Pickleball on Mercy Lane
Two courts where the kitchen garden used to be
The courts sit where Dr. Pell once grew his feverfew. He would not have approved of the noise. Everyone else seems to.
The courts
We opened our two pickleball courts in May 2024 on the old kitchen-garden lot behind the carriage house. For most of the house's life the lot grew vegetables and, during Dr. Ezra Pell's years, a good share of his apothecary herbs. By the time the Alcotts arrived it was mostly crabgrass and a collapsed cold frame. It took a season of permits, one surprised archaeologist (a few clay pipe stems, a lot of oyster shell) and a very patient paving crew to turn it into something you can play on.
Both courts are full regulation size, 20 by 44 feet, with a cushioned acrylic surface in deep green and a soft gray kitchen, permanent nets at the proper height (36 inches at the posts, 34 in the middle), and enough runoff that you won't end up in the hydrangeas chasing a lob. A cedar fence and a row of arborvitae keep stray balls in and most of the sound off Mercy Lane. There's a covered bench between the courts, a water station, a shaded paddle rack, and the Carriage House Suite's patio within shouting distance, which its guests consider either a perk or a hazard depending on the hour.
Hours: the courts are open until 10 pm under the lights, seven days a week, from April into November as the weather allows. Early birds can start at 8 am. (Out of respect for the neighbors and our quiet hours, we ask that the last game wraps up promptly.)
Court rates
Inn guests play free, always, and get first claim on court time. The courts are also open to the public, by the hour, when they aren't booked for a clinic or a social.
| Who | Court time | Paddles & balls | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inn guests (any room) | Free | Free to borrow | Up to 7 days ahead; same day at the desk |
| Public | $20 per court per hour | Free to borrow | Up to 3 days ahead |
| Saturday clinic (9–10:30 am) | $30 per player | Included | Required; 8 players max |
| Pickle & Pint (Thursdays, May–Sept) | Free for guests; public $20 per player | Included | Recommended |
| Private lesson with Benny | Ask the front desk | Included | By arrangement |
Public rates are per court, not per player: four friends sharing a court for an hour pay $20 between them. Payment is at the front desk before you play. We take cards; we will also take exact cash, with a sigh.
Borrowing paddles and balls
You don't need to bring anything but shoes. We keep a rack of about twenty paddles in the shed by the courts: a handful of heavier wooden "starter" paddles for first-timers, midweight composite paddles for most players, and two or three good graphite paddles that Benny keeps a close eye on. Outdoor balls are in the bucket on the bench; we replace them when they crack, which on a cold morning is often.
- Borrowing is free for everyone, guests and public alike.
- Sign the clipboard in the shed with your name and room (or phone number). It isn't about trust; it's about knowing how many paddles to order.
- Please bring paddles back to the rack, not to your room. Paddles found in the Lantern Room at breakfast will be returned with commentary.
- Non-marking court shoes or clean sneakers only. No running shoes with deep tread, no sandals, no bare feet. We have a small box of loaner shoe covers if you've forgotten.
Saturday clinics with Benny Ruiz
Every Saturday morning in season, from 9:00 to 10:30 am, our resident coach Benny Ruiz runs a clinic for up to eight players. Benny taught tennis for years before he came over to pickleball, and he coaches like a man who has watched a great many people hit a great many balls into the net and still finds it funny. He is very good with beginners and very honest with everyone else.
Clinics rotate through themes. The first Saturday of each month is always for beginners: the rules, the two-bounce rule, why the kitchen is called the kitchen, and how to serve without apologizing. Other weeks focus on dinking and the soft game, third-shot drops, stacking and doubles positioning, or simply on playing points with coaching in between. Benny posts the next few themes on the chalkboard by the shed and we list them at the front desk. If you're not sure where you fit, sign up and tell him; he'll sort the courts by level in the first ten minutes.
Clinics are $30 per player, paddles and balls included, for guests and the public alike. Ninety minutes is longer than it sounds. Bring water.
Pickle & Pint
Thursday evenings from May through September, the courts turn social. Pickle & Pint starts at 5:30 pm with a round robin: you're paired with a new partner every game, scores are kept loosely, and nobody is allowed to be competitive about it except Theo. Players of every level are welcome, and the format keeps the strongest and newest players in the mix together.
After the last round (around 7:30), the group moves to the garden terrace or, if the weather has turned, into the Undertaker's Parlor, where the bar sets aside a few tables and pours a local draft at a Pickle & Pint price. The kitchen sends out snacks; Dee's smoked bluefish pâté has become something of a tradition. Non-drinkers get a Little Tom, our cherry-and-lime zero-proof, on the house.
Pickle & Pint is free for inn guests and $20 per player for the public, paddles included. Drinks are on your own tab. Sign up at the front desk or with the form below; we cap it at sixteen players across the two courts.
Thursday nights you'll also find Samuel's history talk in the Library at 7 pm. Several regulars have worked out how to do both, sweatily.
Court etiquette
Pickleball has a friendly culture and we'd like to keep it that way. A few house rules:
- Mind the neighbors. The courts are behind a historic house on a residential lane. Keep shouting to a minimum, especially before 9 am and in the evenings. Celebrations are fine; war cries are not.
- One-hour limit when others are waiting. If someone is at the gate, finish your game and rotate. Put your paddle in the rack on the fence to claim the next open game during open play.
- Call your own lines, and give the benefit of the doubt to your opponent. "Out" means clearly out.
- Wait for the point to finish before walking behind or across a court to fetch a ball. Call "ball on" if one rolls into the next court.
- No food, glass or alcohol on the courts. Water bottles are fine. Pints wait for the terrace.
- Dogs from the Carriage House Suite are welcome outside the fence, on a leash, and are not allowed to retrieve.
- Children under 12 should be with an adult on court.
- Weather: we close the courts when they're wet; the surface gets slick and we'd rather lose an hour than a knee. Check with the desk after rain.
- No smoking or vaping, here or anywhere on the grounds.
Book a court
Inn guests can also just walk out and play when a court is free. To reserve a time, a clinic place or a spot at Pickle & Pint, use the form below or call the front desk at (978) 555-0148. We'll confirm by email.
Stay and play
The Carriage House Suite is the closest room to the courts (about thirty steps from the patio, by Theo's count) and the only one where dogs are welcome. If you're coming mainly for pickleball, ask about our Pickle & Pint Getaway, which pairs three nights with a clinic for two, the Thursday round robin and a pint each.