The county just confirmed they are moving forward with the court expansion and upgrades. I never imagined we would see this outcome when I started the petition. This win belongs to all of you who showed up to support the project.
September 10, 2023
Final supporters
The intent of the petition is to make it clear to both Duke Energy and South Cove Park (Oconee County Parks, Recreation & Tourism) that there are over 200 people using these courts on a regular basis throughout the week and that the current facilities are worthy of an upgrade and expansion. Pickleball players using South Cove Park include local residents, campers at South Cove and other county parks, visitors staying in Lake Keowee properties, and students and residents of Clemson. The amount of play and considerable wait times reflect the rapid growth of the sport here and nationally.
To accommodate this growth, there is a clear need for six new courts as well as additional spacing between courts to provide safety. This could be accomplished by first converting existing two (2) tennis courts and eight (8) pickleball courts into a total of 14 pickleball court, and second, building one or two new tennis courts on the South Cove property.
In addition to meeting regular demand, the new pickleball courts could then be used for tournaments and fund raising events which brings money into Oconee County. This exposure of the South Cove Park facilities to a larger population would help to promote the park as an excellent access point to Lake Keowee. Recent Greenville tournaments draw upwards to 300 players, and Anderson tournaments draw upwards to 200 players.
Since this project is capital intensive, it would make economic sense to consider these additional enhancements when there is such significant work being done by contractors, rather than coming back in a few years to do them.
Minimally, we request that pathways and entrance gates around the courts be added to reduce the need for individuals walking through the courts while play is under way and limit the amount of debris players would track onto the court after walking through the wet grass. Additionally, the addition of a covered gravel area of approximately 30’ x 10’ located at the midpoint of the courts will provide a space for players to gather and for their equipment bags. Placing this covered area by the midpoint of the courts would help to locate players near the type of court they will be playing on (i.e., between tennis and pickleball).Updates
Reached 250 supporters
August 30, 2023
August 29, 2023
I am honestly overwhelmed by how many of you have stepped up to support these court improvements. We are getting so near to that next big milestone that you all have created on your own. If you can help get this seen by just a few more neighbors today we might actually reach it.
Reached 100 supporters
August 25, 2023
66 Comments
Increasing the spacing between the courts would also make them more suitable for tournaments. I would suggest putting bleacher seating on the outside to accommodate spectators.
So many communities are embracing and profiting from the fastest growing sport in America. Oconee County has made a great start, and Phil Shirley has been a strong advocate working with us through the past 7 years. Thanks to you all for for helping the pickleball community as well as the local business community.
Pickleball is not going away. Research old malls are turning into indoor courts. Younger and younger people are playing. It’s not just a senior game.
I can think of several people who have moved to this area in large part due to Pickleball Community at South Cove.
We pickleball players so appreciate the beautiful facilities at South Cove, but due to the crazy demand and increased number of players, we see a very strong need for more courts and a place for people to watch outside the fence and stay safely away from courts that are in use.
This is greatly needed to keep our upstate active and healthier!
I agree on all the above mentioned.
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The county just confirmed they are moving forward with the court expansion and upgrades. I never imagined we would see this outcome when I started the petition. This win belongs to all of you who showed up to support the project.
September 10, 2023
Final supporters
The intent of the petition is to make it clear to both Duke Energy and South Cove Park (Oconee County Parks, Recreation & Tourism) that there are over 200 people using these courts on a regular basis throughout the week and that the current facilities are worthy of an upgrade and expansion. Pickleball players using South Cove Park include local residents, campers at South Cove and other county parks, visitors staying in Lake Keowee properties, and students and residents of Clemson. The amount of play and considerable wait times reflect the rapid growth of the sport here and nationally.
To accommodate this growth, there is a clear need for six new courts as well as additional spacing between courts to provide safety. This could be accomplished by first converting existing two (2) tennis courts and eight (8) pickleball courts into a total of 14 pickleball court, and second, building one or two new tennis courts on the South Cove property.
In addition to meeting regular demand, the new pickleball courts could then be used for tournaments and fund raising events which brings money into Oconee County. This exposure of the South Cove Park facilities to a larger population would help to promote the park as an excellent access point to Lake Keowee. Recent Greenville tournaments draw upwards to 300 players, and Anderson tournaments draw upwards to 200 players.
Since this project is capital intensive, it would make economic sense to consider these additional enhancements when there is such significant work being done by contractors, rather than coming back in a few years to do them.
Minimally, we request that pathways and entrance gates around the courts be added to reduce the need for individuals walking through the courts while play is under way and limit the amount of debris players would track onto the court after walking through the wet grass. Additionally, the addition of a covered gravel area of approximately 30’ x 10’ located at the midpoint of the courts will provide a space for players to gather and for their equipment bags. Placing this covered area by the midpoint of the courts would help to locate players near the type of court they will be playing on (i.e., between tennis and pickleball).Updates
Reached 250 supporters
August 30, 2023
August 29, 2023
I am honestly overwhelmed by how many of you have stepped up to support these court improvements. We are getting so near to that next big milestone that you all have created on your own. If you can help get this seen by just a few more neighbors today we might actually reach it.
Reached 100 supporters
August 25, 2023
66 Comments
I’ve been playing pickleball 3-4 x per week at South Cove. During that period, demand for court time has exploded. I would love to see more courts added for the reasons above. Additionally, there is merit to separating tennis and pickleball courts due to the different nature of the games
Increasing the spacing between the courts would also make them more suitable for tournaments. I would suggest putting bleacher seating on the outside to accommodate spectators.
So many communities are embracing and profiting from the fastest growing sport in America. Oconee County has made a great start, and Phil Shirley has been a strong advocate working with us through the past 7 years. Thanks to you all for for helping the pickleball community as well as the local business community.
Pickleball is not going away. Research old malls are turning into indoor courts. Younger and younger people are playing. It’s not just a senior game.
I can think of several people who have moved to this area in large part due to Pickleball Community at South Cove.
We pickleball players so appreciate the beautiful facilities at South Cove, but due to the crazy demand and increased number of players, we see a very strong need for more courts and a place for people to watch outside the fence and stay safely away from courts that are in use.
This is greatly needed to keep our upstate active and healthier!
I agree on all the above mentioned.
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I’ve been playing pickleball 3-4 x per week at South Cove. During that period, demand for court time has exploded. I would love to see more courts added for the reasons above. Additionally, there is merit to separating tennis and pickleball courts due to the different nature of the games