Noise Complaints Close California Town’s New $1.5M Pickleball Courts for Good

After a year of “operational challenges,” city council in Martinez, CA, voted to permanently end pickleball play at one of its local parks.

Eight tennis courts at the Hidden Valley Sports Courts were converted to pickleball and opened to the public in February of 2025.

Noise complaints immediately followed and have persisted ever since.

Despite numerous efforts to alleviate the problem — designated hours, encouraging quieter equipment, onsite signage, etc. — the courts are closed for good, effective immediately.

The initiative reportedly cost about $1.5 million to complete.

“We understand that this has been a difficult and emotional issue for many in our community,” said Mayor Brianne Zorn.

The town even enlisted an independent acoustical engineer specializing in pickleball noise, “whose expert opinion concluded that no feasible mitigation measures could adequately address the noise impacts given the courts’ location.”

It’s hard not to wonder what went wrong in the planning phase here.

Either the town officials didn’t initially understand the noise associated with outdoor pickleball, or they didn’t appreciate how popular the courts would be once opened. Or maybe both? What a shame.

And if you're thinking you've heard this story before, you're right: Carmel-by-the-Sea, another California town, made headlines last year for similar reasons, becoming California's first town to permanently ban outdoor pickleball.

Image via City of Martinez, CA.