Oahu’s rapidly growing pickleball community has a new venue following the dedication Wednesday of a 12-court complex at Keehi Beach Park. 

What You Need To Know

  • The state’s first dedicated pickleball facility sits on the former site of four underutilized tennis courts and is part of a larger effort by the Department of Parks and Recreation to accommodate the expanding number of pickleball players on the island

  • According to DPR, the court conversions along with proposed revisions to the rules governing all city park courts are intended to strike a balance among the various groups and organizations that use public recreational facilities

  • DPR previously announced the repurposing of 20 existing courts into approximately 67 dedicated pickleball courts throughout 2023

  • DPR continues to resurface other outdoor courts, with renovations scheduled next at Kapaolono Community Park, Herbert K. Pililaau Community Park, Kaneohe District Park and Kalihi Valley District Park

The state’s first dedicated pickleball facility sits on the former site of four underutilized tennis courts and is part of a larger effort by the Department of Parks and Recreation to accommodate the expanding number of pickleball players on the island.

“It is very rewarding to see our outdoor courts given new life, and for pickleball players around the island to enjoy more dedicated facilities,” said DPR director Laura Thielen. “Our existing inventory of mostly mixed-use pickleball courts are very popular, so we anticipate these new, dedicated courts to be well used.

Theilen thanks her staff and contractor, All Courts, for quickly converting the courts while continuing to attend to other court resurfacing projects.

“We look forward to progressing this effort, and making better use of our existing facilities to accommodate a growing diversity of park users across Oahu,” she said.

According to DPR, the court conversions, along with proposed revisions to the rules governing all City park courts, are intended to strike a balance among the various groups and organizations that use public recreational facilities.

The public is encouraged to participate in an online survey to gather input on draft court rules. The survey is available through Friday and can be accessed via bit.ly/OutdoorCourtSurvey with the draft rules available at bit.ly/DraftCourtRules.

DPR previously announced the repurposing of 20 existing courts into approximately 67 dedicated pickleball courts throughout 2023. The next court conversions are scheduled for Kailua District Park, Kaala Neighborhood Park and Makakilo Community Park.

DPR continues to resurface other outdoor courts, with renovations scheduled next at Kapaolono Community Park, Herbert K. Pililaau Community Park, Kaneohe District Park and Kalihi Valley District Park.

For a comprehensive list of public pickleball courts on Oahu, visit bit.ly/OahuPickleball. A listing of public tennis courts is available at bit.ly/OahuTennis.

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.