Is a private pickleball court going to be part of your home plans?

It was a beautiful spring morning in 2020 as I pulled into Collier Park’s parking lot excited to join my pickleball friends for some morning games when I saw the heavy chain and padlock barring entry onto the courts. The COVID shutdowns had come to Parks & Recreation.

Several players stood in the parking lot stunned and demoralized at losing an activity that brought sunshine, health, fun, camaraderie, and fitness.

I started playing in 2018 and in one year, I dropped from Size 14 to Size 8. Not only was I hooked on the socializing and fun of the sport, but it was how I successfully lost weight and kept it off.

“What the hell are we going to do now?” we asked each other. All public courts were closed, not just Collier.

I suddenly remembered an odd-looking court I had seen at a client’s Mount Helix house. It looked like a tennis court for preschoolers. When I asked her what it was, she replied, “A pickleball court.” It was 2010 and I had never heard of pickleball, so her response had not registered. But it did now.

I contacted her and asked if my friends and I could play on her court and she enthusiastically said yes! No one we knew had a pickleball court at their house so for the next two years, her house was our nerve center. Thanks, Claire!

Now I know at least a dozen people with pickleball courts at their homes. Some have created rudimentary pickleball courts on their driveways with portable nets and chalk and some have gone deep like the one pictured below in Granite Hills with 360-degree mountain views, outdoor kitchen/bar & vanishing edge pool.

In the last few years, the sport has exploded. According to a report by the Association of Pickleball Professionals, more than 36.5 million people played pickleball from August 2021 to August 2022.

It’s enjoyed by people of all ages with 18 – 34-year-olds making the largest age bracket. With its popularity growing and public parks overflowing with players – which means waiting for games – many homeowners are building pickleball courts on their properties.

Yahoo News reports there are now more calls to add pickleball courts to homes than pools and decks. Architectural Digest calls pickleball courts “Real Estate’s Hot New Thing.”

A big yard is not needed. Playing lines measure 20 feet by 44 feet but a total playing surface of 30 feet by 60 feet is the minimum size recommended.

Court materials are the same as tennis courts, asphalt, and concrete, with a perimeter fence needed to contain errant balls. To avoid direct sun in players’ eyes, if possible, build in a north-south direction.

The cost to build a pickleball court starts at around $40,000, once built, upkeep is low.

Popular, fun, healthy, and great at family and friendship bonding, is there a downside to owning a private pickleball court? Unfortunately, there can be.

The paddle hitting the hard, plastic ball creates an unmistakable popping sound that players love but neighbors can hate. Pickleball noise measures about 70 decibels 100 feet away from the court. A normal residential area averages roughly 40 to 55 decibels. While 70 isn’t dangerous, it can be annoying.

For those wanting to build their own courts, consider the following:

Hire a professional court builder. There are many in San Diego County.
Contact your city to see if permits are needed.
Once built, play at courteous times.
The social aspect is a big draw but no need for blasting music and excessive hooting, hollering, and swearing.
Invite your neighbors. Teach them to play if they never have.
A couple of hours daily is plenty of time to play. Don’t have so many players that games go on all day.
Don’t be overly generous loaning the court to friends, guests, or paying strangers (Swimply/Airbnb) when you’re not there. This prolongs the hours neighbors have to deal with the noise.