Boise closed pickleball courts after a lawsuit. Now the city wants to open more
Pickleball is surging in demand in the Treasure Valley. The city of Boise, after closing several courts this year, wants to expand its pickleball offerings.
Right now, 16% of Boise outdoor racket playing courts at city parks are dedicated to pickleball. By 2027, Boise wants that number to jump to 25%, according to Roseanne Brown, Boise recreation superintendent.
The target percentage gets even higher by 2031, with a goal of 40% pure pickleball courts, Brown told the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission.
The plans come after the city shocked the pickleball community by closing courts at two parks when a neighbor of one sued the city over pickleball noise. The city’s settlement of the lawsuit drew consternation and at least 150 emails from the public, Brown and Sara Arkle, director of parks and recreation, told the commissioners at a meeting Thursday, Nov. 20.
The city budgeted $75,000 to convert the parks back to tennis. The conversions, now complete, leave pickleballers with fewer options for their favorite sport.
“Pickleball has exploded,” Brown said. “We take it very seriously.”
That explosion has brought indoor pickleball courts, a professional pickleball tour stop and a pickleball-paddle store from two Idaho brothers. But with explosions come fires: In January, two Boise residents filed a tort claim with the city saying the noise from the sport made their home unlivable.
Ultimately, the city settled and closed Willow Lane Park, the one in question, along with Manitou Park, deemed unsuitable.
Boise Parks and Recreation manages 75 tennis courts and 14 dedicated pickleball courts. Just under a third of the tennis courts are also available for pickleball, Brown told the commission.
Because of dual-use courts, pickleball players can step up at 40% of Boise courts. The goal by 2031: For half of all courts to offer pickleball.
The city doesn’t have the funding right now to add any new courts but is “dedicated to try to find those resources,” Brown said. A proposed 12-court project at Alta Harris Park was estimated at $1.2 million, Arkle said, and converting from tennis to pickleball is much cheaper than building new courts. There’s no timeline for construction at Alta Harris, because the city hasn’t allocated money to build yet, city spokesperson Bonnie Shelton said in an email Monday.
Owyhee, Optimist Youth parks could get pickleball courts
One option includes converting four tennis courts at Owyhee Park into 12 pickleball courts, which “would be a really easy win for us if we can afford it,” Brown said. Another possibility is converting an existing tennis court at Optimist Youth Sports Complex into two pickleball spaces and budgeting for two additional new pickleball courts, Shelton said.
Boise considered distance from homes as a factor in identifying the sites.
Pickleball’s skyrocketing popularity made it hard for the city to keep up, Brown said. Boise staff explored dual-use courts where people could play tennis and pickleball, but high demand led to dissatisfaction. At Pickleball-only courts, dedicated players can participate longer while not taking away opportunities for tennis players, Shelton said.
Even after adding indoor pickleball lines on the gym at the Fort Boise Community Center and opening a 12-court pickleball complex at Hobble Creek Park, the available facilities weren’t enough, Brown said. Pickleball users deserve dedicated courts, not just dual tennis and pickleball use, she said.
“The court closures have been a real blow,” Commissioner Angela Johnson said. “I’m glad to see we have a plan going forward that’s keeping the pickleball community in mind.”
The city will collect feedback on pickleball goals starting Dec. 1, Arkle said.
This story was originally published November 25, 2025 at 4:00 AM.
