8F
Date: November 18, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Parks and Recreation Commission
John La Rock, Community Services Director
By: Garrett Craig, Recreation Services Manager | [email protected] Subject: Parks and Recreation Commission and Community Services – Approve Pickleball Court Policies at Wilson Park. Expenditure: None.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation of the Parks and Recreation Commission and Community Services Director that City Council approve pickleball court policies for the new Wilson Park courts.
FUNDING
None required.
DISCUSSION
In preparation for the completion of eight new pickleball courts at Wilson Park, the Recreation Division has developed policies to guide court use and management. Through extensive community outreach, staff gathered feedback that helped shape the final court system recommendations presented in this report.
On August 13, 2025, the Recreation Services Manager presented potential pickleball policies to the Parks and Recreation Commission, referencing best practices from peer communities, and recommended that the Pickleball Subcommittee conduct three community meetings to gather feedback. The Subcommittee subsequently met with players at Walteria, Wilson, and Sur La Brea Parks to discuss the initial proposal and reported their findings to the Commission on September 10, 2025.
To expand community engagement, the Recreation Division distributed a public survey focused on current pickleball classes, preferred play formats, and potential programming. The survey was emailed via Rec.us, a program and reservation management software utilized by the Division, to participants who had previously enrolled in City-run pickleball classes. Over a three-week period, the survey received over 200 responses. The feedback collected helped shape the proposed court distribution plan and the introduction of a court reservation system.
Approximately 90% of survey respondents indicated they are “likely” or “very likely” to use the new pickleball courts, reflecting strong community enthusiasm for the project. Regarding play format, 65% of respondents indicated they most often participate in open play. To accommodate 1 City Council
November 18, 2025
this, all eight courts will be available for open play during designated times on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Survey respondents also showed interest in having a reservation option. Court reservations, managed through Rec, will be offered exclusively to Torrance residents. Implementation of the reservation system will not take effect until the 2026 Master Fee Schedule is approved by City Council at a date yet to be determined. Reservations may be made up to seven days in advance and as soon as six hours prior to play. This system supports players who prefer scheduled play, generates revenue for court maintenance, and allows the Division to expand pickleball programming.
Court Schedule Summary
Court Use Type Schedule Notes
Courts 1-4 Open Play Daily, 6:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. Always available for
open play
Courts 5-6 Hybrid
(Open Play &
Reservations)
Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun:
Open Play
6:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Reservations
12:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.
Tue, Thu, Sat:
Reservations
6:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Open Play
12:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.
When no
reservation
is scheduled,
courts
default to
open play
Courts 7-8 Structured
Programming
& Leagues
Programming coordinated by the
Community Services
Department
Courts
default to
open play
when no
programming
is scheduled
The Recreation Division will work with Rec.us to develop court signage featuring both permanent signage and QR codes that link players to court policies and a daily updated calendar for Courts 5–8, which operate on rotating schedules. The QR code system, currently in use at Walteria, Wilson, and Sur La Brea Parks, has been successful in providing players with easy access to court information. Upon request, staff at Dee Hardison Sports Center at Wilson Park can provide printed copies of the daily court schedule. The current tennis and paddle tennis court policies at Wilson Park will remain in effect, maintaining a first-come, first-served system. Policies related to court use and play are being updated as part of this proposal; however, the existing code of conduct for court use will stay in place and continue to guide player behavior and facility use.
The Parks and Recreation Commission recommends implementing the proposed system for a 90-day trial period, followed by an evaluation to determine whether adjustments are needed. If successful, these policies will remain in place. The Commission approved these 2 City Council
November 18, 2025
recommendations at its October 8, 2025, meeting and directed that the policies be forwarded to the City Council for approval. Once completed, the new pickleball courts at Wilson Park are anticipated to be a popular amenity with the community. Pickleball facility guidelines are recommended to ensure a balance of use and users, including scheduled and open play, instruction, reservations, and competitions.
ATTACHMENTS
1. October 8, 2025 - Parks and Recreation Commission Item 7B- Update on New Pickleball Court Policies at Wilson Park
2. October 8, 2025 - Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes (Materials Available) 3 ATTACHMENT
1 4
5 6
To maximize our outreach, a survey was
created to reach pickleball participants
that have specifically taken classes or
pickleball related programs through Rec.
The survey was a total of 14 questions,
and we received over 200 responses
7 8
9 Survey Results:
General Information
What is your pickleball skill level?
•Most participants are Torrance residents – 142 of 198 responses (72%) indicate residency, showing strong local engagement while still attracting 28% from outside the city •Pickleball participation skews older and intergenerational – 79 respondents play with groups 55 and over, while 99 play in mixed-age settings, highlighting pickleball’s appeal across generations •Intermediate players dominate the community – 127 respondents (65%) identify as intermediate, making it the largest group by far. Advanced/competitive players follow at 55 (28%) 10 Survey Results:
General Information
127
36 63
73 36 31 29
0 20
40 60
80 100
120
140
Weekday
mornings
(before
12PM)
Weekday
afternoons
(12-5PM)
Weekday
evenings
(after 5pm)
Weekend
mornings
(before
12PM)
Weekend
afternoons
(12-5PM)
Weekend
evenings
(after 5PM)
Varies/no
set time
When do you most often play pickleball? Select all that apply.
