Pickleball Magazine 3-1 WD | Page 33

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28 more than 300 players, is popular not only because of the high level of play, but also because of the extreme beauty of North Idaho. Many participants come in their own RVs. What better way to play a tournament, visit a beautiful area and sleep in your own bed. Think of the economic benefit to North Idaho from the Coeur d’Alene Classic. Not to mention the economic benefit an RV park experiences from just having pickleball courts. In resorts that sell lots, one of the most requested amenities is pickleball. If you were an RV resort owner, would you rather have pickleball courts or unused tennis courts? Or, how about the social benefits of having pickleball courts versus not having them? At RiverBend, for example, the Pickleball Club hosts night play under the lights with refreshments a few times a month. It has turned out to be a very popular event. Many of the newer owners bought their lots because of the eight beautiful courts and the robust Pickleball Club. From our home RV resort at StoneRidge, we’ve traveled in our RV and played pickleball all over the United States and Canada. If you really want to see North America, buy an RV and hit the road. If you already have a motorhome, come on up and enjoy playing pickleball in the pristine mountains of North Idaho. Ten years ago, I didn’t even know what pickleball was, nor did I ever think about visiting North Idaho. Now I live here—all because of the great game of pickleball. There’s no better way to explore our beautiful country while playing your favorite sport. What better way to experience pickleball while enjoying the active RV lifestyle? We think RVers are the perfect mix of outgoing, friendly explorers who have embraced the sport and carried it all over the country. • Diane and Alan Neff have been avid RVers for 13 years and Roving Pickleball Ambassadors for six years. They currently split their time between travels at StoneRidge Golf and Recreational Community in North Idaho and, during winter months, several resorts in the south. Mountain Falls MotorCoach Resort, Lake Toxaway, North Carolina www.mountain-falls.com “Pickleball has fast become the leading attraction at Mountain Falls Luxury Motor Coach Resort. Any resort developer contemplating their amenity mix would be wise to include pickleball in their portfolio of offerings. In the 2017 end-of-season survey, pickleball was the most highly utilized amenity we have!” — Marie Duginski, Mountain Falls Partners Lake George RV Park, Lake George, New York www.lakegeorgervpark.com “Our local residents were so much in awe of the pickleball courts we created that they lobbied the local town to convert three nearby municipal tennis courts to regulation pickleball courts—and they used our courts as the model for what was to be created.” — David King, President of Lake George RV Park StoneRidge Golf and Recreational Community, Blanchard, Idaho www.stoneridgeidaho.com “When we built the courts at StoneRidge about four years ago, there were only a few players participating on some old tennis courts. Now we have more than 40 players on six state-of-the-art courts surrounded by breathtaking views of the mountains surrounding our community. We have lots of new players and owners every year. We couldn’t be more enthusiastic about pickleball and how the RV community has embraced this exciting sport.” — Brad Hansen, General Manager, and new, avid 4.0 pickleball player JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 | MAGAZINE 31