Pittsboro Pool League’s (PPL) vision is to have fun, fellowship, with friendly competition. We are committed to making PPL an open, accepting, diverse, and enjoyable league to be in. We are located and operate in Chatham County, NC and welcome newcomers settling and working in and around the research triangle park.
History
PPL was formed in February of 2019 when Jay N. returned home to NC after playing years in a western Canada pool league. He wanted to see if any other local players might connect for play and camaraderie.
The only public pool table was at Pittsboro Roadhouse, so Jay introduced himself to owner Greg L. Jay told him of the Canadian league and asked, “If I get some others, could we play here?”
Greg was warmly receptive and said there would be no charge to use the table (an 8-foot Brunswick). Jay put up a flier, with little tear-off contact strips, and PPL was off and running.
A notice was put in Chatham Chatlist, and in a couple of weeks the fledgling league had about a dozen members eager to play 8-ball. Rules were adopted, score-sheets made, and a skeletal schedule constructed. There were no dues or cost to play weekly, and no governing board was needed – it was largely an informal gathering of new friends who discovered others who enjoyed playing pool.
One generous member found a quality, used 8-foot slate table for sale nearby, and bought it for $500 to contribute to the league. A handful of members – armed with a dolly, lifting harness, tie-down straps, and ambitious but aging elbow grease – loaded it onto a flatbed trailer and towed it to the Roadhouse back entrance. It was gingerly wheeled into play, easily leveled (a single piece of slate), and Viola! PPL’s Roadhouse home now had two tables.
A few weeks later, Jay had his own table, and within a few short months, two other charter members had added good in-home slates. It became clear that as the league expanded, PPL could use a mix of public-private venues.
By fall of 2019, membership had expanded to 26 members and four teams. In December, PPL held its first individual post-season tournament (with A, B and C divisions), then soon launched another 12-week regular season of play.
COVID-19 brought league play to a halt on St. Patrick’s Day, 2020, and it didn’t fully resume until May of 2021. During that time, Greg L. closed The Roadhouse and started a long and challenging move to create The Sycamore at Chatham Mills, where PPLers moved the best of the two Roadhouse tables into storage until he could open his new, high-end steakhouse.
Jay also hosted a PPL fishing tournament at Fat Cat Bass Hole, where pandemic-weary members met safely to compete with fishing rods (not cue sticks) and enjoy pot-luck fare around a fire dish.
In ensuing years, the league acquired many new members, and some left for varied reasons. As of 2024, about 65 players of all abilities and persuasions have shot with Pittsboro Pool League, and now six home sites augment the table in Greg’s sumptuously appointed Sycamore lounge.
Currently
Over the last year, the league has had six teams of six or eight members, holding two matches on Wednesday and one on Thursday. There is always a post-season singles tournament at a Cary pool hall, with modest prizes (cash and/or custom plaques) for top finishers.
Each team will field four (4) players from their roster to play in a match. A match consists of sixteen (16) games played between two (2) teams. There are four (4) sets to a match, and there are four (4) games per set, so each player from one team plays the other four players from the opposing team.
Please visit our CONTACT US page to inquire on how you can join or contribute to the Pittsboro Pool League