Open play hours expanding at pickleball courts

Open play pickleball hours are expanding at the Laketown Township courts.

The Laketown Township Parks and Recreation Commission on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, unanimously approved adding the hours of 6 to 8 p.m. Mondays to the current 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Players can use the TeamReach app to check play times, names of players, chat and see who signed up. The password is “Laketown” to join.

The parks commission has been collecting comments from pickleball players on multiple topics, some of whom have asked for squeegees to get water off the courts after rain, windscreens and shades.

“We’re taking in all that information,” said Chairperson Brad Laninga.

The Laketown courts are extremely popular. Play begins early each morning and lasts until the evening.

What is open play

Open Play, also known as Drop-In Play, is a doubles game. After the two teams finish their game, the two partners from the winning team stay on the court but split, one on each new team. Two new players come on, one with each of the previous winners, and a new game begins.

The defeated players exit the court and “rack their paddles,” placing their paddles in line for the new game.

After two consecutive games, a player must rack their paddle.

The Laketown courts opened in 2021. They are free and open to everyone. Parking is at the township hall, 4338 Beeline Road.