Pickleball players put new courts to use

The newly completed pickleball courts at the Hammond School in Onset are already seeing a steady flow of players -- including some interested neighbors who have never played the game before.

Pickleball is a sport that the USA Pickleball Association describes as combining elements of tennis, ping pong, and badminton, and is played with a paddle and a plastic ball with holes. It can be played by singles or doubles. Pickleball is one of the fasting growing recreation activities in the United States, and it has become particularly popular in Wareham over the last three years.

The surfaces of the basketball, tennis, and pickleball courts were resurfaced and painted by the town, and two pickleball nets were donated by Wareham CORE. A third net was added by the players.

Both tennis and pickleball are allowed to be played under current coronavirus restrictions set by the state because the sports involve little to no close personal contact.