It looks and plays a bit like tennis but the court is smaller, combines some elements of table tennis and badminton, and requires a paddle and plastic ball that has holes.

It’s pickleball, and it has been gaining momentum across Ohio as a fun activity for players of all ages. The tri-county area is no exception.

In her three years as office manager of Aspen Racket Club in Wooster, Heather Alexander has seen the volume of pickleball players nearly triple at her facility.

“Pickleball play has really picked up from last year,” Alexander said. “Over the past few months, we’ve made the investment to add lines for six courts to accommodate the growth and demand for more places to play.”

The growing popularity of the sport — which can be played as doubles or singles both indoors or out — has led to the opening of six new courts at Cahn Grove Park on Cleveland Road in Ashland, where Parks Director Jason Counts is happy to see so many players use the courts, which opened on Memorial Day weekend.