Torrey Oaks

A Pickleball Friendly Florida RV Resort

Welcome to Torrey Oaks. If you are pickleball players and RV’ers in Florida like we are, then you just have to visit this park. Torrey Oaks is a new luxury RV Resort located just off U.S. Hwy 17, and just north of Historic Downtown Wauchula in South Central Florida. The park sits on just over 20 acres, with 241 RV sites, is close to shopping and restaurants, has an abundance of outdoor recreation and State Parks near by, has more amenities and on-site activities than you can even imagine, and is only an hour’s drive from Orlando, Bradenton, Sarasota and Tampa/St. Petersburg ……..and it has the newest pickleball courts in the area!!

During the winter of 2008, developers Doug and Sherry Battey were making plans to construct tennis courts in the park, but people kept telling them to consider pickleball courts. “What is Pickleball? The people here say they don’t want a tennis court, they want a pickleball court?” says a very confused Doug Battey. With no idea what a pickleball court looked like they went searching………………and they found us, with a group of pickleball players, on the pickleball courts at another RV Park. And did they come to the right place? We are Ambassadors for USAPA!! We were all over this one like white on rice!!

All of us made several visits to the park providing them with copies of the USAPA Pickleball Rules, information on paddles and balls, and the specifications for the court construction. We emphasized the importance of the court surface, the court size and the free space behind the serving lines. Construction started and finally the forms were laid and the concrete was ready to be poured At Doug’s request Rich took a final look at the size and layout and confirmed they were ready to pour.

The courts were finished and in the beginning of October, Doug called Rich and I and asked if we’d stop by, take a look at the courts, and help him shoot some pickleball video to use in a television promotion for the park. We took along two of our RV friends and pickleball players Travis Weaver and Randy Overstreet. Also visiting the park that day to investigate this pickleball craze was Bill Lambert, Director of Hardee County Economic Development. Yes, we did get a paddle in his hand! The court surface is great. The high contrast composite makes it safe and slippery free. Doug is making a few final changes to correct the painted lines and the outside post positions ……..and they will be ready for some serious pickleball playing. They have even made room to seat spectators who come to watch the games.

Joining the Activities Team at Torrey Oaks this winter is Jean Mulder, the USAPA Ambassador from Holland, Michigan and folks, she is excited about working with the Torrey Oaks residents and she wants to extend an invitation to all of you RV’ers planning to be in Florida this winter!! Jean will be joining the staff on December 1st and her goal is to “teach new players, sharpen the skills of all levels of play and participate in many of the area tournaments as well as host a tournament or two”. There will be tournaments and old fashion fun pickleball events all winter in the area, and players from Torrey Oaks will proudly wear their Torrey Oaks Pickleball T-Shirts.

Bill Lambert, Randy Overstreet,
Travis Weaver, Rich and Donna Donald

If you want to contact Jean or share some ideas or suggestions with her, she can be reached at:jkmuldemailto:jkmulder@iserv.net or 616-510-1227. She will soon be updating the USAPA website on ‘places to play’ with the schedule and times as well as directions to this beautiful facility.

One of the residents at Torrey Oaks writes the following in a testimonial to the park. ”The pickle ball court is ready for a match - we just need some teammates to play with………..We look forward to seeing the friends we met last year and making new friends - we can sharpen our pickle ball skills together." So to help them out until Jean arrives, Travis Weaver has returned to the park to get people already familiar with the game out on the courts and to train anyone interested in learning the game. He reports that people are coming to the courts and excited to learn the game.

Doug and Sherrie will tell you……. If you can dream it, we can help make it happen... Well folks one more pickleball dream has come true!!

For more information on Torrey Oaks go to /www.torrey-oaks-rv-lots.com/ or contact them at torreyoaks@gmail.com.


Submitted by Rich and Donna Donald, Ambassadors – New Tampa Florida and
Jean Mulder, Ambassador- Holland, Michigan