When COVID prevented area pickleball players from competing in the Atlanta Open tournament in 2020, Montclair players held their own tournament.
“We just planned to do it that one year,” said Anne Rheins, who has spearheaded the NOT’lanta Open, now its sixth year.
The tournament was May 1-4 at Montclair’s pickleball courts with men’s doubles events on Sunday.
About 220 pickleball players spent the weekend playing. It’s a favorite event among local pickleball players with the bulk of them from the Augusta area. Other cities such as Atlanta and Columbia represented as well.
With only eight pickleball courts that were converted from the neighborhood’s tennis courts available for use, the tournament reached its capacity a couple of years ago.
“We would’ve had more people from out of town if we had more courts,” Rheins said
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
