Pickleball Courts in Dallas
Quick Answer: Fretz Tennis Center and Samuell Grand Tennis Center both take pickleball bookings at 5 dollars per person for 90 minutes. Campbell Green Park and Cole Park offer free dedicated courts on a first come basis, and Cole Park is lit at night.
Dallas runs its best pickleball through city tennis centres with a booking system, which makes it one of the easier big cities to guarantee a court in.
Where should you play first?
Samuell Grand Tennis Center, if you want dedicated courts. Its own page lists 16 outdoor tennis courts and 14 designated pickleball courts, open to members and non members alike, and it runs programmes and leagues for adults and juniors.
Fretz Tennis Center is the other anchor. Its own page describes it as one of DFW’s only public tennis centers with 12 designated pickleball courts.
Both take reservations through the free Impact Activities TX mobile app for iOS and Android, or online at impact.clubautomation.com, and non members can book without a membership. The rate is 5 dollars per person for a 90 minute slot. For a group of four that is 20 dollars for an hour and a half on a booked court.
Where are the free courts?
Campbell Green Park has four dedicated outdoor courts with permanent lines and nets, free and first come, first served. Dedicated courts with permanent nets are the better experience and Campbell Green is the pick if you want to pay nothing.
Cole Park is also first come, and court databases list it as six dedicated outdoor courts with permanent lines and nets, lighted and free. In a city where summer afternoons are brutal, lighting is worth more than court count.
Free and first come means arriving early during the pleasant months. Our guide to finding free pickleball courts covers what to expect from municipal facilities.
Should you book or turn up?
Book if you have a fixed group and a fixed time. Five dollars a head removes all the uncertainty, and 90 minutes is enough for a proper session.
Turn up if you are alone and want a rotation. Free park courts are where you meet people, and open play at a busy court is the fastest way into a local group.
Our overview of how court reservation systems work covers what to expect from app based municipal booking generally.
When should you play?
October through April is comfortable and it is the season Dallas plays hardest.
Summer is the constraint. North Texas heat from June through September makes midday outdoor play draining and sometimes unsafe, and the local pattern is early morning or under lights. Cole Park’s lighting is useful for exactly that reason.
Spring brings the other Dallas variable, which is storms. They arrive quickly and courts go from playable to slick in minutes.
What should you bring?
- Water, and more in summer. Texas heat plus exertion is a genuine risk, not a comfort issue. Our guide to recovering after playing covers the rest.
- Outdoor balls and a spare. Heat shortens ball life.
- Court shoes with a durable outsole. Texas hard courts are abrasive. See what shoes to wear.
- A hat and sunscreen. Shade at most park courts is minimal.
- The booking app if you plan to use Fretz or Samuell Grand.
Where do you learn?
Samuell Grand’s own page lists programmes and leagues for adults and juniors, so structured instruction is available there. City tennis centres tend to be the cheapest structured instruction in any metro because the facility is already publicly funded.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to play pickleball in Dallas? Free at Campbell Green and Cole Park. Five dollars per person for a 90 minute booking at Fretz or Samuell Grand.
How do I book a court? Through the Impact Activities TX app or online for the city tennis centres.
Which courts are dedicated to pickleball? Samuell Grand lists 14 designated pickleball courts, and Campbell Green has four dedicated outdoor courts with permanent nets.
Are any courts lit? Cole Park is lit for night play, which matters in a Texas summer.
Are there programmes or lessons? Samuell Grand Tennis Center lists programmes and leagues for adults and juniors.
Do I need to be a member? No. Both tennis centres are open to members and non members at the same booking rate.
When should I avoid outdoor play? Midday from June through September. Early morning is cooler, and Cole Park’s lights make evening play possible.
Dallas is a good city for guaranteed court time at a low price, which is not true of every metro this size. For the full range of parks, clubs and commercial facilities across the metroplex, browse our public pickleball courts directory.
Written by the Pickler Junction Team.
