If you have driven down Western Lake Drive at any point since February, you have seen the fencing, the gravel pads, and the temporary trailer standing where the WaterColor Tennis Center's pro shop used to be. The Tennis Center project adds more pickleball courts, a fitness center, and a permanent pro shop.
The expanded facility is expected to reopen this fall.
The Closure That Lasted Through Summer
Construction crews began mobilizing on the Tennis Center site in February 2026, with site preparation starting almost immediately. The pickleball courts closed completely at that point, and they have stayed closed through the entire spring, summer, and now the start of fall. By the time the HOA posted its May 2026 progress update, demolition was still underway and crews were pouring footings for a new Pro Shop and Fitness Center while the contractor, American Tennis Courts, prepared to begin its work on the courts themselves.
For a community that markets its tennis and pickleball as a signature amenity, going seven-plus months without a single pickleball court is not a minor inconvenience. It is a decision to absorb real short-term pain for a longer-term gain, and the HOA has been candid about the tradeoff. One community update summed up the mood in a single line: "we're sad too, but look forward to more courts in the fall."
What Comes Back Is Not a Replacement. It's an Expansion.
The five existing Har-Tru clay tennis courts, three with LED lighting and one with stadium seating, were never part of the demolition. They stayed in service throughout construction, with reservations and lessons routed through the temporary trailer. What is new is the pickleball side: the reopened facility is set to feature six pickleball courts, triple the two that existed before, alongside a brand-new fitness center and permanent pro shop.
The construction updates cover the expanded pickleball facilities. They do not mention new permanent parking at the Tennis Center site. The gravel pads installed on Western Lake Drive and Dandelion Drive were described as temporary, tied to construction, not to the reopened facility's long-term operation.
Transportation and Parking at WaterColor
During construction, the HOA advised owners and guests to "carpool when possible or use the WaterColor Trolley for door-to-door service to reduce parking impacts at the Tennis Center." The WaterColor Trolley app, which launched this year, lets residents request rides on demand.
The Electric Cart Company is the community's exclusive low-speed vehicle operator, and it is currently permitted to place up to 80 rental carts on the property, with one LSV allowed per homeowner address.
The Beach Club also has a lounge chair policy. Chairs left unattended for more than 60 minutes are now subject to having towels and personal items removed and held at the concierge desk.
Reading the Fall Calendar Against That Backdrop
The timing of the Tennis Center's reopening lines up with a run of events that will put more people on the property at once than almost any other stretch of the year. Discover Watersound Weekend runs October 2 through 4, with a rate discount that tends to pull in visitors staying elsewhere along 30A who come over for the day. The Marina Park Fall Festival follows on October 13, with carnival games, a corn maze, and live music drawing families out of their houses and onto community grounds. Then, on November 6 and 7, WaterColor hosts its 26th Annual Mountainfilm on Tour, an outdoor screening of documentary shorts at the amphitheater that has become enough of a fixture to be counted in decades rather than years.
Each of these events pulls foot and cart traffic toward the same central stretch of the community where the Tennis Center sits. Its expanded pickleball facilities are expected to reopen during the fall event season.
What This Actually Means If You Live Here
For residents, the Tennis Center project adds six pickleball courts, a fitness center, and a permanent pro shop. The Trolley app and the Beach Club's chair policy are separate features of community operations.
WaterColor's 500-acre footprint is bounded by the Gulf on one side and a coastal dune lake on the other. Within that footprint, the Tennis Center project is one example of an amenity update.
If you own property in WaterColor and you are curious how changes like these, from amenity upgrades to shifting rental demand, tend to show up in resale value or rental performance, the team at Sold in Paradise tracks this market block by block along 30A. Find Your Slice of Paradise: book a free consultation and get a read on what your home is actually worth in today's market.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
