Racket Sports FAQs

The Court System Plan will study the current level of service and community needs related to racket courts as well as make recommendations for future investments – including costs and locations.

Learn more and sign up for email updates on the main Court System Plan page. Email notifications will be sent once the project questionnaire is available.

We will be holding public meetings where you can come and share your vision and we are there to listen. The first Court System Plan meeting will be held on Wednesday October 4th at 6pm @ City of Boulder OSMP Hub Community Room, 2520 55th St., Boulder CO 80301

The Court System Plan will help address the following challenges we are aware of:

- The Court System Plan will help address the following challenges facing the Boulder Parks and Recreation Department:

• We understand pickleball and tennis are both growing sports.

• The Court System Plan will evaluate this growing demand and help us better understand how to provide services for racket sports in the future.

• As we better understand the updated level of service there is a need to also understand and share the financial constraints in which we work knowing that we may not be able to meet the anticipated level of service within our current budget.

• Our hope is that by working in partnerships we can find ways to meet the identified level of service coming out of the plan findings.

- We are aware that conditions have changed since a level of service (LOS) study was completed during the the 2022 master plan update. We are aware development at Millennium and CU South will reduce the number of tennis courts provided by other entities to the community as a whole.

• The Court System Plan will update the original level of service (LOS) study with the latest information to hand covering the loss of courts in the community, the amount of courts Boulder Parks and Recreation Department can provide as well as how other providers can support a level of service that meets community needs.

- We understand members of both sports want dedicated courts. We understand that the addition of pickleball lines to existing courts has impacted tennis and does not fulfill pickleball players request for dedicated courts.

• Creating multiple use courts helped on a short-term basis meet the immediate growing demands in both sports. The Court System Plan will evaluate mid-term and long-term solutions for courts across Boulder.

• The Court System Plan will determine the ratio of multi-sport and dedicated courts for our community based on the reality of trying to meet an anticipated level of service within a financially constrained budget.

- We are aware of the conditions of courts and perform regular assessments. These annual assessments help inform plans for renovations and maintenance for the coming years. As a community member, please be aware that any maintenance needs can also be reported through Inquire Boulder.

• The Court System Plan will help prioritize how we invest in repair, replacement and new construction for courts.

• Based on guidance from the BPR Master Plan, we will continue to “Take Care of What We Have”. In recent years, BPR has increased annual expenditures for court work covering their repair and replacement (See details on the Court System Plan project page).

- We are aware that some community members are frustrated with the amount of time the Court System Plan will take and wishes BPR would invest in courts more quickly.

• Recent and upcoming investments that have been approved in previous budget cycles will continue. See details on the Court System Plan project page.

• The Courts System Plan will be a tool to best prioritize the limited dollars available to provide for the most benefit to our courts system

- We understand the tennis league play is not permitted on multi-sport courts per CTA rules. A minimum of 3 courts is needed for tennis league play (preferably 4 or more). For tournament play, additional courts and facilities are required for tennis or pickleball.

• The Court System Plan will look at opportunities for different types of play (drop-in, classes, recreational, leagues, etc.)

• The plan will also identify locations for different types of courts and programming, not just the total number of courts in the system.

- From recent analysis and feedback, we now know the net style at Chautauqua is not a good solution for tennis or pickleball and will not be repeated in future multi-sport courts. The semi-permeant pickleball nets were removed and holes will be patched. Rolling pickleball nets are now available at Chautauqua instead.

• The Court System Plan will help provide recommended specifications for BPR courts in terms of the amenities we will provide (net type, etc.).

BPR meets regularly with representatives of tennis and pickleball organizations in Boulder to hear feedback, answer questions, share updates and problem-solve together.

BPR is working with Boulder Tennis Association (BTA) represented by Michael Xu and Patrick Edwards and other board members as well as working with BoCo Pickleball, represented by Mo Seigel and Robert Constable.

Please see the Court System Plan project page for details on upcoming resurfacing and maintenance.

During staff turnover and a slowdown during COVID projects for courts were still identified in the departments Capital Investment Plan (CIP). However, with a lack of resources the projects were placed on hold.

In addition, stakeholders shared that rather than just build the four budgeted courts, they supported waiting so BPR could evaluate opportunities for an 8 or 12 court build.

Now with a full team and as we emerge from COVID we can again prioritize projects. For East Boulder Community Park, the planning process for adding dedicated pickleball courts will start in 2024 in tandem with other park improvements. We also are frustrated that we have not been able to do this work, and are excited we now have capacity and funding to complete the project. While the delay is disappointing, it does mean that BPR can be more effective with tax dollars and “dig once” on the various park improvements.

In addition, all future capital investment work will be informed by the findings in Court System Plan.

We are aware of the noise levels associated with pickleball and how this is effecting existing courts as well as where we locate future courts.

The Court System Plan will address approaches that can include noise mitigation and/or guidelines for residential distance.

The Court System Plan will identify potential opportunities where additional funds can meet the level of service identified in the plan. These additional funds may include donations, fundraising, other tax sources, grants or sponsorship.

When identifying additional funds for future court projects, this is often a mix of private and public sources.

We will be working closely with stakeholder representatives to explore these options when developing the plan.

https://bouldercolorado.gov/projects/court-system-plan

Submit a ticket through Inquire Boulder.

We’d love to use your help! We currently have an opportunity to be a “Snow Removal Champ” for our outdoor courts. Check out the details and sign up at countmein.bouldercolorado.gov/D/ParksRec/App/SnowRemovalChamp.

The department is currently under contract with a service provider for pickleball programming and leagues with an option to extend the contract through 2024. Interested parties can submit a contractor application, but a new contractor will not be considered until 2024.

FYI, the city may use a “request for proposal” (RFP) process to determine a contracted service provider in 2025.

The city currently offers classes, leagues, and private and semi-private lessons for both tennis and pickleball at all three recreation centers.

The solicitation of services of any kind is not allowed on city property unless permitted.

Businesses can apply for a commercial use permit to operate in locations where there is not a conflict of interest with an existing city service. Commercial use permits will only be allowed at courts where existing programming is not already scheduled. Bookings for the general public are prioritized over private lessons. Any commercial use will be booked by the business in line with public access processes.

Recreation programming in Boulder’s Parks and Recreation Department is evaluated and adjusted quarterly. Drop-in programming is adjusted every six months in January and July, so please check our recreation centers for any changes to the schedule.

Requests for court space is balanced across all use types and levels of play with minimal opportunities for league and tournament play to be scheduled ahead of the general public.

• Special event court reservation process + online request form