New and dedicated pickleball courts planned for Bowers Harbor Park in Traverse City

What’s happening: If you’re one of the tennis or pickleball players reading this while waiting in line to play the courts at Bowers Harbor Park in Traverse City, we have good news to share. Peninsula Township and the Traverse Area Pickleball Association (TAPA) have partnered on a plan to build six new and dedicated pickleball courts at the park, easing congestion on the courts and creating more space for recreation opportunities for players of both sports.
Plans for the pickleball courts at Bowers Harbor Park.
What’s planned: Plans call for six new, dedicated pickleball courts complete with wind-blocking screens, fixed netting, and pickle-specific striping. The pickleball courts will be located near the tennis courts at Bowers Harbor Park in Traverse City.

Why it’s happening: There are four traditional tennis courts that are shared between the tennis and pickleball players at the park, and the increasingly-popular sport of pickleball has resulted in long wait times for tennis and pickleball players alike. The new courts will ease demand among each group, and the dedicated pickleball courts will remove the “confusing striping,” as organizers attest, that overlays pickleball boundaries atop the tennis courts.

How they’re doing it: Peninsula Township and TAPA are assembling a web of funding to complete the project, including from large donors and grant-funding entities. To get the ball over the net, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) has accepted the project into its Public Spaces Community Places placemaking initiative. Should organizers successfully raise $50,000 through a crowdfunding campaign by Saturday, Aug. 12, the MEDC will contribute a $50,000 matching grant toward the project.

The crowdfunding campaign is being hosted via the Michigan-based Patronicity platform, which is available online.

What they’re saying: "The Michigan Municipal League is a strong supporter of placemaking initiatives happening in communities across our state," says Dan Gilmartin, CEO and Executive Director of the League, which partners with the MEDC on their placemaking program. "The installation of these pickleball courts will improve the human experience of all of those who utilize them, which is what placemaking is all about. This project will create a positive impact on the Traverse City community that will last for generations to come."

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