QCPC Newsletter

December 2025

Caroline Gammie - Howard Ives - Marie Still - Andrea Hardgrove - Jane Kasberg - Katherine Huss - Daphne Huey - Lorey Carpenter - John Carpenter - Denise Schmitt - Kathy Wendlandt - Kenneth Edwards - Mike Craig - Mary Craig - Scott Mendelson - Amy Mendelson - David Urban - Rebecca Urban - Audrey Bulger - Jay Murphy - Juli Mangino - Colleen Baron - Lou Becovitz -

2025 Quail Creek Pickleball Club Members, Thank You!

The club could not function without its members.

If you have not already, please renew your Membership for 2026 to continue receiving many benefits including:

Prime Time court reservations
balls on all the courts
lessons and drills
Scheduled Play Events
Socials
additional facility enhancements (shade sails, benches, bike racks, sound systems, windsocks, etc.)

There are three options to renew your membership:

1. Click here to go to CourtReserve:

Log into your account
Tap Review and Finalize
Enter the required information
Pay using a credit card
Sign the required waiver

2. CourtReserve app on your phone:

Log into your account
Tap on the 4 boxes at the bottom right of your screen
Select My Membership
Choose the button for Pre-Purchase Membership
Tap Learn More under 2026 Membership
Tap Review and Finalize
Fill in required information and pay using a credit card
Sign the required waiver

3. CourtReserve website on your home computer or phone:

Log into your account
Go to the Home Page by clicking on the logo in the top left of your screen
Click on the button for 2026 Membership in the center of your screen
Tap Review and Finalize
Enter the required information
Pay using a credit card
Sign the required waiver

If you have any questions please contact me at MembershipQCPC@gmail.com

I hope to see you on the courts soon!

Bobbi Jo Blythe

QCPC Membership Chair

Holiday Cheer & Beer Social

December 13th, 11:00AM-1:00PM

If you signed up, check in 10:15-10:45 at the upper ramada.

Remember to bring your pot luck dish and your favorite drink (coolers available). Tea and lemonade will be offered.

The Social is a 6-game round robin and players are expected to play all 6 games.

The goal of the Social and of all QCPC events is to have a fun, safe event, so please be aware of who you are playing with and their level of experience.

If you are staying for lunch and wish to participate in a 50/50 raffle please bring cash with you.

Scheduled Play

Schedule link on CourtReserve under Announcements tab.

Court assignments can change based on participation at any time. Court Cleaning will change court location weekly. See the Court page for specific court reservations.

Please use CourtReserve to see the most up to date information. Detailed information for each event referenced can be found on the CourtReserve site in the Scheduled Play Section as well as the Policy and Procedures Manual.

More information about Scheduled Play on CourtReserve under About QCPC tab.

Any club member may petition the Board to approve additional Scheduled Play. If you are interested, please submit your petition to ScheduledPlayQCPC@gmail.com.

Looking for volunteers to lead the 2.5 group on Thursdays, as well as the Men’s Only and Women's Only groups on Monday and Wednesday afternoons.

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2026 Winter League

Registration December 17– January 10, 2026

Are you looking for another play event? Interested in meeting new players with a similar skill level? Looking for fun & spirited competition? QCPC Winter Leagues are for you!

We are going to offer 3 different skill levels. If you do not have a formal rating, you may self-rate. If you are not sure how you should be rated, ask people you play with or the club coaches for advice.

2.5 League – this is a great way to continue your pickleball journey; think of it as the next step after Assisted Play. We are offering separate Men’s and Women’s divisions; however, we may need to combine to make it Mixed based on registration numbers.
3.0 League – intermediate; more experience and a few more skills developed. We are offering separate Men’s and Women’s divisions; however, we may need to combine to make it Mixed based on registration numbers.
3.5 League – advanced intermediate skills; this league will be Mixed.

Select the league that best fits your skill-set. For fun, competitive play, don’t aim too high or too low. Matches will be played during February and March on Saturday afternoons. The season will be approximately 4-6 weeks. Due to a shorter season, please only sign up if you are available for the majority of the season.

If you are interested, please register on CourtReserve (go to Events/Calendar or Events/Categories/Organized Play) between December 17 and January 10, 2025.

Details to be worked out based on registration:

League configuration (Men’s, Women’s, or Mixed)
Number of teams in each league
Formation of teams (blind draw most likely)
Time of play for each of the leagues

Committee Members: Volunteers needed

Any questions can be directed to Brenda Davis (scheduledplayqcpc@gmail.com).

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First DUPR Day Event a Success!

Thank you to the 34 members who played in the first DUPR Day event on December 7th. We had round robins for groups ranging from 2.5 to 4.0 for the event.

More than 15 of the new players now have a rating in DUPR as a result of the event. We now have 97 members in DUPR.

