Carlsbad, CA
Home MenuFuture Pickleball Courts
On Feb. 13, 2024, the City Council authorized the Parks & Recreation Department to design eight new outdoor pickleball courts at existing community parks—four courts each at Stagecoach Community Park and Calavera Hills Community Park. Once those courts are built, Carlsbad will have 14 outdoor pickleball courts spread across the city, including the existing six courts at Poinsettia Community Park.
The new courts will include lights for night play and special matting on the perimeter fencing designed to reduce noise. They will be open during regular park hours (8 a.m. to 10 p.m.) and locked overnight.
The construction of these new courts is included in the city’s current Capital Improvement Program budget. The estimated timeline for completing these courts is two years.
Background
Carlsbad opened its first six outdoor pickleball courts at Poinsettia Community Park in 2019, after pickleball emerged as a top priority during the creation of the city’s previous Parks & Recreation Department master plan.
Pickleball’s popularity has surged in recent years, becoming the fastest-growing sport in the United States for five consecutive years, according to a study by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Nearly one in five American adults played pickleball at least once in the past 12 months. Initially popular among older adults—half of serious players in 2021 were 55 and older—the sport is now attracting younger players, with the fastest-growing segment being under 24.
The updated Parks & Recreation Department master plan, approved by the City Council in 2023, reaffirmed pickleball as a top priority. When evaluating how best to accommodate the demand for additional courts, the City Council opted to create new, dedicated pickleball courts rather than to convert existing tennis courts or create shared courts. This decision was driven by community feedback from both tennis and pickleball players.