By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

Racquet sports players in Ocean Pines continue to oppose the transition from separate rates to a single, multi-sport membership choice and the increased prices as a result.

In an effort to increase revenue and avoid logistical headaches, Ocean Pines has opted to eliminate the various membership options and instead offer racquet players a bundled three-sport annual fee.

That decision has proven controversial with residents for at least the last three years.

At the Ocean Pines Association’s budget town hall on Wednesday, Feb. 5, Racquet Sports Director Terry Underkoffler presented the new rates with price comparisons.

As proposed, the annual entrance fee for this coming fiscal year for residents will be $295. Resident families will incur a cost of $495. The membership fee for a nonresident individual will be $370, and the rate for the nonresident family will be $590. The resident junior cost will be $70, while nonresident juniors will pay $90.

The new fees are an increase from the previous year’s rates. In fiscal year 2024, the pickleball and platform resident family membership cost $295.

Resident individuals paid $180. For tennis in FY24, the resident family membership was $420, while the resident individual membership was $265.

To calculate these proposed prices, Underkoffler compared Ocean Pines to similar racquet centers on the Eastern Shore and up and down the coast.

To determine rate increases fairly, these analyses looked at centers that, like OPA, had staff, licensed instructors, and maintenance personnel.

The racquet director maintained OPA’s proposed fees remain lower than those of other centers in surrounding areas, even with the intended increases.

The Bethany Club, for instance, charges $745 for an individual, $1,095 for a couple, and $1,200 for a family. Further north, the New Jersey Cherry Hill Health and Racquet Club charges its pickleball members $100 a month.

Aside from the price comparisons, officials argue the rise in rates is needed to cover increasing costs.

“Our factors have gone up,” Underkoffler said.  “Minimum wage is now $15. Utilities have all been up since the pandemic. Our site is 44 years old with things that need to be repaired … We are attempting to operate on a break-even level.”

Underkoffler continued maintenance costs also are expected to become major expenses in the near future.

“We have hard court repair costs because of crack problems because the site was built on a marsh. We thought fixing the cracks might be a two- or three-year fix, but it’s not. Vendors said that the cracks are going to come back,” he said.

“We have clay court yearly maintenance. Umbrellas, furniture, court tools, rollers, touchless water fountains, and professional portable pickleball nets. Replacement tennis nets. Those are factors. We have capital improvements that are happening. We have improved the shade structure. Area fencing. Security cameras.”

Underkoffler acknowledged the new prices are higherfor some members but maintained that it’s a “jump that should have been done over years of time” but has not occurred.

“I knew coming in, I was going to be the one coming forward,” the racquet director said. “We are not looking at this year $295, next year $400, year after that $600. We are trying hard to stay at an affordable level for everybody to play. I want to encourage people to play more than one sport.”

“I want the racquet center to be more family-oriented. I still believe we are giving great value to our membership.”

Many racquet center players are against the proposed changes.

At last week’s town hall, resident Jim Ferguson spoke at the public comments portion, arguing that most center goers do not wish to play more than one sport, as this new fee structure encourages.

According to Ferguson, a pickleball club survey revealed 84% of those asked would only participate in a single racquet activity. The resident also addressed his concern that increasing rates will reduce memberships, ultimately decreasing revenue.

According to the proposed budget, there are currently 302 pickleball members, 59 tennis members and 67 platform tennis members. The new prices would impact pickleball and platform memberships the most, as the pickleball and platform family option currently costs $295 compared to the proposed $495.

The tennis family membership price will increase by $30 from $465 to $495, and individual tennis players who paid $295 in the most recent fee structure will continue to pay the same amount in next year’s combined sport price.

“Our recommendation is to maintain the current rate structure,” resident Carl Vincent said during the town hall’s public comments section. “Adjust the rates as needed … We want to spur the membership, grow all three sports, and continue to be competitive.”

Racquet center members also took issue with the increase in drop-in rates. The daily pickleball fee for Ocean Pines was $8 for residents and $11 for non-residents. The proposed budget increases the cost to $10 for OPA residents and $13 for non-residents.

“Drop-in fee increases are a major concern,” Vincent said. “In the past, it was as low as in the $7 and $8 dollar range, which is very competitive for the surrounding area. Going up to $13 is, I feel, going to have a negative impact. Drop-in is good marketing.”

“In the pickleball world, we enjoy having people come from Ocean City when they’re vacationing. That drop-in fee of $13 is not in line with the alternatives. Ocean City racquet center is $6. Northside Park is $5. Salisbury is free. Higher fees are going to have a negative impact on our revenue stream. ”

Despite the feedback, Ocean Pines officials maintain they support the combined fee structure and the increased rates.