Sport
29 May, 2026
Pickleball growth continues with new club
As pickleball-mania continues to sweep through the Central Goldfields, long-standing members of the expanding Clunes player base are hoping to harness the sport’s growing interest by forming a local club.
Ever since the mother-son pairing of Wendy and Brett Vorstenbosch brought their social Hit and Giggle Pickleball program to Clunes nearly two years ago, player numbers have gradually grown.
With the Vorstenbosch’s now holding sessions at 1 pm, 2 pm and 6 pm on Wednesdays as well as a 3 pm slot on Sundays at the Clunes Community Centre, pickleball fever has well and truly swept through the community.
That fever has since transferred into Maryborough, with over 70 residents turning up to the Central Goldfields Shire Council’s inaugural Pickleball session.
To keep up with demand, the Healthy Loddon Campaspe initiative now has two sessions every Wednesday until June 24.
Alongside their sessions in Clunes, Ballarat, Castlemaine and Daylesford, Hit and Giggle Pickle-ball has come to Maryborough on Fridays, with sessions starting at 10.30 am, 4.10 pm and 5.15 pm.
“We wanted to keep the social side of pickleball going. There’s a lot of competition around, but sometimes you just want something for fun,” Wendy Vorstenbosch said.
“I love the rallies and I really enjoy not just meeting new people, but also bringing the community together.
“Everyone’s welcome of all abilities and it really doesn’t matter your level.”
Brett Vorstenbosch shared similar sentiments to Wendy, always excited to bring the program to new places and see fresh faces hit the court.
“It’s so much better to have one person driving in to teach 20 than 20 people driving to Ballarat to be taught by one,” he said.
“Everyone’s basically starting at a lower level when playing pickleball and everybody knows what it’s like to be the new person and a lot of people are very welcoming to help out.”
Emma Bennett used to be one of those new people, looking for a new physical activity after a broken back meant she couldn’t play tennis anymore.
“I’m just surprised by how many people are playing and how friendly everyone is,” she said.
“It’s really social, it’s a really quick game that’s quite exciting and there is a lot of laughter on the court.
“It’s heaps easier to get better, my friend never played sport before in her life. She’s been playing for two years and she’s in one of the higher divisions now in Ballarat.”
As her passion for pickleball continues to grow, Bennett has helped form the Clunes Pickleball Club, which is set to host its inaugural meeting next Wednesday.
“Clunes Pickleball Club is hoping to appeal to players who want to play every day,” Bennett said.
“There are a few of us here who live in Clunes who travel to Ballarat three to five times a week to play pickleball. We can’t get into some of the competitions in Ballarat. We miss out because there is a waitlist.
“We’ve got this awesome ground-swell that started with Brett and Wendy bringing all the beginners in and making people in Clunes excited about it and so we would just like to go to that next level.”
While the club is in its infancy, Bennett already has major plans, including potentially upgrading the town’s outdoor courts and possibly hosting social events and tournaments.
“With the start-up of the club, we can get grants to renovate facilities,” she said.
“We’ve got the outdoor courts, which we’d love to see renovated and because the outdoor courts are right next to the caravan park, it’d be really cool for our town.
“I also have five kids, so I’m really interested in starting some junior stuff out here. I’ve done some junior stuff with the school before and it was really fun.”
Residents are invited to the Clunes Pickleball Club’s inaugural meeting next Wednesday, June 3, at 6 pm at the Clunes National Hotel.
For more information and to join the Hit and Giggle Pickleball programs in Clunes and Maryborough, visit Clunes Hit & Giggle Pickleball or Maryborough Hit & Giggle Pickleball on Facebook or message Wendy Vorstenbosch on 0458 372 906.