Uh oh. It’s looking like those noise complaints really are that big a deal.

An ongoing poll by Yahoo! Singapore is asking netizens to weigh in on this question: “Is pickleball too noisy?”

This question is no doubt piggybacking on the numerous complaints being filed by Singaporean residents on what they perceive as either unbearable or annoying noise being made in outdoor pickleball courts near residential areas.

For example, a resident of One Fort Condominium complained to the Member of Parliament and Marine Parade Town Council (MPTC) about what she says has been the unbearable noise of pickleball games being held at the courts near Block 14 Kampong Arang Road, beside Katong Community Centre. Local authorities have taken notice. A few, in fact, have implemented shorter playing periods, and posted new guidelines for players to follow strictly.

Now, back to the poll in question. So far, as of press time, 79% of the respondents answered in the affirmative. That means 505 of the first 640 voters agree that pickleball is, indeed, too noisy. On the other hand, only 16% begged to differ. That’s 102 respondents to be exact—and that total includes the vote of yours truly. The other 5% said they had other opinions on the matter.

So, what does this tell us?

It tells us that this “noise problem” might be more serious than we’re giving it thought—at least in residential areas with outdoor pickleball courts. It also tells us that we’ll need to balance out our desire to play pickleball with respecting other people’s sensibilities.

The great thing is there’s always a healthy middle ground in most everything, and the key is finding it so everyone can go about their own merry lives.