The pickleball party may be coming to a close in one small California town.
Carmel-by-the-Sea is looking to permanently ban pickleball due to years of noise complaints surrounding the only public courts in the city — due to the popping noises caused by pickleballs connecting with rackets and the court.
Stock photo of Ribera Beach in Carmel, California
Ian Philip Miller/STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images
The peaceful beach town’s city council unanimously voted earlier this month to review a permanent ban on pickleball at the courts in Forest Hill Park after initially enacting a temporary ban on the sport in October, according to municipal documents.
The city attorney will now draft the permanent pickleball ban for the city council to vote upon at a later date, according to the meeting.
Carmel Mayor Dale Byrne told ABC News that the town’s government has tried to find a solution to pickleball noise for two years, including limiting hours of play and providing quieter equipment for players to use at the park.
“Unfortunately, consistent enforcement proved impossible, and the topic continued to consume significant staff, commission, and Council time,” Byrne said. “As I said at the meeting, it’s disappointing that we couldn’t find a solution that balanced everyone’s interests. We fully recognize the health benefits and joy that pickleball provides. However, those benefits must be weighed against the peace and quiet of the surrounding neighborhood something that remains a core priority for our village.”
Stock photo of people playing pickleball.
Iparraguirre Recio/STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images
Carmel Police Chief Todd Trayer told ABC News that people using the banned court will get a warning first — although he said he’s not aware of anyone violating the temporary ban.
“If we do get called, people will be warned first and provided the new ordinance/education. This is a beautiful community of people and most understand the concerns of sound today,” Trayer said.
At the October Carmel City Council meeting that instituted the initial ban, Carmel resident Kimberly Edwards, who said she lives near the court, said that pickleball should be banned in the town because it is so loud.
“I can hear it through my bedroom window, in my garden, its very annoying. And unless you live there, then I know its not a problem for you — but it’s a problem for me,” Edwards said.
“I don’t understand why we’re placating the tourists and the pickleball players, when you’re supposed to be working for us,” she added.
Pickleball is played similarly to tennis, where players alternate serving to their opponents and try to reach 11 points, according to the California Pickleball Association. It can be played with singles or doubles.
The game is the fastest-growing sport in the country with a 311% increase in play since 2021 and almost 20 million players, according to the Pickleball Athletic Club in California.