The next DUPR Day event will be held on Sunday, January 4th, from 2-4 PM. Sign-ups begin on December 28th. You do not need to have a DUPR rating to play. We hope to see you at the next event.

Anyone playing must sign up for DUPR and join the Quail Creek Pickleball Club in DUPR. The DUPR instructions can also be found on CourtReserve under Resources.

What do you need to do to get a DUPR rating?

Join DUPR by going to www.dupr.com and creating an account. Use the same spelling of your first name and last name as reflected in CourtReserve. The basic DUPR account is free. There is an option to pay monthly for a more robust membership, but it is not necessary.

Your rating will be “NR” for Not Rated until you have matches in DUPR. Your rating will likely start in the 3.0-3.5 range until you have enough matches to get more accuracy. It will take several events for your rating to get accurate enough to have a 60% reliability score, which is the minimum DUPR recommends for league and tournament participation.

If you want your DUPR rating to start closer to your skill level, contact Karen Morse at morse99044@me.com. Karen is DUPR-certified to evaluate players and assign them a provisional rating. This is only necessary if you play in tournaments and don’t want your initial DUPR rating to impact your tournament level.

To enter a match in DUPR, all four players must have a DUPR account. Discuss and decide within your group(s) if you would like your events to be DUPR matches. If your group decides to use DUPR, please contact Michael Myers at mtmyers68@gmail.com for guidance on getting DUPR set up for your group.

How do I join the Quail Creek Pickleball Club in DUPR and link my DUPR account to CourtReserve?

After creating your account, click on the menu item Club. Please look through the list of clubs near me or search for the “Quail Creek Pickleball Club”. Click on the club and then click “Join Club”. Once you have joined the club you will see your rating in CourtReserve within a few hours.

We will use this club to enter scores for any DUPR club events that we host once we get enough members in DUPR.

Player Development

New to pickleball, or just want some people to practice with? QCPC Player Development has lessons and drills for 2.0-3.5 level players. If you are a brand-new player start with Introduction to Pickleball. Tom Dean will cover serving, returning, dinking, dropping, driving, keeping score, basic play, and safely.

After this introduction, you can move onto the 2.0 Beginner Drills. Kathy Vollink and her team will have you working on serves, returns, dinking, driving, drop shots, overhead, volleys, and lobs. You will also learn strategies, moving and communicating with partners, proper footwork, safely, and scoring.

If you have attended beginner drills or have some basic playing experience and would like more help with your game, try the 2.0 Assisted Play. Susie Eckhardt will have you playing with others and giving advice while you play. After completing the 2.0 drills you can get more instruction through the 2.5 Assisted Play. Kathy Vollink will emphasize game play, shot selections, and doubles strategies. This is also good for people who have been playing but want to improve playing with partners.

Those who are a little more advanced or have been playing for a while and want to improve their shots and doubles game can try the 3.0/3.5 Clinic Days. Fred Baum and his crew will show you ways to drill with each other to learn and practice more advanced movement, shot techniques, and doubles strategies.

If you want a little more personal instruction, look into Gary Quantz’s classes. Gary has drills and lesson for 2.0-3.5 levels. He also has private lessons and clinics with GVR’s Kathy Palese.

If you are not sure what level you are or want more information on all of the above, go to our CourtReserve site and find the Player Development page under the About QCPC tab. It’s also easy to sign up for classes on CourtReserve. Go under the Events tab, then Categories, then Player Development to register for classes.

Whether you want to play for recreation or competition, learning more about shot techniques, shot selections, and doubles strategies will improve your game and make it more fun.

Next Pickleball Machine Trainings

Sat, Dec 27th, 12p - 2p

Fri, Jan 9th 2026, 12p - 2p

Sat, Jan 24th 2026, 12p - 2p

Sign up on CourtReserve under

Events/Categories/PB Machine Training.

More information on CourtReserve under

About QCPC/Pickleball Machine.

GQ Pickleball

Q-TIPS / DECEMBER 2025

HAPPY HOLIDAYS – As the year end approaches, thanks to all that have taken classes with me in 2025. There is still a handful of classes available before December ends so treat yourself to the gift of “pickleball knowledge” and become a better and more knowledgeable player to start your New Year’s off right.

GIFT CARDS – I’ve now had several inquiries about gift cards to purchase for gifting a spouse or friend a lesson(s) at a future date(s). YES, I do have gift cards for purchase. Please contact me for details and THANKS to those that have already made a purchase! What a wonderful gift idea for now or anytime throughout my 2025/2026 season for those wanting to become better players.

JANUARY 2026 LESSON SCHEDULE – Will be posted shortly and added to CourtReserve before Christmas.

