courts into eight pickleball courts,”
says Ann. They were invited to play,
taught the rules of the game—and
that was it. “We never set foot on
another tennis court. It was so much
fun—we went back year after year.”
After a few years, the Earleys
decided to turn part of their Georgia
horse farm into pickleball courts. “If
you have to get up and drive someplace
to play pickleball and wait in line, it’s
not the end of the world,” Ann says,
“but it’s easier to fall out of bed and go
out the back door to your courts.”
The couple already had two existing
tennis courts on the premises and
marked them off with chalk at first,
and then tape later. They now needed
people to play, so they put an ad in the
local paper about learning to play the
new sport.
“It just snowballed. Two temporary
courts and nets turned into four
temporary courts, and then Tom went
100 percent into it,” Ann explains. “We
got new permanent nets, resurfaced
the courts and turned the farm into
six pickleball courts. In 15 years, we’ve
seen nothing but kind, wonderful
people—good athletes from all over.
People come from Tennessee and the
Carolinas to stay with us and play.”
The ambience of the Earley farm
adds to the experience, giving
players scenery they won’t likely find
anywhere else. “It’s so pretty here
this time of year—everything is in
bloom,” says Ann. Both Ann and Tom
enjoy gardening. Ann grew up on a
Texas ranch and Tom is the son of a
Agriculture professor at the University
of Illinois. They grow and give away
lots of squash on the farm. “If you lose,
you take three home—if you win, you
take two home,” says Ann. On site is a
brick-floor, 10-stall horse stable, riding
barn, equipment barn, two acres of
pastures and about six acres of woods.
There’s a pool and hot tub available for
players looking to escape the Georgia
heat.
With all the space and a high-end
pickleball setup, it’s no surprise the
Earleys soon grew their endeavor to
include clinics, which led to events
such as their annual Chili Cook Offs
and Salad Luncheons—which led
to tournaments. Tom got his IPTPA
certification and is an instructor,
and the site is a designated pickleball
training center. In addition, Tom
and Bart Brannon won gold in Men's
Doubles (70+) at the US Open last
year—and will be going back this year
to play.
“The tournament is our big event,”
Ann says. “We have recreational play,
dinner and entertainment on Friday.
Saturday, we have 60 players—30
play in the morning and 30 in the
afternoon. Sunday, it’s 30 and 30
again. With 120 players, we’ve maxed
out what we can do with a round robin
tournament and flights of 10 players.
Each player plays nine games, and it’s
every bit as social as it is competitive.”
Given the popularity of their
location—25 miles outside of Atlanta—
the Earleys had to limit how many
people they could accommodate at the
farm. “We started out with everybody,
but it got to the point where we couldn’t
spend all our time teaching,” Ann
says. “So now we limit play to anyone
who’s 3.5 and above. Fortunately, we
have ambassadors who live just 10 to
15 miles away who take new players
in the area and teach and vet them.
When they reach the intermediate level,
they’ll come to the farm and join the
group. As it stands, there are more than
500 players in our file.”
While the popularity of the Earley
Farm has grown tremendously, the
Earleys still travel and enjoy life as they
always have because there’s an app for
that. If you’re approved for play, the
Earleys can open their courts remotely,
a feature Ann says is very useful.
“We are a family here—we know
each other. When we’re gone, people
just keep coming,” she says.
For a retired couple on a Georgia
farm, the love of pickleball has grown
from a hobby into something they
never expected. And they wouldn’t
have it any other way. •