I’d been hearing about pickleball for a while and after friends introduced us to it this spring I bought a simple four-paddle set for our family to have for outdoor summer fun. We’ve just been going up the hill to our neighborhood park playing on the tennis court but I then discovered there were courts in West Seattle that are lined specifically for pickleball, have nets, and even offered times for instructions on certain days. So down the rabbit hole of research I went, and here’s what I've discovered so far.
What is pickleball?
It’s a combination of tennis, ping pong and badminton, easy to learn, and super fun.
How do I play?
I found this short video posted by Seattle Parks and Rec that gives a quick overview and another page with a topline on how to keep score. In addition, there are sometimes "intro to pickleball" sessions and classes you can find on the websites listed below.
Where can I play?
I found the information to be constantly changing so I would suggest checking TimeForPickleball's website for up-to-date info and/or calling the location itself.
- Outdoor
While right now any type of tennis court works for us since it’s more about getting outside and having fun, there are two outdoor locations in West Seattle with courts lined for pickleball that we've started to check out. - Delridge Playfield Tennis and Pickleball Courts (4 pickleball courts)
4501 Delridge Way SW
(206) 684-7423
Notes: At least two roll-away semi-permanent pickleball nets are available on the courts thanks to the fundraising efforts of the pickleball community. Nets are locked when not in use so email info@seattlemetropickleball.com or call the community center for access. You can also bring your own pickleball net. Courts are free if not reserved. Reservations are $10/hr as of April 2021 and booked through Seattle Parks and Rec. - Walt Hundley Playfield Tennis and Pickleball Courts (4 pickleball courts)
6920 34th Ave SW
Notes: At least two roll-away semi-permanent pickleball nets are available on the courts thanks to the fundraising efforts of the pickleball community. Nets are locked when not in use so email info@seattlemetropickleball.com or in my case, the folks there playing were happy to share the code to unlock the other net. You can also bring your own pickleball net. Courts are free if not reserved. Reservations are $10/hr as of April 2021 and booked through Seattle Parks and Rec. - Indoor
There are indoor courts at some of the community centers and the YMCA but most are currently closed for open sessions because of the pandemic. Although two of them have been offering classes for some ages (usually 50+) through Seattle Parks and Rec. - Delridge Community Center (No times listed as of yet)
4501 Delridge Way SW
(206) 684-7423 - Hiawatha Community Center (Summer 2022—Closed)
2700 California Ave SW
(206) 684-7441 - High Point Community Center (Fall 2022—Drop-in for 16+ and classes for 50+)
6920 34th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98126
(206) 684-7422 - Southwest Teen Life Center (No times listed as of yet)
2801 SW Thistle St, Seattle, WA 98126
(206) 684-7438 - West Seattle Family YMCA (No times listed as of yet)
3622 SW Snoqualmie St, Seattle, WA 98126
(206) 935-6000
Free for members, daily fee for non-members. - Organized play
For more organized play you can check out the website TimeForPickleball that has a running list of regular drop-in games, organized by day, of places all around the city so you’ll have to look specifically for the ones in West Seattle. There is also another website called PlayTime Scheduler to organize or join games. It’s free to use but you will need to set up an account to access the information. However, to reserve a court you will need to go through the Seattle Parks and Rec website. - Map of locations
Here's a Google map I created of all the locations based on the TimeForPickleball courts page. Do note, not all are currently open but in the time I started and finished this post there were changes so opting to list them all.
Since courts and nets are currently both available for free all you need to purchase are the paddles and balls. I tried to shop locally but ended up ordering a simple four-paddle set for $40 on Amazon.
Other helpful things to know
- Courts are first-come first-serve, unless they are already reserved.
- If there are players already using the courts, you are welcome to ask if they are a closed or drop-in group, or when they’ll be finished so that you can use the courts.
- If there are more people wanting to play than spaces available, whenever a game to 11 ends, the current players rotate out and waiting players step in and start a new game to 11.
- Typically, no fee is charged for outdoor pickleball unless someone has paid to reserve the courts. For instance, Seattle Metro Pickleball Association (SMPA) pays the city to reserve all the Green Lake East courts every weekend from 9 to 11am and it encourages players to donate a few dollars every time they play there during those hours. We haven't attended any of these sessions in WS so I'm not sure if they do the same.
- TimeForPickleball
Calendar of drop-in pickleball sessions, list of locations with pickleball courts (even ones currently closed due to the pandemic) for the Seattle area along with other information about pickleball.
https://timeforpickleball.com/ - PlayTime Scheduler
Online scheduler for the Greater Seattle Area to organize a game or join a scheduled game. However, this website does not reserve the court/s for you.
https://www.playtimescheduler.com/ - Seattle Parks and Recreation—Court Reservations
Where to schedule a court reservation for Seattle.
https://www.seattle.gov/parks/reserve/tennis-court-reservations - Seattle Metro Pickleball Association (SMPA)
Organization that promotes the development and growth of pickleball and works with parks and recreation facilities to increase facilities in the greater Seattle area. https://seattlemetropickleball.com/
Special thank yous to all the folks at TimeForPickleball, PlayTime Scheduler, Seattle Parks and Rec and Seattle Metro Pickleball Association that took the time to share their input with me.
