Pickleball
Although relatively new in the world of racquet sports, pickleball has taken racquet sport communities by storm. Pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong into a lively experience with a strong social element. Don't know how to play? Learn the rules. No paddles? No problem! Pickleball paddles and balls are available to borrow from Menlo Park Library.
The City of Menlo Park's pickleball courts are available to the public at no cost for drop-in play on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are available in limited numbers at the Kelly Park pickleball courts to ensure space for both drop-in and reservation-based community use. Whenever possible, at least 50% of each court site will remain accessible to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. The City reserves the right to reserve additional courts when needed for activities such as city programs, tournaments, summer camps, and other uses.
Pickleball court rules
- Players are encouraged to introduce themselves, mix up play as much as possible, and to have fun.
- Players must follow all applicable policies, including the Facility Use Guidelines and the Racquet Court Sport policy.
- Players must be courteous to other players, park users, staff, and nearby residents.
- Unless reserved, the courts are available on a first-come, first-play basis.
- Courts are open to players of all skill levels. There are no beginner or advanced courts.
- When courts are full, players will use a 4 on 4 off all-court paddle queue system. For this system:
- Players may not touch or move another player’s paddle without their permission.
- Double stacking is prohibited (playing a game while having a second paddle in the queue).
- Holding spots for other players is prohibited; a player must be at the courts to put their paddle in the queue.
- To play with a specific group, players must put their paddle in the queue together.
- When other players are waiting for a turn to play:
- Drilling is prohibited.
- Warmup/Rally is limited to 5 minutes.
- Court time is limited to one match, up to 11 points or 15 minutes, whichever happens first.
- Rolling back the score to prolong court time is prohibited.
- For your safety, if a ball rolls onto your court or another player’s court, you must call out “ball on” to notify players to stop play. Players must not chase stray balls across courts.
- Always pause and ask permission to cross a court; when in doubt, wait until the rally ends.
Pickleball court reservations
The City of Menlo Park offers both recreational and commercial tennis court reservations. The reservation type needed depends on how the court will be used.
- Recreational reservations: Recreational reservations are for personal, non-commercial use, including casual play with friends or family.
- Commercial reservations: Commercial reservations are required for any reservation involving business or compensated services, including private or group instruction, coaching or training for payment, or any activity involving a business-related financial transaction. If any payment or other business-related exchange is associated with your court reservation, you must reserve the court under the commercial reservation type.
Reservation fees
Fees are $10/hour for resident recreational reservations, $15/hour for non-resident recreational reservations, and $25/hour for commercial reservations. Fees are subject to change in accordance with the City's Master Fee Schedule.
Reservation cancellations
The Library and Community Services Department must be given 48 hours' notice of any recreational cancellation to receive a refund; any cancellation requested within 48 hours is nonrefundable. For commercial reservations, a 1-week advance notice is required; any cancellation inside of 1 week is non-refundable.
Cancellations due to rain-outs and City closures will not incur a fee. Please see our Racquet Sport Court Use Policy for additional information.
Pickleball court locations
Are you ready to reserve a pickleball court? Click here or use the table below to explore court options.
Camps and classes
You can browse or register for our available pickleball camps and classes here.
Contact us
Arrillaga Family Recreation Center
Email
650-330-2220
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