Wilmette to Host Public Hearings on Platform Tennis

Fans of platform tennis will be able to share their feedback on a proposal to install four paddle tennis courts and a warming hut in Wilmette during two public meetings. 

Wilmette Park District has proposed to build the paddle facility at the south end of West Park, 3555 Lake Ave. The project is estimated to cost $1.2 million. 

The first public hearing will be held on June 18, 7 p.m. at the Community Recreation Center, 3000 Glenview Rd. The second hearing will be held June 25, 7 p.m. at Wilmette Village Hall, 1200 Wilmette Ave. 

Platform tennis, also known as paddle, is a “down-sized game of tennis,” where the courts are a quarter the size of a standard tennis court, according to the American Platform Tennis Association.

A fusion of racquetball, squash and tennis, platform tennis is an outdoor sport suitable for winter because it’s played on a raised platform with heating systems beneath it to melt off snow and ice.

Developed in New York in the late 1920s, the sport was mainly played in private sports clubs along the North Shore, but has since taken off with park districts. Winnketa offers platform tennis through its park district and Glenview Park District is planning to build courts at Glenview National 9 Golf Course, 2800 W. Lake Ave.

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