Racquet Sports

2025

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is working to advance racquet sports play across the city with the implementation of updated racquet court hours at Gilman Playground, Laurelhurst Playfield, and Mt. Baker Park and the launch of a new pickleball open-play pilot at Green Lake East. Please see below for more information on these two new initiatives.

Compliance with Seattle Municipal Code Noise Ordinance

Effective Sept. 15, 2025:

Following repeated noise complaints at three outdoor racquet courts (Gilman Playground, Laurelhurst Playfield, and Mt. Baker Park), SPR Planning Unit staff worked with representatives from the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) to conduct sound studies to determine the existence of potential violations. It was found that due to the proximity of these courts to nearby residences, the noise being generated from use exceeds the legislative limitations.

Before September 15, 2025, the court use hours aligned with the park's open hours:

• Gilman Playground: 4 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
• Laurelhurst Playfield: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Mt. Baker Park: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

These operating hours allowed for racquet sports play and associated activities to occur before and after the hours of disturbance regulated by the City’s noise ordinance.

Therefore, to align allowable park activities with the Seattle Municipal Code Ch. 25.08 - Noise Control, SPR will be restricting use of the racquet sport courts at all three locations to the following hours:

• 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays 
• 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends and City Observed holidays.

If use is documented with timestamped, visual evidence outside of these operating hours, locks will be added to the facility to enforce consistency with the City’s noise ordinance for at least thirty (30) days from the date of lock installation. During the first 30-day enforcement period, the courts will be available, subject to staff capacity and availability, to allow for the unlocking and locking of the facility. 

After the first violation and the initial 30-day enforcement period, the locks will be removed. If a further document violation occurs, the locks will be permanently installed and play will be limited in perpetuity to the hours in which SPR personnel are able to unlock and lock the facility.

Green Lake East Open Play Pilot Program

Effective October 1, 2025:

SPR will be piloting a new style of play at the city’s first pickleball hub at Green Lake East courts! Beginning October 1, 2025, an “Open Play Pilot Program” will take effect to introduce the concept to the public and provide opportunities for SPR to collect real-time data on the impacts and opportunities for a more formalized approach to accommodate this type of pickleball play within our existing racquet sport court system. SPR will also be collecting user and public input. Findings will be shared with the public at the conclusion of the pilot program. 

The pilot is planned to run for 1 year during the following windows:

Applicable Days and Hours:

• Monday: 8–10 a.m. 
• Wednesday: 1–3 p.m. 
• Saturday: 9–11 a.m. 
• Sunday: 4–6 p.m

Open Play Pickleball is a style of racquet sport play where individuals arrive at a court location and rotate into the queue of play with individuals already playing on the court.  

The following guidelines will be posted at the courts: 

GUIDELINES

1. Courts are only to be used for pickleball. 
2. No clinics, lessons, leagues, reservations, or tournaments are allowed during open-play hours.
3. Courts are first-come, first-served until all courts are full. Courts are considered “full” when at least one game is being played at each court simultaneously. At such times, players must stack their paddles in a queue. Players who arrived during first-come, first-served must exit the court at the game-winning point and join the paddle stacking system located at the most southwestern court to play another game.
4. Warm-up time is limited to 5 minutes and players must exit the court within 5 minutes of the game-winning point.
5. When there are more than 10 paddle stacks waiting, play must switch to rally scoring until there are less than 10 paddle stacks waiting. 
6. The paddle stacking system will determine who plays next.
7. Double stacking (playing a game while having a second paddle in the queue) is not allowed. 
8. Only tennis shoes or soft-soled shoes without heels or black rubber traction devices shall be worn on tennis courts.

If you have any questions, please contact Jonathan Garner at Jonathan.Garner@Seattle.gov or (206) 619-9725.