The intent of the petition is to make it clear to both Duke Energy and South Cove Park (Oconee County Parks, Recreation & Tourism) that there are over 200 people using these courts on a regular basis throughout the week and that the current facilities are worthy of an upgrade and expansion. Pickleball players using South Cove Park include local residents, campers at South Cove and other county parks, visitors staying in Lake Keowee properties, and students and residents of Clemson. The amount of play and considerable wait times reflect the rapid growth of the sport here and nationally.

To accommodate this growth, there is a clear need for six new courts as well as additional spacing between courts to provide safety. This could be accomplished by first converting existing two (2) tennis courts and eight (8) pickleball courts into a total of 14 pickleball court, and second, building one or two new tennis courts on the South Cove property.

In addition to meeting regular demand, the new pickleball courts could then be used for tournaments and fund raising events which brings money into Oconee County. This exposure of the South Cove Park facilities to a larger population would help to promote the park as an excellent access point to Lake Keowee. Recent Greenville tournaments draw upwards to 300 players, and Anderson tournaments draw upwards to 200 players.

Since this project is capital intensive, it would make economic sense to consider these additional enhancements when there is such significant work being done by contractors, rather than coming back in a few years to do them.