Fit for Play by DAVE POND
Picking up the Paddle
When the courses close for winter, pickleball offers a fun, community-filled way to keep your golf skills sharp
W
HEN WINTER ROLLS INTO VIRGINIA, golf clubs get quieter as fairways frost over and we push our golf clubs to the corner of the garage with a sigh, ready to settle in for the season. But anyone who’ s played this sport long enough knows that once your body stops moving, your swing tends to follow.
Over the last few years, pickleball has emerged as a surprisingly fun solution for winter activity in Virginia, taking over rec centers, gymnasiums, and even former tennis courts throughout the Commonwealth.
For those new to pickleball, it’ s a game that combines the energy of tennis, the friendliness of backyard badminton, and the strategy of ping-pong— all without the intense conditioning required in 1v1 tennis. For golfers, it keeps you moving, thinking, reacting, and staying connected to the parts of your body and brain that make golf feel natural.
And the best part? None of it feels like“ off-season conditioning.” It just feels fun.
GET IN THE GAME So what’ s behind the explosion? One big reason is that pickleball is wonderfully social. It’ s no surprise that golfers, who already appreciate community and friendly competition, feel right at home on a pickleball court.
36 V IRGINIA G OLFER | J ANUARY / F EBRUARY 2026 vsga. org