BALDWIN COUNTY, Ga. — Baldwin County approved 20 new pickleball courts and lights from the state's grant.
This process started when people went to the Commissioners and advocated for more courts.
Barbara Roberts plays pickleball at Walter B Williams Park almost every day.
Roberts says she did not always play.
She says this park used to be used primarily for baseball and softball.
But three years ago, she says, people started playing pickleball in Baldwin.
"I come through here a lot and really didn't see anybody," she says.
She says that Roberts came for sporting events but has yet to play tennis or walk the park.
"That's how I got started. I would see people down here, and I was wondering what was going on. Everyone is so friendly and helped you out with it," she says.
More people have started coming to play in the past two years, she says.
Roberts says courts have several cracks, and people are getting injured.
That's why she and fellow players asked commissioners to plan new courts.
"We've had several accidents out here. One just recently went after a ball and fell face forward," Roberts says.
On Monday, the commissioners approved 20 new pickleball courts with lighting.
Jeff Moore is the president of the pickleball club in Milledgeville. He says they thought new courts might never happen.
"The sport continued to grow. We knew we were gaining momentum with the number of people coming to the community to play. So we started talking to the commissioners and figuring out what we needed to do. We finally checked those boxes and received a grant from the state," he said.
The park already has a new mountain bike trail and is now getting a waterpark under construction.
People in the county's pickleball community hope more people will play in Baldwin County.