ADVENTURES
Pickle Garden @Cyberview Resort And Spa
Where Pickleball Meets Countryside
By Philemon Foo
I recently visited Cyberview Resort & Spa and discovered something rather alarming. They have been infected by the pickleball craze. Yes, pickleball. The sport that appears to have been invented when someone looked at tennis, decided the racket was too large, the court was too big, and then thought, “You know what this really needs? A plastic ball with holes in it.”
Now, I should confess something here. I am not a pickleball person. I have nothing against it, of course. I simply have not yet reached that particular stage of life where I suddenly feel an overwhelming desire to spend an afternoon hitting a perforated ball over a net while discussing footwear.
But I was intrigued. Because this isn’t just a collection of pickleball courts squeezed into a corner of a resort car park. This is Pickle Garden. And, rather unexpectedly, it is really rather lovely.
The folks at Cyberview Resort & Spa have clearly put some thought into this place. There are five covered courts, but instead of giving them the usual numbers, they have gone and given them names. There is the Palm Court, Lavender Court, Anthurium Court, Yucca Court, and Royal Palm Court. And then it clicked.
“Palm. Lavender. Anthurium. Yucca.”… they make the word PLAY. Very clever. It is the sort of thing that makes you wonder why you didn’t think of it yourself. And if you are remotely interested in plants, you will also notice that the names aren’t random. They fit perfectly with the whole garden concept, because Pickle Garden really is a garden.
A good choice of names for these pickleball courts, since they sit within a garden; Pickle Garden.
The courts are surrounded by greenery, plants and fruiting trees, which makes a pleasant change from the usual sporting environment where the scenery consists of concrete, a fence and someone’s abandoned water bottle. There are even tea plants. Yes, tea plants. When one hears tea plants, one thinks of the hills. Well, there are low land tea plants, and Pickle Garden has them.
At this point, I began to wonder if I had somehow left Cyberjaya and been transported to the British countryside. All that was missing was a Land Rover parked beside a hedge, and someone complaining about the weather.
Lovely landscaping done at Pickle Garden. The green plants right by the fence of the courts are tea plants. How cool is that?
The landscaping gives Pickle Garden a remarkably tranquil atmosphere. It is green, spacious and relaxing, and the combination of the courts, plants and trees creates something that feels considerably more like a country club than a sports facility at a resort.
Then there is the cafe. And this is where the whole thing starts to make sense even to someone like me who has absolutely no intention of becoming a pickleball fanatic. You can play. Your friends can play. Someone else can play while you sit at the cafe, drink something cold, and provide highly questionable tactical advice from a safe distance. Everyone wins. That, to me, is the real charm of Pickle Garden. It is not simply about pickleball. It is about creating somewhere people can hang out.
You could come with friends, play a few games, have something to eat or drink, wander around the garden, and generally behave as though you have accidentally joined an exceedingly pleasant country club. And while I may not have been converted to pickleball during my visit, I certainly understood why the place works.
It has been designed as an experience rather than merely a sports facility. Five covered courts, a café, beautiful landscaping, with plants and fruiting trees everywhere. Yes, let’s not forget tea plants. And that certainly is enough greenery to make you forget, for a little while, that you are actually in Cyberjaya.
The cafe at Pickle Garden. Delightful place for a snack, a drink, and to hangout with friends.
So, no, I didn’t suddenly pick up a paddle and start shouting “LET’S PLAY!” But I did leave thinking that Pickle Garden was rather splendid. Which is slightly irritating. Because now I have to admit that the pickleball people may actually have something going for them. Do me a favour…. Don’t tell anyone I said that. Especially not the pickleball people lest they tie me up, and force me to play.
Additional Information
Cyberview Resort and Spa
Address: The Lodge, Persiaran Multimedia, Cyber 7, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor
Contact: +60383127000
Google Maps to Cyberview Resort and Spa.
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