To ensure a court’s availability, we recommend that you rent a court. The fee is $12 per court per hour; non-residents will be charged an additional $6 fee per reservation. Please take a look at the current Fee Schedule here.

If a court is not used for programming or rentals, courts are available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis for the non-organized play.

Private instructors must be issued a permit before conducting lessons or clinics. If the Park District offers private lessons or clinics similar to what an individual or business requests for the rental, then the Park District has the right to decline the request.

A maximum of three pickleball courts can be reserved at one time for a single reservation. Some exceptions may apply.

To request a court, email rentals@biparks.org or contact Sports Program Manager Audree Gormanson at audreeg@biparks.org or call 206-842-5661 #142.

An application can be found here. Once submitted, the staff will process the application within three to five business days.

The Park District reserves the right to modify or cancel reservations at any time.

Court Rules
Help the Park District provide an enjoyable tennis or pickleball experience for all. Please follow all rules.

• Use courts at your own risk.
• Courts are open to the general public from dawn to dusk.
• Courts are first-come, first-served.
• Pickleball players must yield to tennis players on designated tennis courts.
• Yield court after one hour of play if others are waiting.
• Players may continue playing after one hour if no other players are waiting.
• No drilling/practice time when courts are full.
• Yield courts to permitted rentals.

Check the availability of open pickleball courts from the comfort of your own home!

To view pickleball courts, use the link here.

Instructions when accessing the link through VLC:
1. Click on Media, then Stream.
2. Choose Network.
3. Enter the URL and choose Stream.
4. Choose Next, Next, Next, and finally, Stream.

• Use courts at your own risk.
• Please be vigilant in preventing the spread of the virus by practicing good hygiene as recommended by CDC guidelines.
• Stay home if you are experiencing any symptoms as listed by the CDC guidelines.
• Do not enter the courts if you have any symptoms or exposure risks as listed by the CDC guidelines.
• All pickleball and tennis courts are restricted to the COVID-19 guidelines by the CDC and state or local agencies.
• Players should bring their own set of balls. Each player’s balls must be labeled and identifiable. A maximum of three balls per player is permitted. Players should serve with their set of balls. If the other player’s ball ends up on your side of the court, use your racquet or foot to return the ball to the other player.
• Avoid using your hands if a ball comes into your court; kick or use a racket to return the ball.
• Before, during, and after play, players must maintain a minimum distance of 6 feet from other people.
• Face coverings are recommended.
• All spectators and players waiting for a court must remain outside the fence until a court becomes available. Physical distancing procedures must always be practiced.
• Players are encouraged to bring and use hand sanitizer.
• Players are encouraged to place their personal items (bags, water bottles, etc.) safely (6 feet) from other players’ items to avoid surface contact.
• No handshakes, paddle bumps, or physical contact between players.

Comments or Questions?

Please get in touch with Park Services Division Director Dan Hamlin at dan@biparks.org.

• How to play Pickleball video
• How to Play Pickleball website
• Bainbridge Island Pickleball Club

Pickleball was invented in 1965 here on Bainbridge Island by three enterprising dads – Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum. Their children were bored with their typical summertime activities. It evolved from the original handmade equipment and simple rules into a popular sport throughout the US and is now taking off in other parts of the world. The origin of the game’s name is fascinating, mainly because no pickles are used. Accounts of how the name originated differ. Joel Pritchard’s wife (Joan) started calling the game pickleball because “the combination of different sports reminded me of the pickle boat in crew where oarsmen were chosen from the leftovers of other boats.” However, according to Barney McCallum, the game was officially named after the Pritchards’ dog, Pickles, who would chase the ball and run off with it. Others claim both accounts may be true. In the early years, no official name was assigned to the game. However, a year or two after the game was invented, the Pritchard’s purchased a cocker spaniel and named it Pickles. As the game progressed, an official name and “pickleball” were needed.

Pickleball is a court sport played on a badminton-sized court with the net set to a height of 34 inches at the center. It is played with a perforated plastic ball like a Whiffle ball and paddles about twice the size of ping-pong paddles. It can be played indoors or outdoors and is easy for beginners to learn, but it can develop into a fast-paced, competitive game for experienced players. Pickleball can be played on tennis courts with specific pickleball lines. Up to four pickleball courts can be fit onto a single tennis court.