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Huntington Beach resident Shelley Wong has grown from a pickleball newcomer to a passionate coach within a few years, sharing the love of the game she’s found with beginners.
Like many others, Wong turned to pickleball during the pandemic as a fun way to keep active. Now, in a post-pandemic world, she’s part of a pickleball craze sweeping Orange County, with folks clamoring for more courts to play on.
As interest in pickleball surges nationwide, so does the need for playing spaces. Orange County has over 220 public courts available with plans in the works to add 59 courts in different cities across the county.
“Cities can’t make pickleball courts fast enough,” Wong said.
Editors’ Note: This dispatch is part of the Voice of OC Collegiate News Service, working with student journalists to cover public policy issues across Orange County. If you would like to submit your own student media project related to Orange County civics or if you have any response to this work, contact admin@voiceofoc.org.
Huntington Beach and Anaheim both have 11 public courts. Irvine has 20 courts. But Santa Ana, a city larger than Irvine and roughly the same size as Anaheim, only has eight courts.
Some coastal cities like Seal Beach and Laguna Beach — each with fewer than 25,000 residents — have more than 10 courts each.
Citing budget and space constraints as barriers, nine of Orange County’s 34 cities don’t have any pickleball courts.
Participation in pickleball grew 52% in 2023, making it the nation’s fastest-growing sport, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. At the Veolia LA Open pickleball tournament in Fountain Valley last month, sponsored by the Professional Pickleball Association, more than a thousand amateurs and pros competed.
Pickleball Graphics by Erika Taylor
Pickleball experienced a surge in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the USA Pickleball Organization. Because it’s a sport with minimal physical contact, pickleball allows people to stay active while social distancing.
Despite ongoing debates over noise, the development of new public courts continues, offering mostly free access.
Paolo Laurel, a Costa Mesa resident and one of the moderators of the Orange County Pickleball group on Facebook, began playing the sport in July 2020 as a way to keep active during the pandemic. The Facebook group has now grown to nearly 5,000 members. Pickleball players can use the forum to find partners, local tournaments and courts.
“What started out as a random Sunday afternoon really turned into what would become my lifestyle over the next few years,” Laurel said.
“We’ve seen more and more courts pop up. Selfishly speaking, I still think there aren’t quite enough,” he said.
Finding Space For Court Developments
The reasons officials give for not having pickleball courts vary, but most cite space constraints and limited funding.
Aliso Viejo has limited space and cannot put in courts, said Recreation and Community Services Supervisor Jasmine Brown. The same is true for Villa Park, according to City Manager Steve Franks.
However, smaller cities like Los Alamitos have found room for four public courts at Laurel Park. La Palma is planning on restriping some of the tennis courts at Central Park to create four pickleball courts.
Both La Palma and Los Alamitos have populations fewer than 20,000, whereas Aliso Viejo’s population exceeds 50,000, according to the 2022 U.S. Census Bureau data.
Officials in La Habra and Laguna Woods said that building pickleball courts is not a city priority. However, both cities do have private courts.
“The City of Laguna Woods uses its limited public property to provide other park amenities at this time,” said Laguna Woods City Manager Christopher Macon.
Some cities with public courts are upgrading what they have, while other cities are planning to build new courts for resident use.
However, many public courts have restrictions such as age limitations, specific hours or one-time fees. For instance, the West Anaheim Youth Center and Downtown Anaheim Youth Center grant youth access to pickleball courts through the Boys & Girls Club, while individuals over 55 can use these courts during designated hours.
Only seniors are allowed access to the Ehlers Event Center in Buena Park. In Tustin and Seal Beach, fees are required, which can escalate for non-residents.
Despite restrictions, people are often seen patiently waiting their turn to play.
“Some days it takes a little longer to get on the court, but it’s usually 10 to 15 minutes between each game,” said Costa Mesa resident Kathy Donovan.
Pickleball Controversies Persist
But not everyone loves pickleball. Pickleball complaints — mostly concerning noise issues — have surfaced across the county.
In Newport Beach, resident Sarah Thomas filed a 2016 noise complaint against pickleball players, though the lawsuit was dropped later that year.
In La Palma, concerns about the cost of constructing new courts led to a decision to restripe existing ones for pickleball use, abandoning plans to build all-new courts last year.
In Rossmoor, following noise complaints, the community board conducted trials with a noise consultant, resulting in recommendations such as noise blankets and time restrictions in 2022.
Rossmoor Community Services District Director Nathan Searles said officials hired a professional noise consultant after an influx of community complaints. Even some residents who play pickleball within the community have mentioned their annoyance with the sound, Searles said.
“People say, ‘I can’t enjoy my backyard because I hear pickleball all the time’ or ‘my kid can’t study’ or ‘I can’t work. I work from home and all I hear is pick pick pick,’” Searles said.
The consultant also recommended that the community not play in the evening as the ambiance will be quieter, making the pickleball noise seem louder than it would be during the day.
However, due to complaints about the look of the 12-foot blankets, Rossmoor Community Services District General Manager Joe Mendoza had the blankets cut to eight feet. The new time restriction for the courts was set for 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. to match the same hours as tennis.
Other controversies have been resolved to benefit pickleball players.
Although La Palma originally discussed plans for developing stand-alone courts — which would have cost $325,000 — the city council decided the cost was not worth it. During the Sept. 5 meeting, some residents said that they preferred restriping existing courts to save money.
“Taxpayer money needs to be spent on existing issues in La Palma,” said resident Robert Carruth, who opposed the development of stand-alone courts.
Ultimately, the city council approved the motion to restripe some of the tennis courts to paint four pickleball courts on its existing surface for an estimated $110,000.
Courts Can Be Expensive
The new court at Ehlers Event Center for Seniors in Buena Park will cost approximately $79,000, according to Community Services Supervisor Dale Kurata. The eight new courts at Arnold Cypress Park will cost approximately $700,000, according to Cypress City Manager Nick Mangkalakiri.
San Clemente Parks and Recreation Director Samantha Wiley stated that the city hopes to receive funds from community groups and the local pickleball community to build the desired 24 courts in Steed Park. The cost of these courts is $10.9 million. The last eight courts that were built in Steed Park cost $1.2 million.
Despite some pushback from community members across the county, pickleball players continue to share their support for more court developments.
“It’s beyond a trend. Once you start, you don’t stop,” said Robin O’Mahoney, who introduced Wong to the sport. Three years after O’Mahoney loaned Wong a paddle that got her hooked on the sport, the two reunited at Golden West College to play pickleball.
“My fiance and I started taking lessons from her because we knew she was dedicated,” O’Mahoney said. “And it kind of went full circle.”
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