If you're ready to buy a home in a pickleball adult community, don't forget to check out the courts. You might not realize this, but not all pickleball courts are created equal. If you're going to be spending your retirement years playing pickleball, you want to make sure that you're playing on the right courts. While you're touring retirement communities, here are four features you'll want to look for when inspecting the pickleball courts.

Lighting

If you've got plans to buy a home in a pickleball community, make sure you check out the lighting on the courts. First, you want to make sure that there's plenty of lighting for evening and night games. Otherwise, you'll be limited to daytime games, which dramatically reduces the amount of playtime you might get. Second, you want to consider natural lighting, especially the position of the courts. If the playing surfaces are facing either east or west, your games are going to be interrupted by the sun. To avoid that, make sure the courts are facing north or south. 

Surface

If you're going to spend a lot of time playing pickleball, you'll want to make sure that the courts have the right type of playing surface. The wrong playing surface can put pressure and strain on your legs, feet, back, and joints. Not only that, but the wrong type of surface can interfere with proper ball play. To avoid those problems, the court surfaces should be professionally applied and should have some stability under your feet. For maximum enjoyment, pickleball courts should have slip-resistant surfaces to prevent slip and fall accidents. 

Fencing

If you're going to buy a home in a pickleball community, pay attention to the fencing around the courts. First, you want to make sure that the pickleball courts are fenced. Adequate fencing helps to ensure privacy during playtime. Second, adequate fencing helps to reduce the occurrence of runaway balls. Finally, the right fencing helps to reduce the noise associated with pickleball games. This is especially important if you've decided to buy a home near the courts. You don't want the quiet enjoyment of your home to be interrupted by the noises coming from the pickleball courts. You also don't want your pickleball games to interrupt other homeowners. 

Amenities

If you're ready to buy a home in a pickleball retirement community, check out the available courtside amenities. You're going to be spending a lot of time at the courts. You want to make sure that there are plenty of places to sit and relax while you wait for your court time. You also want to make sure that there's plenty of storage space available for your gear. Finally, you want the pickleball courts to be within walking distance of the clubhouse. That way, you can relax and unwind after the game.