulation-size courts will rise on the east side of Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium at the Sportsplex campus on Oak Road West. The project carries an estimated $780,000 price tag, with the cost shared between the city and Gulf Shores | Orange Beach Sports & Events. American Tennis Courts, Inc., a Mobile firm, has been tapped as the contractor.
Year-Round Play and Tournament Potential
Grant Brown, the city’s Recreation and Cultural Affairs director, noted that local players currently have limited options and said the new facility will let residents play year-round while serving as a major community asset.
Beth Gendler, president and CEO of Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism, pointed to the sports-tourism upside, saying the courts are expected to draw tournaments as well as everyday play to the Alabama Gulf Coast.
Construction is scheduled to wrap up by December 2022.