Pickleball
2024 Wake Forest Spring Smash Pickleball Tournament
May 3-5 | Flaherty Park Pickleball Courts & Tennis Complex
The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department is partnering with Pickles and Play to host the 2024 Wake Forest Spring Smash Pickleball Tournament Friday-Sunday, May 3-5, at the Flaherty Park Pickleball Courts and Tennis Complex, 1226 N. White St.
The entry fee is $45 per player, plus $10 for each additional event.
The registration deadline is Tuesday, April 30.
For more information, email Tournament Director Lisa Groeschner.
What is Pickleball?
Considered one of the fastest growing sports in the United States, pickleball is played on a badminton-sized court with a plastic ball and paddle.
The game is easy to learn and can be played as singles or doubles, indoors or outdoors.
Pickleball in Wake Forest
Pickleball began in Wake Forest in 2009 on one chalked tennis court. Today, the sport has grown to include three shared use (basketball, volleyball, tennis) indoor courts at Flaherty Park Community Center, three shared use indoor courts at Joyner Park Community Center, eight shared use outdoor courts at Flaherty Park Tennis Courts, and four dedicated outdoor courts at Flaherty Park.
Since 2013 the Town has installed a total of 32 courts, including both shared use and dedicated courts. Wake Forest currently offers 18 shared use and/or dedicated active courts at Town-owned facilities.
The Town installed shared use courts at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS), Wake Forest Middle School, Heritage High School tennis courts, and other Town-owned facilities, including four dedicated courts at Flaherty Park, and 14 shared use courts at other Town facilities, including Joyner Park Community Center, Flaherty Park Community Center, and the Flaherty Park Tennis Courts.
A Multipurpose Sports Complex, which will include several pickleball courts, is in the planning stages but a definitive date has not been set.
Shared Use
While temporary pickleball courts can be set up on several existing sport surfaces, such as basketball and volleyball courts, the most common surface used for shared use is a tennis court.
Pickleball History Timeline
2013 - Town of Wake Forest was approached by a group of citizens about providing space to offer a new sport called pickleball. The request at that time was to tape lines on the gym floor at Flaherty Park Community Center.
2014 - Town resurfaced Flaherty Park Tennis Courts and added eight pickleball courts to the tennis courts for shared use.
2014 - Town installed four pickleball courts at WF Middle School. These courts are no longer in use.
2015 - Town resurfaced tennis courts at Heritage High School and installed six pickleball courts for shared use. Removal of these courts was was requested once the dedicated court was installed in 2017.
2015 - Town partnered with the SEBTS to install temporary courts in the Ledford Center gymnasium
2016 - Town replaced the gym floor at Flaherty Park Community Center and added three pickleball courts to the floor for shared use.
2017 - Town unveiled the Flaherty Park Pickleball Courts which include four outdoor, lighted courts.
2019 - Town installed three pickleball courts at the new Joyner Park Community Center.
2021 - Town was approached about building a pickleball complex.
2022 - $24.4 million parks and recreation bond referendum passes which includes Multipurpose Sports Complex to house dedicated pickleball courts.
Preserving the Play
Safety is our primary concern, so Town staff inspect our courts regularly to ensure they are safe, clean, and in good condition for public use.
Pickleball Leagues & Clinics
The Wake Forest Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department partners with the Wake Forest Pickleball Club to offer clinics for beginners and leagues for more advanced players. Since January 2022, the WF Pickleball Club has taught the sport to well over 300 new pickleball players.