By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
From time to time, the mesh netting attached to the chain-link fence that surrounds Sea Isle City’s new pickleball courts is blown off by strong winds whipping off the bay.
The netting is intended to block the winds that would otherwise disrupt the games at the seven pickleball courts on 42nd Place. But sometimes, the netting is no match for the wind gusts, requiring Sea Isle’s Public Works crews to fix it.
Now, Sea Isle has decided to replace the mesh netting with something that will be both sturdier and more attractive – and will require a lot less maintenance, city spokeswoman Katherine Custer said.
The city plans to install interlocking vinyl slats that will be woven into the chain-link fence to create a barrier to block the wind.
“We think the slats will be a good solution,” Custer said in an interview Friday.
City Council is expected at its meeting Tuesday to award a $24,621 contract to Murphy Fence Co. of Cape May to supply 620 feet of the vinyl slats.
The slats will likely be installed during the winter when the pickleball courts are not as heavily used, Custer said.
During nice weather, the courts are usually packed with pickleball players. But even in the dead of winter, the courts are in use, Custer pointed out.
“They are extremely popular,” she said. “They are very well used during the year. Even in winter, we’ve noticed some (pickleball players) are bundled up.”
Since opening last year, the courts have served as the epicenter for the local pickleball community. The nearly $180,000 pickleball project included seven asphalt courts, fencing, benches and trash cans.
A tall, chain-link fence surrounds the site. The black mesh netting is attached to the fence to create a wind block. Without the netting, the winds would wreak havoc with the lightweight plastic balls that come flying off the pickleball rackets.
But when the netting is blown off the fence, it is unsightly and requires maintenance to fix it. So, the city has decided to replace the netting with the vinyl slats that will be more attractive and more durable, Custer said.
“We’ve searched for a better system that will not require the same level of maintenance that the mesh netting required,” Custer said. “And it will look better.”
Already, the city has had success using the same type of vinyl slats at the Public Works Department facility located near the pickleball courts.
“It has stood the test of time,” Custer said.
The city built the pickleball courts last year to meet heavier demand for a fast-growing sport that is particularly popular with baby boomers and senior citizens.
U.S. Census figures show that the average age in Sea Isle is 63 years old, which is right in the sweet spot for pickleball players.
Pickleball combines elements of tennis, ping-pong and badminton. Less demanding than tennis, pickleball is a relatively low impact sport, which makes it appealing to senior citizens and baby boomers. Sea Isle’s courts also attract young pickleball players and families.
The sport is played on a 20-foot-wide and 40-foot-long court about the same size as a doubles badminton court. Players use a modified tennis-style net, wooden or graphite paddles and a plastic ball.
After a citywide search for a suitable location, Sea Isle officials decided to build the courts on 42nd Place across from the municipal marina on what used to be a parking lot comprised of old clam shells.
Sea Isle built its first two permanent pickleball courts in 2017 on West Jersey Avenue, across the street from the city’s playground and recreation complex on John F. Kennedy Boulevard.
The courts on both 42nd Place and West Jersey Avenue are free to the public and available on a first come, first served basis.
