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Indoor pickleball is coming to Sayville this fall. Calling their facility Pickleball Hall, the new owners hope to capitalize on the up-and-coming sport.
Pickleball courts have been popping up across Long Island recently. The game combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong.
Dan Greenberg, co-founder of Pickleball Hall, said that they saw an opportunity in Sayville and jumped on it.
“It’s a great community,” he said. “We just felt it was the perfect place to open our first location.”
The site at 246 North Main St. in Sayville is the former home of F-14 Sports Complex, a space for indoor soccer and lacrosse that has been vacant for a couple of years. According to a representative at Realty One Group who spoke about the sale, the property was purchased for $3 million this month.
After COVID-19 quarantines, Grenberg said, pickleball helped bring people together. He said it’s a game that is easy to learn and doesn’t require an exceptional amount of athleticism.
Greenberg himself fell in love with the sport during the pandemic. Now, he’s a self-professed pickleball addict.
“I am completely hooked,” he said. “I play four or five times a week.”
Pickleball also promotes healthy living.
“Anyone can get good at it in a short time, and it’s a lot of fun,” Greenberg said.
A listing for the property on the Realty One Group website indicates the facility was built in 2008 and sits on a .95 acre lot. Another one-acre lot included in the sale can be used for parking. The Sayville Falls Mini Golf next door was not included in the sale.
Given the proliferation of pickleball courts in Suffolk and Nassau counties, Greenberg said, the indoor concept was the next logical step.
“Once you get hooked, you want to play all the time,” he said. “The reality is that the weather in the northeast does not cooperate with year-round sports. Even in the summer — we just had a 90-degree week.”
The indoor courts will be climate controlled, encouraging play in every season. The owners also plan to build out a lounge with a snack and juice bar. Recognizing the modern way people work and do business, Greenberg said they will also put in areas for people to pop open a laptop between sets to get some work done.
There are plans for a small pro shop for rentals and equipment, but considering most people already shop online for the majority of their pickleball supplies, the offering will be limited to the basics.
A pickleball pro will be on site as for lessons and instruction.
“We will have clinics for beginners, intermediate and advanced players,” Greenberg said.
The owners plan to expand beyond one location, opening as many as 10 other pickleball spots in the New York metro area.
“But our next location will definitely be on Long Island,” he said. “Most likely in Suffolk County.”
If everything goes as planned, you can look for Sayville’s Picklball Hall to open in late fall. Progress will be updated on the website. The build-out includes seven professional level courts, good lighting, changing facilities and all the amenities.
“We want the perfect pickleball experience,” Greenberg said.
Feature photo: IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR HUMANA INC. – Erica Gonzalez, 56, from Kissimmee, Fla., started playing tennis when she was 7-years-old while living in Puerto Rico. She continued with the sport into adulthood, but once she moved to Florida in her late 40s and discovered pickleball, Erica instantly fell in love. Now, Erica is a certified pickleball coach, sharing her love of the sport with people of all ages. Erica’s passion for the sport and her eagerness to remain active are why Erica has been recognized as a Humana Game Changer. Sunday, May 15, 2022 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., (Jesus Aranguren/AP Images for Humana Inc.)
