Pickleball and Tennis Interest Grows at The Reserve
Tennis continues to grow at The Reserve at Lake Keowee in 2016. It is exciting to see that almost 100 people participate regularly in tennis activities. Combined with increased interest in Pickleball, The Reserve's racquet sports continue to flourish. Members find these sports a great way to stay fit and socialize with good friends.
For the second year in a row, The Reserve will be represented at the South Carolina USTA State Tennis Championships. This year the 6.5 USTA level men’s combo team in the 55+ years age group won the Upper Piedmont Tennis Association (UPTA- including Greenville, Anderson and surrounding areas) league with a record of 5-1. The team will travel to Hilton Head in early November to compete for the state championship. (Pictured above left to right: Jerry Post, Wiley Bryant, Greg Lewis, Kent McKinney, Cengiz Kurkcu, John Howard, Dan McGonigle)
The Reserve is also excited to report that the Reserve 7.0 Mixed Doubles team did extremely well in the 40+ years age group. They finished in second place in the UPTA league of 12 teams with a record of 9–2.
In addition to the above mentioned teams, they also had a 7.0 USTA level mixed doubles team in the 55+ years age group as well as men’s and women’s 3.5 level teams and women’s 6.5 level and 7.5 level combo teams.
In addition to competitive tennis, they continue the very popular social tennis on Friday evenings. All levels of tennis players get together to play, have dinner and drinks and just have a good time. They also have a tennis clinic two days a week, which attracts an increasing number of players at varying levels of play. The recent resurfacing of our tennis courts has been a great improvement and we believe we have some of the finest har-tru clay courts in the region.
Pickleball is a court sport played on a badminton-sized court with the net lowered to 34 inches at the center. It is played with a perforated plastic ball similar to a wiffle ball and composite or wooden paddles about twice the size of ping-pong paddles. It can be played indoors or outdoors and is easy for beginners to learn, but can develop into a fast-paced, competitive game for experienced players. In addition, the game has developed a passionate following due to its friendly, social nature, and its multi-generational appeal.
Pickleball can be played as singles or doubles. New players can learn the basic rules quickly in a single session. No special apparel is needed – just something comfortable and appropriate for a court sport. Equipment is inexpensive and easily portable. The game can be played by all ages and is particularly popular in school P.E. programs and in adult living communities. The sport is governed by the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA-org), which maintains the rules, promotes the sport, sanctions tournaments, and provides player rankings.
We encourage you to explore lake communities in the Upstate to learn more about what the region has to offer. Ask us for our complimentary Lake Keowee relocation information. It's our pleasure to help!
