Six new pickleball courts are coming to Semers Park, courtesy of organizing efforts by the Ely Pickleball Club.
Construction has been underway this summer after the Ely City Council approved the site overlooking Semers Park and Shagawa Lake, although the process has taken a pause due to the wildfires.
“This could be the most attractive, most beautiful setting for pickleball courts in the whole Midwest,” said club secretary Jeff LeMaster.
“We really feel that once we can get it done, it really can be a destination pickleball place where we can have tournaments and clinics and involve the general public,” LeMaster said.
The club initially hoped to see some courts on the ground this fall, but LeMaster said the more realistic timeline now would involve spring 2027 construction, with courts ready for play just before tourist season launches in early summer.
LeMaster said the idea for the courts arose in response to the club’s rapid growth in recent years, on par with pickleball’s status as the fastest-growing sport in the country.
Ninety-five people signed up as summer members, with additional daily drop-ins during open hours, which run Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the four courts near Ely Memorial High school where the club currently plays.
These courts can host up to 16 active players at a time, and LeMaster said it’s not uncommon for 16 - 20 additional people to stand and wait for a turn.
“Clearly we’ve not had capacity for the existing members, let alone to try to grow it within Ely,” LeMaster said.
The club began searching for locations and entered conversations with the city before landing on the project’s current location, which is a city-owned property.
“The idea that we could help add a really nice venue to a pretty cool park and add some positive energy, it really created excitement within the club. We’d looked at some other options, but this one we kept coming back to,” LeMaster said. “It just made sense. Everybody felt like it was a beautiful setting.”
The project is now in the site preparation phase, with a road and a parking area already cleared off of North Lakeview Avenue. Early this week, a grader was at work smoothing out the location for the courts.
The Pickleball Club is in the process of finalizing a long-term lease agreement with the city and working through parking details and traffic flow planning.
After raising more funds, the club will search for contractors who design and build pickleball courts, favoring local labor whenever possible.
The IRRRB granted the club $50,000 toward the project in early June. The club’s own fundraising efforts began at length in July, focusing first on internal pledges among membership.
After the club finalizes the land lease with the city, they plan to turn toward community marketing and local business engagement to boost funds.
Amenities at the pickleball venue will depend on the total amount of funds the Pickleball Club ultimately raises, but club representatives have tossed around ideas with the city for a pavilion overlooking the lake, trails and a stairway connecting the upper and lower areas of Semers Park.
Supporters can donate on the Ely Pickleball Club website via the “donate” button.
