New Pickleball Hours Divide Cupertino Neighbors

Cupertino has approved a pilot program that cuts back free drop-in pickleball hours at Memorial Park after years of complaints from nearby residents about noise. The change limits play to 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and bars pickleball entirely on Mondays. City officials said the pilot is meant to reduce the sound impact on homes next to the park. Players, including members of the local pickleball club, said the new schedule removes some of the only hours that work for commuters, families and older adults. ### What exactly is changing at Memorial Park? The new schedule applies to free drop-in pickleball at Memorial Park in Cupertino. Under the pilot, courts will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, and no pickleball will be allowed on Mondays. NBC Bay Area reported the city approved the pilot in response to complaints about court noise. (nbcbayarea.com) July 7 is the start date for the new hours. San José Spotlight reported the pilot is scheduled to run from July 2026 through February 2027, based on a Cupertino Parks and Recreation memo. ### Why did the city move to shorten hours? Memorial Park neighbors have complained for years about the sharp popping sound made by pickleball paddles and balls. (nbcbayarea.com) San José Spotlight reported that one nearby homeowner said games run “seven days a week” from early morning to night and that the sound can be heard inside the home despite double-pane windows. (sanjosespotlight.com) Cupertino officials paired the hour limits with other mitigation steps. San José Spotlight reported the city is asking players to use quieter paddles and balls and is also exploring a sound wall near the courts. ### Which players say they will lose access? Cupertino resident Zoey Tran told San José Spotlight that the Memorial Park courts have helped her family feel connected after multiple moves. (sanjosespotlight.com) Tran said the proposed restrictions would reduce access for working professionals, families and older adults who depend on early morning or evening play to fit around work schedules or avoid hotter parts of the day. Cathy Chiu, identified by San José Spotlight as one of the leaders of the Cupertino Pickleball Club, said volunteers helped build and maintain the courts by raising money for nets, retaping court lines and organizing the open drop-in system. Chiu said players were surprised by the pilot and believed they had already taken steps to reduce noise, including promoting quieter paddles and moving early games farther from nearby homes. (sanjosespotlight.com) ### What has the city tried before this? August 1, 2025 was the date Cupertino began requesting quieter gear during certain hours. In a city notice published last year, Cupertino said signage would ask players to use USA Pickleball-certified quiet-category paddles and balls from dawn to 9 a.m. and from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily. (sanjosespotlight.com) May 5, 2026 was one flashpoint in the dispute. A local newsletter, Cupertino Matters, said more than 40 pickleball players spoke during oral communications after a city memo proposed tighter restrictions at Memorial Park. ### Where does the dispute go from here? February 2027 is the end point cited for the pilot in the Parks and Recreation memo described by San José Spotlight. (cupertino.gov) That gives Cupertino several months to track whether shorter hours, quieter equipment and any additional sound mitigation reduce complaints from Memorial Park neighbors. (cupertinomatters.org) May 19, 2026 is the date of Cupertino’s next regular City Council meeting listed on the city’s Legistar calendar. The city calendar also shows a Parks and Recreation Commission meeting scheduled for July 2, 2026, after the pilot’s planned launch window. (cupertino.legistar.com) (sanjosespotlight.com)