Nettles Park, adjacent to Patrick Square, will receive eight new pickleball courts this year due to a $250,000 contribution from Clemson University in a partnership with the city of Clemson to expand the park.

The courts are set to open to the public in the fall, with construction planned to begin this spring, according to Nathan Hinkle, a Clemson city engineer.

“The addition of pickleball courts at Nettles Park is an exciting and much-needed project for the Clemson community,” Clemson Mayor Robert Halfacre said in an email to The Tiger. “The city and university saw this partnership as a win-win opportunity. We are excited to move forward.”

Halfacre hopes the project will offset some of that traffic and accommodate the lack of pickleball courts on Clemson’s campus.

Pickleball was named the No. 1 growing sport in America in 2023, and its popularity has grown among students and community members alike, increasing competition with local tennis players for space on the current seven tennis courts at Nettles Park.

Alongside the new pickleball courts, Clemson’s financial contributions to the expansion of Nettles Park will also include additional parking, multi-use trails and a dog park, according to Hinkle.