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Pickleball drives revenue at Rec Park; council receives court usage and revenue study
Summary
City staff told the council that pickleball courts generated substantially more net revenue per court than tennis in 2024 and that courts were reserved a majority of available hours; council members discussed demand, parking and whether to consider converting courts in future planning.
The El Segundo City Council received a staff report showing 2024 court usage and revenue data at Recreation Park and heard council members debate whether to evaluate future conversion or expansion of court space to meet rising pickleball demand.
Recreation Manager Lanae Palmer presented the analysis: of the park’s courts, tennis generated $142,562 in revenue (rental plus programming) with net programming revenue about $105,000, while pickleball courts produced $171,325 in rental revenue and $259,715.50 in programming revenue, netting approximately $314,904 in 2024. Palmer said tennis courts were reserved 54% of available hours in 2024; pickleball courts were reserved 68% of available hours.
Palmer explained program costs: pickleball requires more staff time for on-site management and court tape/marking, along with higher maintenance and resurfacing costs. She also noted parking and scheduling impacts: four pickleball courts can attract one to 16 cars and high programming can affect parking at the senior center and high school.
Councilmembers acknowledged the revenue opportunity from pickleball and the high community demand. Councilmember Knight recommended consideration of converting one tennis court to additional pickleball courts to capture more revenue; another member cautioned that any conversion should go through the Parks and Recreation Commission and public hearings and not be decided from the dais. Several councilmembers said they value staff’s responsiveness in adding courts and programming as demand grew and urged further study during the park renovation and the city’s fee study.
Council received and filed the report; no immediate reconfiguration decisions were made. Members directed staff to include these usage figures in upcoming parks planning and fee discussions.
