Montgomery Parks Seeks Input on Plans to Convert Tennis Courts to Six Pickleball Courts at East Norbeck Local Park

Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is seeking public input about plans to convert two tennis courts to six dedicated pickleball courts at East Norbeck Local Park. The proposed project aims to expand pickleball opportunities in the county by creating a hub of multiple, dedicated courts for the increasingly popular sport. The public may submit their feedback on the plan at the online Open Town Hall through Friday, June 2, 2023. “Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the nation and here in Montgomery County. While Montgomery Parks has a strong inventory of shared pickleball and tennis courts, we need to increase the number of dedicated pickleball courts to accommodate the demand,” said Mike Riley, director of Montgomery Parks.  

 Montgomery Parks currently has more than 75 shared pickleball/tennis courts and only eight dedicated pickleball courts. East Norbeck Local Park has been selected as a suitable location for a pickleball hub for multiple reasons including:

• Its location is far enough away from homes and buffered by the Intercounty Connector and Md. Route 28 to minimize noise issues
• It is accessible by public transportation and has ample parking for people who choose to drive
• The courts are lighted, there is a nearby picnic shelter, and the courts are ADA accessible
• The dedicated hub of six courts can accommodate tournaments

 There are many tennis courts located nearby including 18 tennis courts at Olney Manor Recreational Park, just a five-minute drive from East Norbeck Local Park, and dozens of other public tennis courts within a three-mile radius. Montgomery Parks has an estimated 300 tennis courts throughout the park system. Pickleball is a low-impact sport that is a combination of several classic games – badminton, tennis and table tennis. It is played on a shared court with tennis or a dedicated court with a tennis-like net that is 34 inches high. Players use paddles and a plastic whiffle ball. It is a beginner-friendly, social sport that accommodates casual, walk-on play. 

Montgomery Parks added its first pickleball courts in 2018 at Meadowood Local Park in Colesville and Olney Mill Neighborhood Park, which was followed by a multi-year pickleball study to identify the best additional locations and opportunities to create pickleball courts. Future courts are planned over the course of the next several years at many more parks in the Montgomery Parks system. For a complete list of pickleball courts located in Montgomery Parks please visit the pickleball in Montgomery Parks website