•Weekday mornings dominate – With 127 responses, this is by far the most popular time, showing a strong preference for morning play during the workweek
•Weekend mornings are the next most popular – 73 responses highlight that mornings overall (weekday + weekend) are the prime time for play
•Evenings show moderate participation – 63 responses for weekday evenings, but weekend evenings drop to 31, suggesting less demand after dark
11 17(9.8%)
37 (21.5%)
101 (58.7%)
13 (7.5%)
4 (2.3%)
0 20
40 60
80 100
120
Very Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied How satisfied are you with the City's
pickleball classes?
Su rv e y Re s u lt s
Cla s s e s a n d Pro g ra m s :
•Overall satisfaction trends toward the
middle – Most respondents reported feeling
neutral (58.7%) about the City’s pickleball
classes, leaning towards satisfied
•Survey reach extended beyond class
participants – While the survey was
intended for those who have taken classes,
several comments indicate that some
respondents completed it without having
class experience, which may have influenced
the results
12 • Open play dominates participation-
Nearly two-thirds (65.8%) reported that
open play is their primary form of play
• This suggest that the flexibility and
accessibility of open play are highly
valued by the community
Su rv e y Re s u lt s
Cla s s e s a n d Pro g ra m s :
•
•
Su rv e y Re s u lt s
Cla s s e s a n d Pro g ra m s :
13 Survey Results:
Wilson Courts & Play
36 (18.0%)
40 (20.1%) 41 (20.6%)
33 (16.5%)
49 (22.1%)
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 Very likely Likely Neutral Unlikely Very unlikely
For a small fee, how likely would you be to reserve
pickleball court time at Wilson Park?
122 (61.3%)
58 (29.1%)
9 (4.5%)
1 (0.5%)
9 (4.5%)
0 20
40 60
80 100
120
140
Very likely Likely Neutral Unlikely Very unlikely
How likely are you to play pickleball at the new
courts at Wilson Park?
• Survey responses indicate strong community
interest in the new pickleball courts at Wilson
Park with 61.3% of respondents reporting
they are ‘very likely’ to play there, with an
additional 29.1% saying they are ‘likely’ to
use the courts
Overall, more than 90% of participants are
inclined to use the new courts, highlighting
strong demand and enthusiasm for this facility.
• Regarding reservations, roughly 38% of participants are ‘likely’ or ‘very likely’ to reserve, while nearly 41% were neutral or ‘unlikely’, indicating that interest in paid reservations is moderate and may vary across the
community
Allowing for reservations along with open play serves a different sector of the community who have shown interest in making a reservation that would guarantee them court time. 14 Survey Results:
Wilson Courts & Play
36 (18.0%)
56 (28.1%)
64 (32.6%)
22 (11.0%) 21 (10.5%)
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
Very likely Likely Neutral Unlikely Very unlikely
If the City created an official pickleball league, how
likely would you be to participate?
• Mixed interest in leagues – About
one in five respondents (18.0%) said
they would be “very likely” to
participate in an official City-run
pickleball league, while a larger
portion (28.1%) indicated they would
be “likely” to join
• Uncertainty dominates – The largest
share of respondents (32.6%) reported
being neutral, suggesting that many
players are undecided or could be
influenced depending on factors such
as format, cost, and scheduling
15 Survey Results:
Wilson Courts & Play
• Moderate interest in tournaments- Just over 57.2% of respondents expressed interest in a city-sponsored pickleball tournament
• Preference for limited frequency-Among those interested, most favored a modest schedule with 36.4% preferring two tournaments per year and 28.3% preferred three to four times a year
46 (23.1%)
68 (34.1%)
40 (20.1%)
24 (11.5%) 23 (11.55%)
0 10
20 30
40 50
60 70
80 High interest Some interest Neutral Low interest No interest How interested would you be in participating in
a city - sponsored pickleball tournament?
16 Survey Results:
Comments
Comments:
• “I prefer to take classes weekday late afternoon and early evening. Please make the pickleball classes available on the weekend too.”
• “The pickleball instruction schedule needs to be varied to accommodate all age and everyday community member. Classes should be added to the evening and weekend time slots.” • “Reservation should be part time like some of the courts and not all of the courts. One of the best things about pickleball is open play and able to play and socialize with people ad hoc.” • “More open play on permanent pickleball courts.”
Additional Program Ideas:
• Live Ball
• Open play separating skill levels and ages
• Ladder play
• Tournaments to fund Torrance parks
• Round robins
• Advanced/competitive skills classes
• Pickleball social events
• “A pickleball league would be awesome. El Segundo Parks and Rec has an excellently run, highly successful, very popular league program. I have been participating in it and wished my hometown would have similar.”
• “Prefer to have courts that could be reserved through an app with only a maximum # of hours and only a few courts open to open players. All cities do it and the charges are very minimal.”
• “Maybe more classes designated for intermediate players.” • “I'm looking forward to league play at Wilson.”
17 18
19 20
MATERIALS AVAILABLE
(ATTACHMENT TO AGENDA ITEM WILL POST PRIOR TO CITY COUNCIL MEETING) 21