If you walk past the Havelock North Tennis Club during a pickleball session, you’ll hear it before you see it: the distinct donk-donk of the ball accompanied by a lot of laughter.

What started in early 2022 as a casual suggestion has grown - purely by word of mouth - into a thriving community of more than 70 players. With the addition of four brand-new, dedicated pickleball courts in October 2026 bringing our total capacity to eight courts, it’s the perfect time to look back at how a handful of determined members brought one of the world’s fastest-growing sports to our club.

Chalk, tape, and wonky green lines

Every great club movement starts with a bit of Kiwi ingenuity. After club Treasurer and Secretary Bev Penny visited the courts in Hastings and suggested giving pickleball a go at HNTC, members and founders Jill Wilkins, Karen Coles, and Liz Randall took the ball and ran with it.

In the very beginning, there were no fancy setups. The group marked out a single court using chalk and borrowed the kids' Hot Shots nets from the tennis shed.

As interest grew, chalk gave way to tape. Club Patron Kim Clayton - who didn’t even play pickleball himself - showed up time and again to help meticulously tape the courts, while Dave Anderton, sidelined from tennis with an injury, stepped in to coach newcomers and get them hitting the ball.

Once the trial gained momentum, Ange Brady generously lent the group proper pickleball nets to use. Later, when it was clear pickleball was here to stay, a wonderful donation from Faye Gardiner funded the club's first official set of four nets, paddles, and balls.

Moving from temporary tape to painted lines on Court 9 was an adventure in itself. After volunteers water-blasted the surface, the first attempt saw green pickleball lines painted onto the green tennis court - making them almost invisible and, truth be told, a little wonky. Thankfully, when it came time to redo them, Steve and Jill Norman stepped in to help, lending a special taping machine that allowed the crew to repaint the lines in a subtle blue, which worked well on the shared court. They turned out much straighter too!

Winning hearts and minds

Introducing a new sport to a long-standing tennis club wasn't without its growing pains. Early on, sharing and painting lines on Court 9 - the club's only hard tennis court - caused real tension with some dedicated tennis members who felt the changes encroached on their space, finding the extra lines confusing and the noise distracting.

The turning point came during a tense club meeting, thanks to long-time member Belinda Alexander. After decades of playing competitive tennis, Belinda had reached a stage where traditional tennis was too hard on her body. When some suggested that pickleballers should simply go and play in Hastings, Belinda stood up and spoke from the heart.

She told the room that pickleball had changed her life, allowing her to stay active in a fun way without leaving the community she loved. "These are my people," she said. "This is my club, and I want to stay in touch with them. I don't want to go elsewhere."

That perspective shifted the room. Members began to see that pickleball wasn't taking away from tennis - it was keeping treasured club members connected, welcoming fresh faces, and providing vital financial security for the club as a whole. Even ‘dual citizens’ who play both sports noticed a perk: the fast-paced nature of pickleball noticeably sharpened their net reflexes when they stepped back onto the tennis court.

The secret sauce: Zero expectations

Ask Karen, Liz, or Jill what has surprised them most since those early days, and they all point to the same thing: the atmosphere.

Whether it's busy professionals and parents looking to switch off for an hour, retirees who haven’t played a sport in decades, or curious dog walkers wandering over from Anderson Park, the group welcomes everyone.

"We have no expectations when we go on a court," says Liz. "We don't worry if someone plays a bum shot - you're just there to have a hit, a chat, and a laugh."

Expanding to eight courts

While our four painted courts on Court 9 got us where we are today, the sheer popularity of the sessions meant we soon needed more room to grow.

Adding four brand-new, dedicated pickleball courts to our four existing ones on Court 9 gives us eight pickleball courts alongside the club's nine tennis courts:

• More ways to play: With four permanently set-up courts ready to go at a moment's notice and four additional courts on Court 9 for big social sessions, we have the flexibility to host casual drop-ins, graded games, and large groups.
• Less setup & easy booking: Having dedicated courts with permanent nets means no more lifting portable nets on and off the court for every session, and opens the door for members to book courts online for twilight games, weekend family sessions, or competitive matches.
• Room for everyone: On busy days when tennis players need the hard court, pickleballers now have their own dedicated area.

Come and have a go!

Whether you’re a seasoned racket sport player or a complete beginner who hasn't played a game since school, you’re always welcome on the courts. Check out our 'Discover Pickleball' page for session times, or head over to our ‘How to play pickleball’ page for a quick rundown of the rules.

Your first session is completely free, and we supply all the gear. As our founders like to say, all you need to bring is five bucks and a smile!