Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/1094788
Alan Bastable is the managing editor of Golf Magazine and a contributor to its pages. Recently, Alan profiled what, to him, was an astounding development. He encountered the revered golf coach, Hank Haney, at a tournament. Hank wasn't on the course playing golf or teaching the game as he used to teach Tiger. No, Hank was on a jerry-rigged pickleball court, gleefully playing the game he has gone gaga for. The guy is legit obsessed with pickle. Catch Haney setting out for an afternoon round at Gozzer Ranch, his home course in Idaho, and there's a good chance he has already banked three or four hours of pickleball in the morning. 'It's so addictive,' he said Thursday before playing an exhibition match that drew a smattering of curious observers. "I just love it." Haney isn't the first professional in one sport to make a cross- over embrace of pickleball. But the depth of his passion for our game is remarkable. "In three to four years, pickleball will be bigger than golf and it won't even be close…" Haney said. "If you have a retirement community in the U.S. and you don't have a pickleball court, you might as well be out of business." We Sun Lakers merely yawn. OF COURSE, pickleball is big and getting bigger. We've learned, too, the reasons for the addiction. The game offers tremendous exercise for a smallish court (badminton dimensions) and the net is just slightly lower at the center than a tennis net. We use what at first glance resembles an oversize ping pong paddle and a perforated ball that isn't a garden-variety whiffle ball. Better yet, the game is social. Players of every generation can play and often play together. The Sun Lakes Pickleball Club is open to all who want to be around a fun game that is sweeping the globe and the people who play here, are a thoroughly delightful group. We have parties that, alone, are worth the price of the very modest dues. Come to the courts and find out what a renowned golf guru is so smitten by. Actually, many of the residents who spoke with us at the January Activities Day did just that. We've had a great response to our invitations to some informal clinics where we have introduced the game to nearly 20 locals who have never played before. Regular club hours are 8 to 10 am Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. If you are interested in scheduling some small-group introductions, give club president Leslie Johnson a call at (909) 693- 9922. See you on the courts! | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | APRIL 2019 | 53 Pickleball Club