Johnson Ranch Sports Club to unveil 24-court pickleball complex in May

The Johnson Ranch Sports Club in Roseville is preparing to open the largest pickleball facility in Northern California, a 24-court complex that will be established by converting their existing seven tennis courts on the south side of the club. "Now instead of people having to travel to a local park, they will actually have a home club that they can be a part of and have a stake in where they can come and have a pickleball community," said Amy Sanford, Spare Time Sports and Johnson Ranch Sports Club pickleball director. Sanford became the director in the beginning of 2022 after being at Rusch Park and Sunrise Pickleball Club for three years. Johnson Ranch Sports Club is a part of Spare Time Sports Clubs which have six other locations in Northern California. There will also be pickleball expansion at some of the other locations. "This has been a consideration over the last year and a half with more and more interest at the club and in the community," said Rich Wells, the general manager of Johnson Ranch Sports Club. "This was the perfect facility with the perfect grounds to convert a tennis facility that was underutilized." The process included going through the city planner to get approval for the modification. The cost for the conversion is roughly $500,000, which will be paid via the club's capital improvements budget and through the club's general revenues. There will be a grand opening celebration for the complex on May 14 and many in the pickleball community are already buzzing about the future unveiling. "I'm most looking forward to meeting all of the Roseville people who play pickleball because I'm so used to having to drive out to Orangevale or Folsom to play," Bryan Tan, 24, said. Tan is part of a younger generation of players who have helped make pickleball the fastest growing sport in the United States. According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, there has been a 39-percent increase of pickleball players in the last two years alone. "I was introduced to the sport by my dad 10 years ago and I've definitely seen a huge influx of younger people," Tan said. "Originally, when I first started playing in the first five years, it was definitely a senior thing but recently over at places like Harry Crabb Park, I've definitely met a bunch of middle schoolers who signed up and played on the weekend for fun." Other places in the area to play pickleball include Rusch Park in Citrus Heights and Regional Park in Auburn but both locations currently only have 12 and six courts, respectively. The soon-to-be complex at Johnson Ranch will be the second-largest in all of California with only Indian Wells in Southern California beating it out with 48 courts. The object of pickleball is to hit the ball, somewhat similar to a wiffle ball. over a net with a wooden paddle. The sport combines elements from badminton and tennis and the first player or team with 11 points and leading by two wins. A convenient aspect about the sport is that it doesn't require much equipment. In fact, all you need is a court, a net, a paddle, a ball and court shoes. The average paddle for a novice player costs about $50 and it costs roughly $100 to play when you factor in the other gear and equipment. There are many health benefits to playing pickleball such as improved blood pressure and cardio fitness, along with better agility and flexibility. The reason some players prefer the sport over tennis is that it's not as physically demanding and while the pace is similar, there's less movement involved. "A lot of squash, badminton, tennis and racquetball players play both sports and for example, pickleball can actually help your tennis game," Sanford said. "The older generation especially feels that this is less taxing on your body, so you can play longer and more often." Like any other country club, there is a monthly fee. Johnson Ranch is currently offering savings of up to $43 per month as the club is running specials for May and June. For more information on membership types and pricing along with pickleball programming information you can contact the club at (916) 782-2300. Johnson Ranch Sports Club will offer a pickleball 101 class, which will be free for the community four days per week once the new complex opens for a limited time. Members will have the option to reserve courts or drop in and the club will also have their own pickleball paddle. There will be a junior camp in June, the Johnson Ranch Pickleball Open in July, the Association of Pickleball Professionals Tour in September and Amateur Athletic Union pickleball in the fall. There will be more than 20 leagues and an interdistrict league among the other Spare Time Sports Clubs. The club also features other sports and activities that members can participate in, such as tennis, swimming, yoga, cycling, group exercise classes and youth activities. The Johnson Ranch Sports Club is located at 2600 Eureka Road, Roseville.