CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
SPORTS
Howard Hess renovated the rundown tennis courts at Belvedere Country Club to create Belvedere Pickleball Center.
T
Racket Man
Howard Hess, known for bringing tennis to the Topsail area,
is back at it with pickleball and the Belvedere Pickleball Center. BY ANNESOPHIA RICHARDS
There are some people who love a sport so much that they want to play every chance they can get. Then there’s Howard Hess, a man who loves a sport so much that he’s dedicated the later part of his life to making sure others can play too. At 86 years old, Hess has spent the last two decades bringing first tennis and now pickleball to the Topsail area. His love for the game as well as for his
community are always at the heart of everything he does. Before retiring to Hampstead, Hess spent 25 years in New Jersey as a high school teacher. It was there where he first learned to play tennis, and he brought his passion for the sport with him when relocated to Pender County in 2000. Not content with sitting inside all day, Hess wanted to stay active by coaching high school tennis, but he learned that Spring 2022
55
