Carmel Could Become California's First City to Fully Ban Public Pickleball

City Council, citing years-long noise complaints, appears unanimously in favor of enforcing a permanent ban on pickleball at the city's only outdoor public courts

One of California's most picturesque coastal towns is on the cusp of making history, though not the kind pickleball fans will be happy to hear.

Carmel-by-the-Sea is moving toward becoming the first city in California to permanently ban public pickleball, and the reasoning behind it reveals a tension that's been simmering in communities across the country: the sport's explosive growth versus the noise complaints from neighbors who didn't sign up for the soundtrack.

"Earlier this month," ABC7 Bay Area reports, "the Carmel City Council paved the way for making a temporary ban permanent at the only public court within Carmel city limits."

That park, Forest Hill Park, is now in danger of losing pickleball for good.

How We Got Here

After years of friction, stemming from a relentless flood of noise complaints and other civic issues, the City Council decided in October to enforce a temporary ban on play at the public pickleball courts.

"The best plan they could devise was to enforce the use of soft or 'quiet' paddles and balls that would help notch down the signature echo clap the plastic balls made on the wood paddles," SFGate reports.

It didn't work. While some residents said the noise levels had, in fact, noticeable decreased, more still stressed that it wouldn't last.

As of 2023, Carmel had a population just over 3,000 people.

"Who’s going to enforce this?" one vocal opponent questioned.

"Am I going to have to hear a noise and then call the police? Is a police officer going to have to be, you know, sitting there on these courts, supervising them?"

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What Happens Now?

The current temporary ban on pickleball at Forest Hill Park will reportedly remain in place while an ordinance is drafted to make the ban permanent.

That will be voted on at the City Council’s next meeting. 

Local news outlets are reporting that Carmel City Council voted unanimously in favor of the both the temporary ban staying as well as the creation of a permanent ban. So things are not looking good for Forest Hill Park and the many pickleball players who frequent its courts on a daily basis.

SFGate goes on:

While there are other public and private pickleball courts on the Monterey Peninsula, Forest Hill Park was the only public pickleball offering within Carmel city limits. And while other California towns, like Ross in Marin County, have mulled bans and restrictions, Carmel’s permanent ban, if approved, would be the first in the state. 

Opponents of the ban will have two additional hearings to appeal the permanent ban once it is created. 

The Bigger Picture: Why Carmel Matters

What's happening in Carmel reflects a larger tension in how pickleball is expanding. The sport has grown so quickly that infrastructure, regulation, and community integration haven't kept pace.

We're essentially building the plane while flying it, and some communities are deciding they'd rather not be on this particular flight.

One sticking point remains the noise concern. From Boise to Boston and all points in between, hardly a week goes by without some U.S. town crying foul about the noise.

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Whenever public, outdoor courts pop up near residential properties, issues inevitably arise.

Despite pickleball's enormous popularity and continued growth, the industry hasn't collectively figured out how to address the noise issue in a way that satisfies both players and neighbors.

Nobody is arguing that pickleball is fun or social or good for your mental and physical health. The issue is purely acoustic. The sound travels. It echoes. And for people living adjacent to courts, it becomes a constant, unavoidable presence.

If Carmel's ban becomes permanent, it could trigger a domino effect. Other California cities might follow suit. The precedent gets set. And suddenly, pickleball facilities face new scrutiny in communities where they previously operated without much resistance.

Image via ABC7 Bay Area