Carlsbad residents who enjoy the nation’s fastest growing sport can weigh in on locations for new pickleball courts at two upcoming public meetings.

Parks & Recreation Commission
Monday, Jan. 22, 5:30 p.m.

Senior Commission
Thursday, Feb. 1, 3 p.m. 

Both meetings will be held in the City Council Chamber, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive. Residents can provide comments in person or via email to parksandrec@carlsbadca.gov and watch online. 

Background
A 2023 study by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association showed that pickleball was the fastest growing sport in the country for the fifth year in a row, with nearly one in five Americans playing at least once in the past 12 months. Carlsbad built its first six courts in 2019 after pickleball emerged as a top priority during the creation of the city’s previous Parks & Recreation Department master plan.

Most recently, community members requested more pickleball courts as part of the public input process for an updated Parks & Recreation Department Master Plan. When approving the plan last September, the City Council asked staff to prioritize moving forward with finding locations for the construction of new pickleball courts. The possibility of converting or sharing tennis courts was discussed at the September meeting, but the City Council decided to focus on new courts dedicated to pickleball so nothing would be taken away from tennis players. The same Sports & Fitness Industry Association study found that participation in all racquet sports had increased over the previous year for the first time since 2015.

Recommended locations
Staff are recommending four new courts at Calavera Hills Community Park and four new courts at Stagecoach Community Park. Added to the six existing courts at Poinsettia Community Park, this proposal would make 14 courts total, spread among north, central and south Carlsbad. The City of Oceanside has 11 outdoor courts dedicated to pickleball, Vista has eight, and San Marcos has two. Pickleball is also available at private facilities, such as racquet sports clubs and churches.

Other city locations that could work for outdoor pickleball courts include Aviara Community Park and Alga Norte Community Park. Additional outdoor courts could also be built at Poinsettia Community Park.

Outdoor pickleball courts will also be one of the amenities proposed in the Robertson Ranch Park design concepts, which will be shared with the public next week. The city will seek feedback on the park’s design at community meetings in February.

Criteria
The Calavera Hills and Stagecoach options rose to the top of the list because they were the best fit with the selection criteria, which included:

• Geographic diversity (spreading courts out in different locations of the city)
• Distance from nearby residents and habitat areas (pickleball can be noisy)
• Locations that would not significantly affect existing park uses or programs
• Locations adjacent to existing tennis courts to create a racquet sports complex (like Poinsettia)
• Availability of parking, restrooms and other infrastructure
• Construction requirements and estimated project costs

Next steps

• The two commissions will review the options, listen to public feedback and make a recommendation to the City Council.
• Staff will then present this information to the City Council for consideration.
• The estimated cost for the proposed new courts is between $2 million and $2.4 million.
• The anticipated project timeline is 24 to 28 months, which includes all phases of the project to open the new courts for public use. 

Indoor pickleball and classes
In the meantime, in addition to the six courts at Poinsettia Community Park, the City of Carlsbad offers indoor pickleball at three community centers:

Calavera Hills Community Center

• Monday & Wednesday: 1 to 3 p.m.
• Friday: 9 a.m. to noon
• Sunday: 2 to 5 p.m.

Pine Avenue Community Center

Stagecoach Community Center

The city also offers pickleball lessons for adults. Residents can sign up online.

About pickleball
According to the U.S. Pickleball Association, pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, Washington. Three dads – Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum — whose kids were bored with their usual summertime activities — are credited for creating the game. The simple rules, accessibility for all fitness levels and highly social pickleball community are credited with the sport’s fast growth. 

More information
Parks & Recreation Commission agenda and staff report
2023-2030 Parks & Recreation Department Master Plan Update
Parks & Recreation Department, parksandrec@carlsbadca.gov