Playing on the Founders Courts at Battle Point Park
The Founders Courts, six dedicated and six shared courts, are located at 11299 Arrow Point Dr NE, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110. The park is open from dawn until dusk year-round. Join us for Organized Open Play, facilitated by Bainbridge Island Pickleball, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to noon, except holidays. If you are looking for a game outside of those times, download the Swish app for Android or iOS and join the Bainbridge Island Open Group. Post game or join scheduled game.
The upper courts (1-6) use a whiteboard. When you have four people put your names on the whiteboard. If it hasn't been done, tell those on the courts that play is on the whiteboard. After one game to 11, players come off the court and four players from the white board play a game.
Use of the lower courts: The six lower courts are shared with the tennis community, which has priority on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Pickleball play has priority on Tuesdays and Fridays. At all other times the courts are to be shared. If pickleball players or tennis players are waiting to use the lower courts, play is limited to nine (90) minutes. If tennis players are waiting and only two pickleball courts are being used, please use courts so that a tennis court may also be used.
Order of Play FAQs
Do all six courts have to be full before off-season policy comes into effect? No, the courts are divided into two sets of 3 and each set is different. The group courts (4-6) are run similar to the whiteboard process except no announcement about Whiteboard system is required. When your game is over simply look to see if a paddle is in the queue to know if you need to rotate out. The courts for individual players will fill up based on the number of participants. So they will use however many courts are needed (1, 2 or 3) to accommodate the number of players.
The courts are busy and most players are participating in the Individual player queue (2-in rotation). Can we add the empty “Group” courts into the rotation? Yes. Just announce it so everyone knows and that additional court(s) can be used as part of your rotation as long as no other Group wants to play. If a group arrives and puts a paddle into the group paddle rack then the next court in the Groups' set-of-courts to complete its game must rotate out.
The courts are busy, but there is an empty court in courts 1, 2 or 3 set. Can a group use it? Yes. Just realize that after one game you will (or may) need to exit to allow other groups/players to also use the court. You also have the option of joining the Individual rotation if players are waiting in that paddle rack queue.
May I have my name on whiteboard while I’m still playing on court? No. You must first come off a court before you can put your name on the whiteboard if you have another group waiting for you to come off a court, that foursome will have to wait until any other foursomes are on the court.
If I am a single player or a group of two and we show up outside of organized open play, are players on the court required to allow me to play games with their group? No. Groups of players are not required to work you into their games, but we encourage groups to do so.
Organized Open Play
April 1 through Sept. 30
M-Th, 9 a.m. to noon
Fri, 8 a.m. to noon
(except holidays)
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From 9 a.m. to noon open play on the six upper courts. Put your paddle in the rack and play two games to 11 and rotate off.
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From 9 a.m. to noon put your paddle in the south court racks for 3.5+ play and in the north court racks for 3.0+ play. Play two games and rotate off. The lower courts are also available.
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Arrive and register by 8 a.m., for the shootout ladder.
From 9:30 a.m. to noon is Round Robin play.
Oct 1 through April 30
M-F, 9 a.m. to noon
(except holidays)
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Individuals place their paddles in the north rack to rotate onto courts 1, 2 or 3.
Rotation:
Games are to 11 points, win by 2.
2-in/2-out. Each person plays 2 games before rotating out.
Rotation pattern does not change based on paddle queue length (ie never switches to 4-in/4out).
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Groups (2, 3, or 4 players) who want to play together, may do so on courts 4, 5 or 6. If those courts are occupied, place a paddle as a placeholder for your group in the south rack.
If a group is waiting (ie: there is a paddle in the rack)
Usage of the court is limited to one game to 11 (win by 2)
After the game, the group on court must exit and re-enter the queue to play again. Families and people learning the game can use a court for 30 minutes.