NEWLY OPENED FLEMINGTON PICKLEBALL CLUB GROWING RAPIDLY
New Jersey ’ s Flemington
Pickleball Club , located at 19 Royal Road , is Hunterdon County ’ s first indoor pickleball-only facility and features 5 climate-controlled indoor courts and a spacious member lounge . The club opened in October 2020 , and membership has grown rapidly .
“ We are thrilled with the initial response to the club ,” says coowner Eric Luque . “ We have more members than expected , our ‘ open play ’ events are extremely popular , and our first tournament of 2021 — Dinking in the New Year — was a success , drawing players from throughout New Jersey , New York and Pennsylvania . We are so grateful for the support from the local community and from the broader community of pickleball players in New Jersey and the adjacent states .”
To provide the opportunity for players to improve their skills , Professional Pickleball Registry ( PPR ) certified pickleball instructor Katie Taylor has joined the Flemington staff . Along with teaching , Katie competes in professional pickleball tournaments across the U . S . and Canada and is a sponsored member of the HEAD / Penn Pickleball Team . Katie ’ s gold medals include : 2020 New York Open Pickleball Championships , 2019 New England Super Slam , 2019 US Open ,
Kristen Mueller ( left ) and Troy Clemmens won gold medals at the Dinking in the New Year tournament held on January 9 at the Flemington Pickleball Club . The pair traveled from South Jersey to play in the tournament .
and 2018 US Open . Co-owner Bob Drinane explains , “ Katie is both an accomplished athlete and terrific instructor — her vivacious personality makes her a star on and off the courts !”
For 2021 , the club is offering a schedule of events and tournaments for all levels of play from novice to advanced . Information and registration for all events and lessons can be found at
flemingtonpickleball . com . Flemington Pickleball Club is operating with several modifications due to COVID-19 . Safety guidelines are posted online and throughout the club . •
PICKLEBALL FOOD DRIVE
Marcus Luke from
Winston-Salem , N . C ., coordinated a statewide food drive in January to help those suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic . The food drive consisted of six locations across North Carolina and collected over 2,100 pounds of donations for the Second Harvest Food Bank of western N . C . Durham County was coordinated by Tracey Taylor , with over 1,050 pounds from the local pickleball community . Nick Galvez assisted the Durham area and currently serves as the N . C . Central District Ambassador for USA Pickleball . The Durham County Parks and Recreation department was integral in supporting this project with the generous and caring pickleball community . •
Pictured ( l to r ): Marcus Luke , Tracey Taylor and Nick Galvez .
MARCH / APRIL 2021 | MAGAZINE 45