Milford Opens Six New Pickleball Courts

MILFORD, CT – When Ron Nelson found out about Milford's new pickleball courts, he was excited because he sometimes struggles to find courts as a pickleball enthusiast.

“I started playing pickleball in 2019 and fell in love with it,” he said.

Nelson, from Fairfield, makes the effort to come to Milford to play pickleball.

“Milford has done very well in building courts, Fairfield, Connecticut, zippo,” he said.
On Saturday, April 15, six new pickleball courts opened at Scalici Courts at Folwer Field.

“Pickleball just continues to grow, and the demand for areas for places and courts for the community to play is continually high,” Jeremy Grant, the city’s Open Space and Sustainability Manager said.

Having the new pickleball courts in the Scalici Courts at Fowler Field was an obvious choice for Grant and his team.

“It’s a popular location, and it’s also a spot where we have lights, and the courts can be used into the evening hours,” he said.

Grant said they converted two tennis courts to six pickleball courts.

“It’s nice having these courts close to Orange,” Tom Hackney said, a resident of Orange. “We have two converted tennis courts, which is pretty much it. Milford has a whole bunch of things going on now with pickleball.”

Hackney said he started playing last year and has become addicted to the sport.

“I went from not playing to playing seven days a week,” he said. “The social aspect of the sport is great because the players are so close we can talk to each other.”

Grant said overall the feedback the recreation department has been getting regarding the pickleball courts has been positive.

“We are certainly happy for that, and we are happy to help the pickleball community out because we know it is a big fan base and it is very popular,” he said. “Having extra courts only helps us and allows more people to play and enjoy the game.”