Court Reservation System General Overview

  • Beginning November 14, 2025, tennis and pickleball court reservations at locations adjacent to recreation centers will no longer be included in recreation memberships.
  • Court rental fees are increasing from $7.50 per hour to $10 per hour.
  • Free drop-in play and walk-up use of unreserved courts will continue as usual.

Fees and Reservations

  • $10 per hour, per court (both tennis and pickleball).
  • One person can reserve a court on behalf of a small group; cost-sharing among participants is encouraged.
  • Larger reoccurring use groups are encouraged to request space through the quarterly court rental application.

Court reservations provide exclusive use of a court at a specific time. That means others are prevented from using the court during your reservation. BPR made this change to align with the Fee Policy, which guides how we set and charge for services.

According to the policy:

  • Services with exclusive use (like court reservations) are expected to recover more of their costs through fees.
  • Including court rentals with memberships is not industry standard. Our new registration system (SmartRec by Amilia) doesn’t support it because most cities charge separately for exclusive-use spaces like courts.
  • Third-party memberships (like SilverSneakers and Renew Active) do not reimburse for court reservations.

Removing court reservations from memberships ensures fairness, supports financial sustainability, and helps meet growing demand across the system.

This is the first increase since 2012.

The new rate was set by:

  • Comparing fees to similar cities
  • Community input collected through the 2024 Court System Plan
  • This update helps cover the cost of maintaining high-quality courts and ensures fair, equitable access for all users.

Yes, the 7-day advance booking period is being updated to 7.5-day advance (181 rolling hours). For example: On Monday the 1st at 6 am, courts may be reserved through Monday the 8th at 7 pm.

Memberships and Discounts

  • Community members who purchase an annual membership between November 14, 2025, and January 31, 2026, will receive a promotional coupon that includes one free court booking, to be redeemed in person at the front desk.
  • A total of 500 physical coupons will be printed and distributed while supplies last.

Drop-in Play and Free Access

  • Yes. Unreserved courts remain free to use on a first-come, first-play basis.
  • Additionally, all recreation center drop-in times (indoor and outdoor) remain free. To play indoor drop-in pickleball, recreation center daily admission fee or membership is required.

Pickleball drop-in schedules

  • Yes. Staff are adding new tennis drop-in windows.

Data and Equity

  • In 2024:
    • 59% of renters made only 1 to 2 court reservations all year.
    • Fewer than 1% booked two or more reservations per week.
  • While we recognize that this change impacts certain users more significantly, the majority of users will be minimally affected.

  • Fitness centers and indoor pools are shared-access spaces, they’re open to all members at the same time.
  • Court reservations are exclusive-use, meaning one person or group has private access to the space. These are priced differently under the BPR Fee Policy.
  • When swim lanes are reserved for exclusive use, such as by swim teams or private groups, they also pay a separate rental fee.
  • The Fee Policy sets pricing based on the level of community benefit and individual access. Exclusive-use rentals recover more of their costs to ensure fairness and financial sustainability across the system.

Future Court Expansions

  • New courts are scheduled to open at Tom Watson Park in Spring of 2026.
  • Additional courts are planned for East Boulder Community Park to be complete by spring 2027.
  • These facility investments are part of a long-term plan to support rising demand for court space while also ensuring we address the poor condition of courts across the system.

Maintenance and Volunteering

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

Programming

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.

Communication and Support

Direct technical questions or unresolved concerns to:

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