Three Lakes pickleball tourney starts Saturday in Three Lakes

Pickleball players from around the region will converge on the Northwoods this coming weekend to play in the 12th annual Three Lakes pickleball tournament at Don Burnside Park.

The event is scheduled to run on Saturday, July 11, through Sunday, July 12.

Organizers see players from all over Wisconsin and surrounding states come to Three Lakes annually to play in the tournament.

There will again be three separate divisions this year, with the men’s and women’s doubles playing Saturday and mixed doubles hitting the court Sunday, with play starting at 9 a.m. each day. Spectators are welcome to attend the festivities for free.

The tournament is a round-robin with a mini-playoff format for the top teams.

The registration deadline for the event was June 30, with preliminary numbers on July 1 being 175 players registered. Numbers could increase with organizers potentially seeing late sign-ups just ahead of tournament weekend. Preliminary numbers from this year are up from the roughly 170 players who participated in last year’s tournament.

As of July 1, there are 50 men’s teams, 21 women’s teams and 50 mixed teams. The number of men’s and mixed teams that are registered is up from last year as well. With the increased interest every year, organizers are adding new things to this year’s tournament. Much of the event’s festivities remain the same each year, but there will be an added complimentary happy hour and cookout after Saturday’s play for all players, spectators and volunteers.

The Three Lakes Pickleball Club is a non-profit, community-focused club. The goal of the club is to create a positive play experience for all ability levels. Proceeds from the tournament will be used to make improvements to the pickleball courts and facility in Three Lakes. If you do not want to participate in the tournament but would like to make a monetary donation, you can find out how at threelakespickleball.org. More tournament and contact info are also on the website.