Let's get started by asking a really easy question, what in the world is pickleball?

According to wikipedia.org:

Pickleball is an indoor or outdoor racket/paddle sport where two players, or four players, hit a perforated hollow polymer ball over a 36-inch-high net using solid-faced paddles. Opponents on either side of the net hit the ball back and forth until one side commits a rule infraction.

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To me this sounds like a giant game of ping pong played on a court instead of using an actual ping pong table. And it seems like a lot more work then necessary.

Apparently, this sport has become very popular in Michigan. I haven't played this game yet nor have I seen anyone playing it, but I am very curious.

According to mlive.com:

Pickleball, a racquet sport that’s a cross between tennis, badminton and ping pong, has taken off nationally in recent years. And Michigan is riding that wave with communities across the state building courts and turning it into a potential tourism draw.

I just cannot believe how popular this sport has become in such a short time. And if you're really competitive, they even have pickleball tournaments with big cash payouts.

I remember when tennis was really popular, along with ping pong, and what about golf? All three are still fun to play, but apparently, pickleball is all the rage.

Mlive.com adds:

East Lansing and Eaton Rapids recently partnered with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to fundraise for pickleball courts. They are both seeking a Public Spaces Community Spaces grant that matches crowdfunding support.

And what about all this talk about pickleball tournaments?  Around two dozen tournaments took place in Michigan this year alone.

One Michigan pickleball tournament that took place in Michigan was called "Pickleball Fever in the Zoo," and that tournament took in just over $15 million in vendor spending.

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