WHITE LAKE PICKLEBALL CLUB HISTORY

The White Lake Pickleball Club started out as a small group of area residents who shared an interest in the up and coming sport of pickleball. In the summer of 2013, they created a playing space by chalking lines on an existing tennis court at the Fruitland Township Park.

The desire for a more permanent court arrangement led members Richard Dusseau and Tom Swan to approach Whitehall Township about using one of the tennis courts at the Township Park to create a single pickleball court. The Township was receptive to the idea, and soon after the group installed the necessary net posts, nets, and painted lines.

Even with these additional courts in play, the number of players waiting for available courts in 2022 led members to look for additional options to alleviate the overcrowding. The group once again decided to approach Whitehall Township with a proposal to utilize two adjacent tennis courts that had been abandoned and covert them into six additional pickleball courts. The proposal also included a number of other improvements related to the pickleball areas at the park. The proposal was approved by the Township, however they lacked the necessary funds to cover the cost of the project. That issue was addressed by members of the group, who decided to undertake a fundraising campaign to pay for the cost of the improvements in order to move forward with the project.

Thanks to generous donations from private individuals, players, area businesses and local organizations, the group was able to proceed with the creation of the six additional pickleball courts along with a number of other significant improvements. Those improvements included new sidewalks around all twelve courts, a new storage building, additional fencing work, and resurfacing of the original six courts.

2024 marked the completion for the current phase of improvements at the Whitehall Township pickleball  facilities and it also saw the group transition into a official pickleball club. The chosen name for the club was White Lake Pickleball Club (WLPC), and the newly formed club has now grown to include officers, bylaws, committees, and a website.

Please consider becoming a member and joining us in becoming part of the ongoing history of the White Lake Pickleball Club!