RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - The Rancho Murieta Pickleball Club was established in 2019 to promote and celebrate the sport of Pickleball, which was invented in 1965 in the United States and is now considered the fastest-growing sport in the country.

The first group of players began by drawing chalk lines for pickleball play on the South Murieta tennis courts. That early interest eventually led to a collaboration with the Rancho Murieta Homeowners Association to build two dedicated pickleball courts at Stonehouse Park in North Murieta by converting part of the outdoor basketball courts.

As the sport’s popularity grew and the club’s membership approached 200 players, the two courts were no longer sufficient. An agreement was reached with Summerfest, the Rancho Murieta Association and other private donors to fund the construction of six additional pickleball courts at Stonehouse Park, located west of the North Gate.

The current board of the Rancho Murieta Pickleball Club includes President Alan Chase, Vice President Patty Lew, Treasurer Linda Haviland, Secretary Wendy Lovatt-Dougherty and Secretary Cookie Whalen.

The club’s logo also has a local story. Several years ago, when the organization was just getting started, members discussed creating a logo to represent the club. Member Carl Gaither, drawing on his experience as an art director in graphic arts, volunteered to design one. After submitting three designs that were not selected, Gaither returned to the drawing board and developed a simpler concept featuring a pickleball streaking through the air to capture the speed of the game.

The design was accepted by the club. As Gaither later noted, sometimes the simplest design works best.

The Rancho Murieta Pickleball Club is open to new members who live inside the gates of the community. Annual membership is $30. For more information, contact [email protected].