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Resident asks Mentor to keep Garfield courts lined for tennis, warns against pickleball lines
Summary
During public comment, 81-year-old resident Ken Buckley asked council to preserve Garfield tennis courts exclusively for tennis, citing safety concerns from overlayed pickleball lines and USTA/OHSAA sanctioning rules that require courts to be lined for tennis only.
Ken Buckley, an 81-year-old Mentor resident, told the council during the April 21 meeting that the city’s planned resurfacing of Garfield tennis courts should preserve them for tennis rather than add pickleball lines.
Buckley said he plays with a senior group and that overlaying pickleball lines on tennis courts creates visibility problems and safety hazards for tennis players — particularly when serving and making stopping or sliding movements. He noted that sanctioned USTA play and many high-school matches require courts to be lined only for tennis and said adding pickleball lines could prevent Mentor High from using the courts for competitions.
"You cannot play tennis with pickleball lines. You can't see the lines...it's a safety hazard," Buckley said.
Buckley acknowledged the popularity of pickleball in the community and said he is not opposed to that sport, but asked the recreation department to keep Garfield courts dedicated to tennis. Council and staff said they would look into the matter and that Mr. Kaminsky would follow up with an answer before Buckley left the meeting.
What to watch
Staff indicated they do not believe pickleball lines are currently planned for Garfield but will confirm and report back to the resident and council. If lines are added, the city will need to consider safety, league-sanctioning requirements and where high-school teams would play if Garfield is restriped.
