Pickleball Courts in Atlanta

Quick Answer: Atlanta runs five city racquet centers, of which Joseph McGhee and Sharon Lester at Piedmont Park have permanent pickleball lines. Reservations are required at the racquet centers. Several city parks have tennis courts striped for pickleball and are free, first come, first served, including Shady Valley Park at 2720 Shady Valley Dr NE.

Atlanta’s pickleball sits inside an established tennis infrastructure rather than alongside it, which means knowing which venues have been converted and which require booking.

What are the racquet centers?

The City of Atlanta operates five, and they are the organized end of local play.

• Sharon Lester Racquet Center at Piedmont Park. 1320 Monroe Dr, 404-205-5844. Has permanent pickleball lines.
• Joseph McGhee Racquet Center. 820 Beecher Ct SW, 404-855-5972. Has permanent pickleball lines.
• Chastain Park Racquet Center. 290 Chastain Park Ave NW, 404-855-5417.
• Washington Park Racquet Center. 1125 Lena St NW, 404-205-5410.
• Bitsy Grant Tennis Center. 2125 Northside Dr NW.

Reservations are required at the racquet centers, so these are not turn up and play venues. Only McGhee and Sharon Lester currently have permanent pickleball lines, and the city says more are planned.

Piedmont Park is the one most visitors will reach for given the location, and Sharon Lester already having permanent lines makes it the practical choice.

Where can you play free?

The City of Atlanta has striped permanent pickleball lines onto tennis courts across a number of parks, and these are the free option.

The city’s striped list includes A.D. Williams Park at 1154 James Jackson Parkway NW, East Lake Park at 2617 Memorial Dr SE, Grant Park at 537 Park Ave SE, Isabell Gates Webster Park, Lenox-Wildwood Park, Maddox Park, Peachtree Hills Park and Shady Valley Park at 2720 Shady Valley Dr NE.

These are free and first come, first served. The city publishes no court count or surface detail for the individual parks, so check the specific one before travelling.

The caveat with striped tennis courts is that you may need a portable net, and tennis players have an equal claim to the surface. Our guide to finding free pickleball courts covers how to read that situation.

Do you need to book?

At the racquet centers, yes. At the striped park courts, no, and they run free and first come, first served. Dedicated courts can also be reserved through iParcs at 3 to 5 dollars per hour, which is the option worth knowing if you are planning ahead for a fixed group.

That split is the single most useful thing to understand about Atlanta pickleball. Turning up at Chastain expecting to walk on is the common mistake; turning up at Grant Park and finding tennis players is the other.

Our overview of how reservation systems work covers what municipal booking generally involves.

What about indoor?

Pickleball can be played indoors at some City of Atlanta recreation centers, on their own schedules. That matters less here than in a cold climate city, because Atlanta’s outdoor season is long, but it covers the wet stretches and the coldest weeks.

When should you play?

Spring and autumn are excellent, and they are the peak seasons for the courts accordingly.

Summer brings heat and humidity, with afternoon thunderstorms a regular pattern from June through August. Morning play is the sensible habit in those months.

Winter is mild enough that outdoor play continues through most of it, with cold snaps and rain the interruptions rather than snow. Atlanta gets very little of the latter, and when it does the city stops entirely for a day or two.

Pollen season in spring is a genuine local consideration that surprises newcomers. It coats the courts and everything else, and anyone with allergies may prefer to move indoors until it passes.

What should you bring?

A portable net if you are heading to a striped tennis court rather than a racquet center. Outdoor balls and a spare. Water, and more in summer than the temperature suggests, since Georgia humidity produces heavy sweat losses.

Court shoes with a durable outsole, since outdoor hard courts are abrasive. Our guide to pickleball shoes covers the difference that makes, and our guide to recovering after playing covers the humid summer sessions.

Frequently asked questions

Which Atlanta racquet centers have pickleball lines? Only Joseph McGhee and Sharon Lester at Piedmont Park currently have permanent lines, with more planned across the five centers.

Do I need a reservation? Yes at the racquet centers. Park courts striped for pickleball are free and first come, first served, though dedicated courts can be reserved through iParcs at 3 to 5 dollars per hour.

Where can I play free? Parks including Shady Valley, Grant Park, East Lake Park, Maddox Park and Peachtree Hills Park have striped courts.

Is there pickleball at Piedmont Park? Yes, at the Sharon Lester Racquet Center on Monroe Drive, which has permanent pickleball lines.

Do I need my own net? Often at striped tennis courts. Racquet centers with permanent lines generally do not require one.

Is there indoor pickleball? Yes, at some City of Atlanta recreation centers on their own schedules.

When is the best time of year? Spring and autumn. Summer play is best done in the morning.

Where is the official court list? The City of Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation maintains a pickleball court list on its website.

Atlanta rewards knowing which venues need booking and which do not. For clubs, commercial facilities and courts across the wider metro, browse our public pickleball courts directory.

Written by the Pickler Junction Team.