Recently two female pickleball players were approached by a panhandler asking for money as they were entering their cars in the Smith-Hazel parking lot. They indicated they had no money, that they were there playing pickleball. They then entered their cars and left the lot. The Smith-Hazel staff have been alerted about the incident. This could happen anywhere at anytime, so stay alert out there. If at all possible, players should not leave alone but should go at least in pairs.
Aiken Pickleball News
The men and women's 3.5 and 3.0 draws are full. Be advised that if you have signed up on the wait list if someone drops out the first person on the list will automatically be moved into the draw and sent an email advising them that they have been officially entered into the Round Robin. We encourage everyone on the wait lists to come to the SSRR in case there are any last minute no shows, or subs needed for something unexpected.
Did you know that when you sign up for a court reservation you do not need to type in all the names? You can do a simple copy and paste. Type the names out in another document, and do copy. Then go to the sign up and place your cursor in the box for the names - hit paste. Not only easier, but way faster!
Below is a copy of an obituary from the Wall Street Journal for Barney McCallum (1926-2019), who just passed away at the age of 93. He is being credited for refining the game of pickleball. It also provides a different version on how the game got its name.
For those of you that love the competition, after our Super Senior Round Robin on January 18, 2020, there are seventeen (17) tournaments in our tri-state area scheduled between Valentines day and the July 4th weekend. The closest one is the Drive, Drop and Dink in August, March 27-29. In South Carolina there are tournaments scheduled in Bluffton/Hilton Head (3),Camden and North Myrtle Beach. Nothing yet in Orangeburg.
In Georgia, besides the one in Augusta, between now and July 4th weekend, there are tournaments scheduled in Atlanta (2), Griffin (2), Hartwell, Rome, Suwanee, and Tiger, Georgia. Near Charlotte, North Carolina, Concord and Salisbury have tournaments scheduled during this same time frame. A link to all of the above is provided on our Tournament webpage.
And if you are really serious about tournament play, go to http://www.pickleballtournaments.com/ for a list of all the tournaments scheduled nationwide.