The City of Denton has added another outdoor tennis and pickleball facility.
Last month, the city opened the Denton Tennis and Pickleball Center with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony that welcomed 400 people and finished with Mayor Gerard Hudspeth playing the facility’s first pickleball match.
The facility, located at North Lakes Park on Riney Road, features 20 new courts (12 tennis, eight pickleball) for public use and joins several other indoor and outdoor facilities in Denton that offer both sports as pickleball continues to gain popularity nationwide.
“I think everyone’s really excited that we can offer both sports here and be able to do both of those things,” Rachael Burks, an athletics supervisor for the Denton Parks and Recreation Department, told the Denton Record-Chronicle.
Its creation was part of a 2014 bond project designed to improve the city’s streets, public safety facilities, stormwater drainage, flood control, and park system.
Other park improvements mentioned under the $5.19 million project include enhanced lighting and facilities, updated playground structures, an expanded trail system, a renovated soccer complex, additional parks, and the installation of public art.
The Denton Tennis and Pickleball Center features some of that art in the form of a tennis and pickleball-themed sculpture created by local artist Christine Sanders with the help of 23 Design Co. The sculpture greets guests as they arrive and go to the courts.
The new facility requires reservations to play, which can be made online and cost $2 per hour for local residents and $3 per hour for guests. Interested parties can also purchase a yearly membership for $125.
The Denton Tennis and Pickleball Center is open seven days a week. The facility opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m. on weekdays, and is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Lessons for those of various skill levels are also available.
