They mingle as singles — single players, that is.
At the Zephyrhills Shuffleboard Club, the longtime recreational staple in East Pasco, shuffling members can be found there daily, in the morning, in the afternoon and even in the evenings, sliding their discs away.
Some are prepping for tournaments, others are just there for some fun, low-impact activity, while making new friends on the courts.
Some gather at the club’s Mingles/Singles event held every Wednesday and Saturday mornings.
“We always have a good turnout on these mornings,” said Frank Pogel III, event leader and a member on the club’s board. “There are both amateurs and the professional players here, and mixing it up just benefits the amateurs.”
During Mingles/Singles, players are randomly paired with a partner during each of the four games they play before lunch. Then each will go after the 50/50 pot, as Pogel, and treasure Chuck Moulton, say that this bi-weekly event, alone, raises about $6,000 each year.
“As you can see, we get plenty of players here for these morning sessions. It’s always a good time,” Moulton said.
During play, friendly banter will ensue, with plenty of laughs, fake trash talking, and, of course, great play — even by players in their 90s.
“Yeah, we’ve got a few of those, including a guy who comes out and he’s 96,” Pogel said. “Sometimes, you just can’t keep these people from shuffling.”
Zephyrhills Shuffleboard Club Mingles/Singles
When: Wednesdays and Saturdays, 8:30 a.m.
Where: 5209 Eighth St., Zephyrhills
Cost: $5
Details: Open to amateur and professional-level shufflers, Mingles/Singles is a draw-of-the-hat-pairing bi-weekly play that has players team up with a random partner for each of the four games played. The buy-in is put into a 50/50 pot split with the winners and the club.
History: Zephyrhills Shuffleboard Club (ZSC) was formed on April 4, 2007 after member Bob Perkins purchased the facility from the Zephyrhills Tourist Club. On Feb. 27, 2011, Perkins decided to transfer the deed title over to the ZSC members through the newly formed not-for-profit corporation, ZSC Inc. Zephyrhills Shuffleboard Club is the only member-owned and open shuffleboard facility in Zephyrhills with no resident restrictions and welcomes all shufflers to join.
Membership: Single – $50; Couple – $85; Monthly (2 month minimum) – $20
Info: Visit ZephyrhillsShuffle.com.
Published February 15, 2023
