Seguin’s Pickleball Courts Expansion: On Wednesday, Seguin city officials turned two tennis courts into six pickleball courts at Max Starcke Park West. The change came as the sport’s popularity grew, leaving the nearby Seguin-Saegert Pickleball Complex full. The new courts help meet the rising demand for more public pickleball space.
The sport of pickleball has been growing quickly across the U.S. Seguin opened the Seguin-Saegert Pickleball Complex with nine courts a few years ago. The courts became so busy that players started using nearby tennis courts when the complex was full.
Why the Change Happened
Jack Jones, Seguin Parks and Recreation Director, noticed this growing problem. “We opened up the Seguin-Saegert Pickleball Complex a couple of years ago, the nine courts there, and they were a big hit,” Jones said. “You go over there any given night and there is a wait to play on those courts. As a result, people have been over to the tennis courts in Max Starcke Park West.”
Since fewer tennis players were using the courts, Jones talked with them about sharing space. After getting their approval, the city started converting two of the six courts for pickleball.
Tennis and Pickleball Together
This new setup leaves four courts for tennis players. Jones reminded pickleball players to stay on the new courts only. “We’ve got signage out there on the remaining four tennis courts that says, ‘No pickleball’ or ‘For Tennis Only,’” he said. “We don’t want to eliminate tennis entirely from Seguin.”
Jones said the city still values its tennis community. “There still is a good group of tennis players that play daily and even on the weekends at Starcke Park West. We want to keep those four courts sacred for tennis only going forward.”
A Growing Pickleball Hub
Now with 15 public pickleball courts, Seguin leads in the region. “I think Seguin has more free, public pickleball courts here than any other smaller city in the South Central Texas area,” Jones said. “I like to call us the ‘Pickleball Capital of South Central Texas.’”
Many nearby places have private, paid courts. Seguin’s courts are free and city-owned, making them easy for all players to use.
Flexible for the Future
The city spent about $50,000 on this project. Jones said the courts could switch back if tennis becomes more popular. “Say one day pickleball declines and tennis ramps back up, we can easily convert those six pickleball courts back to two tennis courts,” he said.
Jones explained the city’s goal. “As a city, we want to make sure that we are using our facilities as best as we can and having them accessible to the public as best as we can given what we have.”
News in Brief: Seguin’s Pickleball Courts Expansion
Seguin added six new pickleball courts by converting two old tennis courts at Max Starcke Park West. The decision came after rising pickleball demand filled other courts. The city now has 15 free, public courts. Officials say they will protect tennis spaces while growing Seguin’s reputation as a top pickleball city.
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