Macon Magazine

In December 2019, with Midkiff as the board president, the incorporation paperwork was signed to create the Macon Pickleball Association. At the time of its inception, the Macon Pickleball Association had just under 50 members. It has now skyrocketed to over 300 signed members and 750+ newsletter subscribers. The Macon Pickleball Association regularly holds beginners' clinics, skill and cardio clinics, round robins and, crucially, hosts tournaments at the Tattnall Square Pickleball and Tennis Center. March 2020 may not have seemed like a time that sparked joy in people, but Macon Pickleball made one major announcement that had the association thrilled to look toward the future – the renovation of Tattnall Square Pickleball and Tennis Center. This renovation, funded by SPLOST dollars, upgraded the facility from four pickleball courts to 17 pickleball courts. The improvements included a championship showcase court, making the facility one of the premiere places to play pickleball in the state. And similar to Pickleball's impact is a pretty big dill – and growing! PICKLEBALL IS THE FASTEST GROWING SPORT in America, and its popularity has become a draw for new visitors, leaving a positive economic impact on Macon. Ann Starley, sports development manager for Visit Macon, commented: "When anybody comes here, whether they put gas in their car, pick up fast food, go shopping, eat downtown – it has an economic impact to our community." In the coming years, Macon Pickleball is expected to have an even larger footprint for the city, as the group expands to more tournaments and a new facility becomes available at the Macon Mall. This year, Macon Pickleball is hosting seven tournaments, with four still to come. While the number of participants in the past range from 150 to 400, the tourism bureau expects this number to increase drastically. Visit Macon estimates that the total economic impact of all 2022 Pickleball tournaments will be $391,976, which continues major year-over-year increases. "So as long as they keep adding tournaments, as the Georgia Pickleball Association keeps sanctioning tournaments, the economic impact is going to continue to grow for the sport," Starley concluded. While Macon tournaments attract local players, there are more out-of-town visitors as Macon Pickleball grows a bigger name for itself. The Macon Area Habitat for Humanity HomeCourt Tournament is expected to become an official Georgia Pickleball Association sanctioned event for 2022, and Macon was also reelected to hold the Georgia Recreation & Parks Association State Championship after a successful first time hosting the championship in 2021. Macon also expects a spike in visitors because it is building the largest indoor pickleball facility in the world next year. Steven Fulbright, vice president of sales and services for Visit Macon, explained that while the funding mechanisms are complicated, Macon-Bibb County's government supports using the former Macon Mall site for a state-of-the-art pickleball center, and the Urban Development Authority has issued revenue bonds to fund the facility. Fulbright believes they "will be able to recoup those funds very quickly by having tournaments and the people renting the space and things of that nature." Is it surprising that Macon has become such a hotspot for pickleball? Starley believes "it has everything to do with the community itself…. and how supportive and how passionate they are about the sport." Paul Midkiff has greatly helped in growing Macon Pickleball's presence locally and statewide. Fulbright noted that Macon had an advantage because it was able to convert Tattnall Square Park into pickleball courts and had the infrastructure and resources to facilitate hosting pickleball events. Come check out one of the upcoming tournaments -- they are open to the public! — NORA JORGENSEN MACON PICKLEBALL MEMBERS AT A 'MONEYBALL' ROUND ROBIN EVENT (TOP) PAUL MIDKIFF, PRESIDENT OF MACON PICKLEBALL (BOTTOM) AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2022 | maconmagazine.com 75

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