The Goonellabah Tennis Club believes in the proverb, 'If you can't beat them, join them'. As one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, pickleball is forcing traditional sporting organisations to change their thinking as they look to the future.

Last weekend, the Goonellabah Tennis Club opened six (6) brand new pickleball courts at its Reserve Street home. Two synthetic grass tennis courts made way for the new pickleball courts, leaving three for members to play the traditional game, which has been the case since the club opened in the 1960s.

Graham Lancaster, President of the Goonellabah Tennis Club and Pickleball Club (as it is now known), said the traditional game of tennis is a declining sport in Australia and around the world.

"Pickleball is a very productive sport that is very new and potentially in the Olympics, so it's one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. It's quite similar to tennis in a lot of ways, but uses a lot less training, energy, technique and ability, that sort of thing. Any age can play it from 3 to 99, I would think, so yeah, there's no limit." 

(Graham Lancaster with the pickleball bats and ball)

Popular belief is that pickleball is an older person's sport; however, Graham says there is a lot of interest from young people.

"A lot of young ones are picking up. We probably had at least a third of the people who turned up to the opening, and there were about 50, who were in their teens or the 20 to 30 age group, so the younger cohort. Down in Ballina, they've got about 350 members in Pickleball now and mainly the older ones, because they just don't have any more capacity for the younger ones. We're hoping to have a facility that's open for everyone to use."

For the Goonellabah Tennis Club and Pickleball Club, this is not about financial survival, but it will help their financial viability in the future.

"We've been quite a cashed-up club through tennis for many years, so we use our own funds to build these courts, $120,000, and we're not under any threat of closing anything, but we want to be viable and we want to offer a service. Our courts and our facility are fantastic, second to none, in a beautiful location next to the Goonellabah Soccer Club.

(The traditional synthetic grass tennis court and the new pickleball courts on Reserve Street, Goonellabah)

"It's just a really nice facility we've got, and we want to see it utilised. We're only charging $5 a hit, basically, for two hours for a social comp, and membership is $60, so it's very affordable, and we have paddles there, people don't have to buy anything. They can just turn up. 

If you want to book a court for family or friends, court hire is $10 for 30 minutes, and can be completed online. Click here to book a court. Or think about a different Christmas party in 2025.

There is LED lighting, so night pickleball is available using an electronic entry system. You retrieve bats and balls in the same way.

Graham and the team have started a social comp on Monday and Tuesday evenings, which they are looking to expand as demand warrants. They are looking for more volunteers to help run pickleball. You can get in touch by calling 0419 984 088.

The Goonellabah Tennis and Pickleball Club is on Reserve Street, Goonellabah, off Rous Road.