When school finally ends and the last bell has rung, students head to their summer plans: jobs, camp, internships or the pool. But when students are in need of a different option, pickleball can serve as a good choice. The sudden rise of pickleball initially started when Covid came around, as students and their families needed an escape from being stuck inside. Students with a little more time on their hands went in a different direction, golf. Golfing at 10 a.m. on a Saturday morning with the birds chirping and the sun shining is a top-tier feeling, but pickleballers would disagree.
In a survey of 153 students at this school, 72.5% of students reported that they prefer pickleball as a better summer sport. The other 27.5% of students favor golf, including freshman Jack Sisco, because it is a blend of mental and physical challenge that pickleball just can’t match. “Golf is a more sophisticated game that calls for more planning and execution rather than pickleball, which is simpler and less enjoyable,” Sisco said.
Disagreeing with Sisco is another opinion from freshman Sasha Rosenman, who prefers pickleball because it’s more of a moving sport, which is important as golf can be boring at times. “Pickleball is the better summer sport because it’s more active and fun,” Rosenman said.
While golf appears to be liked among students, pickleball seems to outdo golf. Pickleball is an easier sport to learn, meaning it is more accessible for students of a greater range of athleticism.
Another golf player, sophomore Christian Lee, prefers golf but acknowledges the benefits of pickleball because golf is not as accessible and is too hard to be consistently good. “I still like golf better, but pickleball is easier to learn and master,” Lee said.
Pickleball paddles and balls are exponentially less expensive than golf clubs and balls, which can be over $1,000, while pickleball is in the $100s to $ 200s. To play golf, whether on a public or private course, you’ll have to pay a fee of $30 to $100. Pickleball is more affordable as you can play on a driveway, tennis court or pickleball court. Golf can be played throughout students’ lifetime and into retirement unlike pickleball, which requires more movement. Golf is more than “just a sport,” golf is a “gateway into nature, strengthening connections with the outdoors,” Sisco said.
The simplicity of pickleball is a key factor in the decision-making process for students. Age is a slight restriction on pickleball due to movement, but is still a factor as shown in the CBC’s article, “Golf reaching out to younger generation — but is it trying too hard?” Golf is trying to lower its age range, yet still failing because of the lack of action in the sport. “Pickleball is a better sport because golf takes too long, and pickleball is easier to learn,” senior Skylar Cohen said.
Golf remains a relevant sport as Cohen, Rosenman, and Sisco all play or have played golf when they were younger.
