CARLSBAD — The City Council approved the design and construction of eight new pickleball courts at two municipal parks during its Feb. 13 meeting, making a total of 14 outdoor courts throughout Carlsbad.
Previously, city staff presented options to construct new outdoor pickleball courts to the Parks & Recreation Commission and the Senior Commission. Both commissions recommended the proposal to construct four new courts at Calavera Hills Community Park and four new courts at Stagecoach Community Park.
“The eight new outdoor pickleball courts are expected to open in about 24 to 28 months and are estimated to cost between $2 million and $2.4 million total,” the city said.
The new outdoor courts will be new additions to the existing six outdoor courts at Poinsettia Community Park. The proposal was greenlit three and a half months after the City Council approved an updated Parks & Recreation Department “master plan,” which showed pickleball’s rising popularity in Carlsbad.
“When approving the master plan last September, the City Council considered how to best meet the growing demand for pickleball courts, ultimately deciding against converting existing tennis courts or creating shared courts, even though those options could be completed more quickly than designing and constructing new pickleball courts,” the city said.
The city’s decision to build more pickleball courts comes after months of residents expressing their frustrations over a lack of access to local courts due to the growing popularity of the sport in the city and across North County.
Some locals said that many players visit Carlsbad from neighboring cities to play on the free courts at Poinsettia and suggested the city create a reservation system that prioritizes Carlsbad residents.
“We live very close to the pickleball courts at Poinsettia Park and have never once been able to use them,” said resident Melissa Sisco. “On any given evening, 30 to 50 people are waiting. So to play pickleball, we have to drive to other cities and pay private fees, even though we have courts within walking distance that our tax dollars support. The very frustrating part of this is that in the North County community, people are coming from all over to use these courts because they are free.”
The new courts will come equipped with lights for night play and special matting on the perimeter fencing designed to reduce sound. Court hours will open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., aligning with regular park hours to prevent late-night noise, and the courts will be locked overnight.
The next steps in the project’s phase will consist of soliciting and hiring a design consultant, completing the required environmental analysis and permitting process, preparing detailed construction plans, and putting them out to bid.
The Calavera Hills and Stagecoach locations rose to the top of the list due to their best fit with the selection criteria, which included geographic diversity (spreading courts out in different locations of the city); distance from nearby residents and protected 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, and construction requirements and estimated project costs.
The city offers indoor pickleball at Calavera Hills Community Center, Pine Avenue Community Center, and Stagecoach Community Center. The city also offers pickleball lessons for adults. Residents can sign up online.
Outdoor pickleball courts are also among the amenities proposed in three design concepts for the future Robertson Ranch Park. The city is currently seeking community feedback on the park’s design through an online survey.
According to the U.S. Pickleball Association, pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle. Three dads — Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum — whose kids were bored with their usual summertime activities — are credited for creating the game.
