HOLMES BEACH – Players at the new city pickleball courts aren’t happy with the geogrid playing surface, and city officials are looking into solutions.

Mayor Judy Titsworth said she’s received complaints that players are slipping on the surface when trying to play and that balls aren’t bouncing as well as they should. Titsworth and Commissioners Terry Schaefer and Jayne Christenson said they’ve all spoken to players who are concerned about the safety of the pickleball courts’ surface, a geogrid that’s supposed to reduce slips and last longer than a typical court surface.

Christenson added that she’s been out to the courts to observe the players firsthand and also walked with them over to the tennis courts, which have a paved surface, to see the difference between playing on the pickleball courts and the tennis courts. She said that she can see why players are concerned about slipping and falling on the new courts.

Titsworth said she understands the concerns and has been speaking to the manufacturer to see what can be done. She added that she believes the issues at the pickleball court are caused by shoes and balls getting wet. When a ball rolls off the court into the surrounding grassy area, Titsworth said that both the ball and the player’s shoes can get wet during retrieval, leading to issues on the geogrid court.

The city’s basketball court is covered with the same material but completely fenced in. Titsworth said that no issues with slipping have been reported there.

In addition to working with the manufacturer to find an answer to players’ concerns, a mat has been laid out for players to dry their shoes on to help reduce slips. Titsworth said that she’s also working with public works employees and Director of Development Services Eran Wasserman to find a different kind of surface to surround the courts with, such as pavers, that wouldn’t retain moisture as grass does.

Titsworth said that the attempts to find a remedy are in the early stages and urged players to be careful in the meantime.

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