Three towns, three court stories: Brentwood's closure fight, Oxford's 24-court plan and Asheville's fundraiser

Pickleball news this week came from three very different places: a California city council that is about to close a set of public courts, a Mississippi city that is planning a 24-court complex, and an Asheville fundraiser that put the sport to work for Special Olympics athletes. They look unrelated. Together they show most of what is happening to the sport at the local level right now.

Brentwood, California: a closure and a procedural fight

The Brentwood City Council scheduled a special meeting for Monday, October 19, with a single agenda item: pickleball. The meeting follows complaints from players about how the city decided to close the four permanent courts at Creekside Park and replace them with temporary courts in a parking lot at Sunset Park. The city has announced October 26 as the transition date, one week after the meeting.

Players say the issue is partly about process. They point out that the September 21 council agenda described planning for a new permanent facility and the long-term future of Creekside, but did not list near-term closure or parking-lot courts as options. Their argument is that residents who would have attended and objected did not know those choices were on the table. The city responded by reopening public comment.

The Creekside courts were finished in August 2024. Supporters describe them as a place where newcomers learn the sport and families and neighbours of different ages meet. They have proposed compromises, including sharply reduced hours, fewer days of play and quieter equipment, and want the city to explore those before shutting the courts for good. One note on sourcing: the account of the meeting was written by a member of the Creekside Pickleball Club, so it reflects the players' view. The neighbours' concerns are described only second-hand.

Oxford, Mississippi: 24 courts and some variances

A different kind of local government story played out in Oxford, Mississippi. The Planning Commission approved the site plan for a 24-court pickleball facility at Stone Park, at 423 Washington Avenue. The park is about 21 acres and already holds the Howell Activity Center and the John Leslie Tennis Complex. The plan has 18 courts under a pavilion and six outdoor courts, plus restrooms, an elevated spectator platform, 59 new parking spaces and a relocated playground.

The site is steep. Stone Park drops about 28.5 feet from one end to the other, which is why the commission also approved two variances. The first is for the maximum retaining wall height; without it, the city would lose 24 of the planned spaces along Molly Barr Road. The second is a build-to-line variance that lets the pavilion sit about 82 feet 8 inches from the road rather than within the 60-foot maximum. Pulling it closer to the street would put the building on steeper ground and remove 47 planned spaces between the pavilion and the road.

Commissioners also asked about walking connections between the new courts, the tennis complex and the parking. Director of Special Projects Mark Levy said the city could add a sidewalk and stairway linking the facility to the trail near the tennis complex, though some links depend on whether a second parking area is built.

One resident spoke against the project and questioned whether pickleball would stay popular long enough to justify an estimated $5 million. He compared it to racquetball and suggested converting under-used tennis courts instead. It is the same argument the sport hears in many towns, and it is a fair one: the answer depends on local numbers on court use, not national headlines.

Asheville, North Carolina: Dinking for Inclusion

On Sunday, October 18, Special Olympics Buncombe County and the Asheville Pickleball Association ran the first "Dinking for Inclusion" tournament at Ace and Eagle in Asheville. Players of all levels took part. All the money raised goes to Special Olympics athletes, who never pay to compete. Local co-coordinator Liz Hoekwater said that means the program has to cover travel, uniforms, equipment, meals and lodging itself, which is why fundraisers like this matter.

Athlete Paige Sodelman said she loves making friends and competing against other teams and winning more medals. She was due to travel to Charlotte the following weekend for the soccer league playoffs. Pickleball's low barrier to entry is the reason so many charity events choose it: a mixed-ability field can share courts and still play real matches.

What the three stories share

Each story is a version of the same question: where does a fast-growing sport put its courts, and who pays for them? Brentwood shows what happens when a city and its neighbours disagree about noise and process. Oxford shows a city making a large capital bet and working through the engineering detail. Asheville shows the sport raising money for something else entirely.

If you play in a town that is debating courts, the practical advice is simple. Read the agenda, attend the meeting that is actually about courts, and bring specific proposals on hours, equipment and sound rather than a general plea to save the game.

Sources checked 20 Oct 2026.