Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero, City Councilman Duane Grieve and dozens of pickleball enthusiasts cut the ribbon for six new outdoor pickleball courts in West Hills Park on Monday morning, Sept. 14.

They are the first outdoor courts for the increasingly popular sport in Knoxville. Pickleball, a combination of tennis, ping pong and badminton, is a West Coast sport reported to be the fastest-growing sport in the United States.

“We’re a leading city in promoting outdoor recreation and offering a range of options – everything from mountain-biking the Urban Wilderness, to playing youth sports, to getting out on Knoxville’s waterways,” Mayor Rogero said. “Given its popularity among all age groups, pickleball is a great new way to encourage even more people to get outdoors, get some exercise and have fun.”

The new pickleball courts replace two tennis courts on the east end of West Hills Park. With the development of the new West Hills Tennis Facility on the west end of the park, the two tennis courts at Sheffield Drive on the park’s east end offered the opportunity to meet increasing demand for outdoor pickleball courts in Knoxville.

“We originally tested the waters with pickleball in our recreation centers, and we had an overwhelming response,” said Joe Walsh, Director of Parks and Recreation. “We’re happy to be able to provide six new courts only two years after initiating this fun sport in Knoxville, while at the same time revitalizing two older tennis courts that needed a little TLC.”

The project, costing less than $50,000, involved resurfacing the courts, painting six 44-by-20-foot courts, improving the fencing and paving an accessible path from the new parking lot. PlayRite was the project contractor.