REMAINING DECEMBER 2025 GQ PICKLEBALL SCHEDULE

REGULAR DRILL CLASSES (2.0, 2.5, 3.0 Level)

Students sign up on our QCPC Court Reserve website (first come/first serve on a weekly basis). Maximum 8 students per class. No online prepayment available (pay cash, check, or Venmo at the start of each class). COST: $20pp / 90-minutes COURTS: #13 and #14 (except on court cleaning dates)

2.5 LEVEL REGULAR CLASSES

Monday, Dec. 15th – 11am to 12:30pm – Court #13 and #14
Monday, Dec. 22nd – 11am to 12:30pm – Court #13 and14

3.0 LEVEL REGULAR CLASSES

Wednesday, Dec. 17th – 11am to 12:30pm – Court #13 and #14

*2.0 LEVEL REGULAR CLASSES

*2.0 Level must pass our QCPC Beginners clinic or have instructor approval

No more 2.0 Level classes offered in December. Classes resume in January 2026. Check Court Reserve for schedule after Christmas.

“KLINICS with KATHY” (3.5 Level)

Kathy Palese (SNAP PICKLEBALL) will co-teach along with GQ PICKLEBALL for 3.5 level players weekly. Students sign up on our Court Reserve website (first come/first serve on a weekly basis). No online prepayment available (pay cash, check, or Venmo at the start of each clinic). Two classes offered per date. COURTS: #13 and #14 (except on court cleaning dates). MAX: 8 students / CLASS COST: $25 / 90 minutes.

Thursday, Dec. 18th – 11am to 12:30pm or 12:30pm to 2pm

PRIVATE LESSONS (*2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 Level)

*2.0 Level must pass our QCPC Beginners clinic or have instructor approval

Private lessons are NOT available for signups on CourtReserve. Contact Gary directly for availability and assignment (text 206-948-4457 or email GQPickleball@gmail.com

I offer one-on-one, “couples or doubles”, “3 and Me” play, or foursomes wanting to improve their overall game or work on a specific shot or drill. I also can help you prep for an upcoming IPTPA test and/or teach strategies to help with a future APPL play or tournament. 1 to 4 students per private class only. Classes are held on COURT #13 (except on court cleaning dates).

COST: Cash, check, or Venmo due at the start of each class

60-minute Class Cost: $20 per student

90-minute Class Cost: $25 per student

3rd week of December Private Lesson Schedule (choice of 60- or 90-minute lesson)

Monday, Dec. 15th – 12:30pm
Tuesday, Dec. 16th – 11am or 12:30pm
Wednesday, Dec. 17th – 12:30pm

4th week of December Private Lesson Schedule (choice of 60- or 90-minute lesson)

Monday, Dec. 22nd – 12:30pm
Tuesday, Dec. 23rd – 11am or 12:30pm

5th week of December Private Lesson Schedule (choice of 60- or 90-minute lesson)

Monday, Dec. 29th – 12:30pm
Tuesday, Dec. 30th – 11am or 12:30pm

REMINDERS

Maintenance at the Courts

The pickleball club takes care of supplying balls, checking net heights, and maintaining wind socks at the courts. If you notice other problems at the courts, fill out the Maintenance Request on the Quail Creek HOA site.

Be Considerate

Pick up balls and put them back in the sleeves so others don’t have to.
Close the gates so the wind doesn’t destroy them.
Return brooms/squeegees to their designated spots so others know where they are.

Parking at the Courts

Now that many Snow Birds are back, our parking lots are filling up in the mornings. If you have a Golf Cart, please DOUBLE PARK as to accommodate all members.

If you park behind others, leave your key in the golf cart so people can move it to get out, OR leave a note letting people know what court you are on so they can come ask you to move it.

Thanks for your consideration of others!

New Fence Protectors

QC Pickleball Courts have new fence protectors, provided by our club.

CourtReserve Announcements

Look for short reminders, updates, changes, etc. on the Home page or the Announcements tab.

A red dot tells you something has been added or edited.

(Tip - click on logo to return to Home page.)

Pickleball for Parkinson’s

The Quail Creek Pickleball for Parkinson’s group is looking for Quail Creek residents with Parkinson’s and their care partners to join us for 1 1/2 hour sessions twice a week.

The sessions include social time where we exchange personal information about our family and social experiences with Parkinson’s, experiences with local medical and therapeutic providers as well as discussing research and emerging technologies. After a ten minute stretch we warm up with a short playing lesson and spend the remaining time in the session playing. Quail Creek resident volunteers assist us and participate in all our activities. We currently play on Tuesday and Friday mornings at 9:00am. The starting time varies throughout the year to accommodate changing seasonal daylight and temperatures.

If you are interested or know someone who can benefit from participating in Pickleball for Parkinson’s contact Lenny Friedman or Don Armour.

Lenny Friedman lenny.pickleball@gmail.com

Don Armour donaldbjarmour@gmail.com