County reduces non-residential pickleball rate

HIAWASSEE, Ga. – Towns County Commissioner Cliff Bradshaw reached a decision to set a $2 per day, or $30 per month for unlimited play, rate for non-residential use of the newly-renovated, indoor pickleball court, located at 900 N. Main St. in Hiawassee.

FYN reported Friday, Feb. 15 on the commissioner’s intent to deliberate over the weekend on a determined fee. The initial, tentative quotes considered were $5 per day or $30 per month for unlimited use of the refurbished facility.

Commissioner Bradshaw met with local USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) Ambassador John Hall last Friday, and again this afternoon, to discuss the matter.

The indoor court, featuring LED lighting and state-of-the-art flooring, is available to players Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Pickleball, a sport especially popular with the baby boomer generation, combines the elements of badminton, tennis, and ping pong. Two-to-four players participate in single or double teams, using wooden paddles to serve a plastic, hollow ball across a court.

According to the USAPA, the rules are simple and the game is easy for players to learn, although pickleball can develop into a fast-paced, competitive sport for experienced players.

Towns County receives 20 percent of the proceeds from hosting its annual pickleball tournament, an amount that the commissioner confirmed will remain in place. Last year, Towns County received just over $1300 as a result.

There is no charge for personal use of the outdoor pickleball courts, located off Highway 76, near the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds.

Fetch Your News is a local now-news outlet, attracting more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Towns, Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, and Murray counties, as well as Clay and Cherokee County in N.C. – FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week, reaching between 15,000 to 60,000 on our Facebook page.