Pickleball Sound 103 - Mitigating Pickleball Sound - Is Pickleball Compatible with Residential Environments?

The popularity of pickleball has created many avid players seeking more pickleball courts in community parks, apartment complexes, homeowners' associations, country clubs, and residential neighborhoods. Existing tennis courts are often used for both tennis and pickleball. Nearby residents accustomed to sounds from tennis will hear a louder sound from pickleball and a sound with different tonal qualities. Depending on the sound level and the distance from the pickleball court, pickleball sound can be a source of annoyance. Several explanations are given why community noise ordinances fail to properly address pickleball sounds. Sound mitigation strategies for pickleball play are described that follow traditional approaches for noise control at the source, along the path, and at the receiver. These approaches include use of commercially available acoustical materials, reorientation of courts, preferred paddles and balls, new site locations, and play schedules. The expected noise reductions for each option are outlined to help determine if pickleball noise can be compatible with residential environments. Estimates of minimum distances from courts where pickleball sound will not be an annoyance are made considering the background sound and the sound mitigation in place.