One of my favorite songs from the past is performed by Miss Eta James. Her haunting classic At Last has left millions loving the beauty of a song of love and longing; and of memories of being in love. Here's one of dozens of links on youtube...At Last. As much as I love the song, this thread isn't about Eta or even music, but about the Marinette Rec Center opening this morning at 8 am. I had taken the girls (my two standard poodles) out for a ride and we stopped by just as they were letting people in. The pickleball players were lined up long and deep as they checked in to check it out. It was nearly a year in the making but I suspect we'll hear it was well worth the wait. The incredible pickleball pavilion (8 courts under roof) is a structure unlike anything seen around the country. The long range planning committee was advocating for an indoor facility for racquet sports, but the RCSC board was concerned about the costs of heating and air conditioning that type of building. The compromise should be a great middle of the road outcome as players get out of the occasional rain showers and more importantly protected from the sun and wind. I didn't get a chance to go in but I will later today. The fitness center has more than doubled in size with over 4000 square feet and all new machines. The old antiquated spa/hot tub has been moved outside by the pool. The entire outside has been given a facelift and looks a thousand percent better. Unfortunately the walking track, half court basketball and horseshoe pits aren't open yet, but will be in the next month. If you get a chance, stop by. I plan on going up again later today and try and get some pictures, the only question will be if I can figure out how to post them.
Stopped by this afternoon at Marinette; simply stunning. Let's see if i can post some photo's: If you click on the photo it will full screen it.
Great question Emily and I think the logic is this venue will become a hot spot for tournament play. For example I was told there are 350-400 folks coming to play here this weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). The desk will be used for sign in and court allocations as games are completed. For anyone who has played in tourneys of that size, coordination is key and nothing is worse than too little a space for too many people. I got a chance to talk to several of the pickleball players yesterday afternoon. They loved the facility but there was some concern about being able to see the ball during hours of the day when there was glare from the sun. They had sunshades around part of the building but the comments I heard were they probably needed to do it all the way around and from top to bottom. Because this is such a unique facility, it doesn't surprise me they will need to tweak it here and there. When all is said and done, I look for this Pickleball pavilion to become an incredible sales tool for Sun City. The club is already trying to secure some very large tournaments for the coming year and as outsiders visit, they will be blown away by how spectacular this rec center is. I was disappointed the walking track wasn't competed but there is no doubt it will be an awesome addition to our quality of life. I also think the half court basketball and horseshoe pits will get plenty of use. And I was surprised to see some great use of outdoor space between the pickleball courts and pool area. The more of that we do, the better Sun City gets.
If there are folks out there unsure of what pickleball is, you definitely should stop by Marinette this weekend and catch some of the action at the tournament. There's absolutely no question this venue will cause p-ballers hearts to flutter and strongly consider Sun City as their retirement destination.
