PLATTEVILLE — The pickleball courts at the Sanders–Trine Pickleball Complex were once again full Thursday morning.

The Platteville Area Pickleball Association (PAPA) was back in action with one of its three regularly scheduled weekly sessions of open play after the complex was recently reopened after a lengthy construction process that went into the summer.

After an amazing fund-raising effort that produced more than $350,000 in funding, the courts were originally constructed in 2021 and opened for play with a Grand Opening held Sept. 25, 2021. 

But issues quickly arose with the playing surface and  corrections were needed to fix some slight grading issues that caused the courts to be out of compliance with tournament-level specifications. 

“There were valleys across courts and slopes on sides of courts,” said Bill Grutz of the Platteville Area Pickleball Association. “An outside consultant and several companies looked at the courts and determined that they could not be fixed, but required a complete redo.”

Grutz also said the uneven playing was a safety concern noting the regular group of Platteville area players had a few falls caused by the slopes on the edges of the courts.

The courts remained open all through last summer into the fall, culminating with a round robin tournament Oct. 9 during the Taste of Platteville celebration.

Contractors began taking down the fencing Oct. 12, 2022.

Former Platteville City Manager Adam Ruechel told the Platteville Common Council last year that a recreational player likely wouldn’t notice the difference, but more advanced players from Platteville Area Pickleball Association noticed the problem. 

A report stated the needed corrections included removing all the pavement, re-grading the sub-base and then paving again. 

The process did not cost the city additional money, as the issues resulted from the contractor’s failure to meet the construction requirements of the original contract. General Contractor Owens Excavating and Iverson Construction paid for the new playing surface.

The paving work was finished late last fall.

“The fencing was done in April, however when they went to install net poles it was discovered that the old concrete for the poles was not removed during the demolition,” said Gurtz. “This caused extra time to figure out how to get them in. The final wait was the court painting company out of Minneapolis being able to get the paint and schedule our courts for painting.”

With the paint and fencing finished, the courts officially reopened for public play on Monday, June 26.

Wind screens, ball holders and safety fence toppers were scheduled to be re-installed by PAPA early this month.

The Platteville Area Pickleball Association holds open play every Tuesday and Thursday morning from 8:30–10:30 a.m., and Sunday nights from 4–6 p.m. into the fall. The public is always welcome to join.

Equipment (rackets and balls) may be checked out (for free) at the Platteville Public Library or the City of Platteville Recreation Department.

“On the scheduled days of play, (Thursday) was fairly normal,” added Grutz. “We had sets courts going at one time this morning or 28 players at once. On the 4th of July all courts were full and others were waiting.”

The Platteville Area Pickleball Association continues to grow as fast as interest in the sport. 

“Our club membership last year was over 100,” said Grutz. “Membership into our club is $20 per year. Membership gets you access to group play, access to a ball training machine, lessons, club events, cookouts, etc. Club monies are used to purchase balls and help maintain the courts. We have also set up an endowment fund to insure the courts will be maintained for years to come. Normally the surfaces need to be redone every three to five years.”

The club will also be offering free one hour lessons for beginners again this year. Watch the Park and Rec website for dates and times. Sign up will be required. Watch the courts for listings of our club playing times. We will be adding a time for advanced players.  

PAPA will again join the Platteville Main Street and The Taste of Platteville event this fall with another tournament scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 8.