We have been playing pickleball since 2008 in the Albany/Salem area. We started by striping courts at Burkhart Park and the North Albany Middle School and had 6-8 people playing regularly. In a partnership with the City and our group of players we began playing at Hackleman Park. We striped lines, and used temporary nets. With seed funding from the City and a huge time investment and some donations from the players we established 4 permanent courts at Hackleman Park for summer play. We also have been playing indoors in the winter at the Boys and Girls Club of Albany for many years.
On October 10, 2012 we had our first formal meeting and elected officers.
Left to right: President – Dennis Dahlen; Vice President – John Morey; Secretary – Bob LeRoy; Treasurer – Linda Pierson; “Past President” – Bob VanderLinden
On October 12, 2012, the Albany Pickleball Club was incorporated as an Oregon non-profit club. Also in 2012 we held the First Annual Rally In The Valley Pickleball Tournament. The goal of the tournament continues to be to promote pickleball in the Mid-Willamette Valley and to raise funds for court improvements.
In those early years, the club helped grow the sport by gaining new members, teaching free pickleball courses to get people interested, and helping create more court options for playing pickleball as membership expanded.
Major Milestones and Club Accomplishments
From day 1 we have had a great relationship with the City of Albany to promote and grow pickleball. Together we selected the little used tennis court at Eleanor Hackleman Park as a suitable venue for our pickleball play with the long term goal of enhancing and renovating the court into four pickleball courts. In 2012, the City invested in court patching and painting materials and members of the Club provided the “love and labor”. We bought one set of posts/net and the proceeds from the Rally In The Valley tournament were used to renovate the courts. Over time, the collaboration between the City and the Club was able to develop four permanent courts at Hackleman park.
In 2017 construction of new dedicated pickleball courts was added to the City of Albany Master Plan. This was the result of years of discussion about the need for new courts. The creation of the Albany Pickleball Club and lobbying for new courts was a major factor in the process.
Several locations were investigated at Timber Linn Park but proved to be very costly due to required improvements. Based on several discussions with Linn-Benton Community College, an option to utilize their four outdated tennis courts through an inter-agency agreement was analyzed and chosen as the preferred alternative. This agreement was an innovative solution for both the city and the college.
For the initial LBCC new courts APC worked to fund lighting for the courts to be available after sunset. The club could not afford to fund lighting for all eight courts, but it was able to fund a light upgrade for the 2 east side poles (parking lot side) to provide partial lighting for pickleball play on the first two courts. The club also paid for a storage shed for club equipment on site.
Construction began in May 2020 with a completion date of July 1, 2020. A major design change delayed construction and, thanks in part to Covid and some surfacing issues, pushed the the actual construction date out to July of 2021. The courts were finally opened for play on August 12, 2021. Just in time for our 8th annual Edward Jones Rally In The Valley Pickleball Tournament!!!
Pickleball Play on new LBCC courts September 2021
The Club in 2026
As of August 2026, the Albany Pickleball Club has over 180 members. We continue to maintain and improve both the Hackleman Courts and the LBCC Courts, as well as have a close relationship with the Albany Boys and Girls Club. We have been hosting the Rally in the Valley tournament for 14 years, with the last five years At LBCC.
Want to learn more?
Consider becoming a member. The cost is only $30/year. Learn all about the numerous benefits of membership.
Just starting out and want a chance to hang out with beginners for a while? Send an email to the beginner coordinator to get on the list and receive a monthly newsletter about learning opportunities, play opportunities, and events just for beginners (up to 3.0 level).