Folks could soon be able to play the fastest-growing sport in the United States at Brownsburg Park in Upper Makefield.
At a June 20 public meeting, the Upper Makefield Board of Supervisors gave the green light to a plan to install pickleball courts in the 37-acre park located at 1455 River Road.
Supervisors authorized township staff to seek bids from contractors that would be interested in building the envisioned four pickleball courts.
“It’s our hope to start and complete the project this summer,” said Upper Makefield Township Manager Dave Nyman.
The courts would be open to the public free of charge.
Nyman noted that the township’s Park & Recreation Board recommended pickleball courts at Brownsburg Park, which already features an ADA-compliant playground, tennis court, basketball court, pet stations and more.
The anticipated court construction comes as pickleball has soared in popularity. The Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) shares that the sport has been the fastest-growing in America for three straight years, with participation accelerating by 158.6%.
According to APP, 14% of Americans over the age of 18 played pickleball between August 2021 and August 2022 — some 36.5 million people. There’s money in it: The pickleball paddle market size was estimated at $152.8 million in 2021 and is forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7.7% through 2028.
Bucks County is home to pickleball clubs and enthusiasm for the sport has grown locally.
For the uninitiated, pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong. It can be played indoors or outdoors. Either two or four players use solid-faced rackets/paddles to strike a perforated hollow plastic ball over a 34-inch-high net.
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