This California beach town wants to ban public pickleball—here’s why

isn’t your typical California coastal town. Located between and , this small town of 3,200 residents is only one square mile. Don’t underestimate its size though–it draws millions of visitors a year.

Until recently, Carmel didn’t even use ; residents picked up their mail at the local post office and gave directions using landmarks like rooflines, cypress trees, and cottage colors. If you have a dog, please bring them along for the ride. The local bike shop, has bike rentals with sidecars for your pup, and most restaurants have dog menus including a $36 filet mignon from .

This destination is popular amongst golfers, with the iconic next door. While hitting golf balls is fine, it seems like the sound of wildly popular pickleballs is a problem.

Is pickleball really too loud for this quiet town?

This fall, Carmel-by-the-Sea moved one step closer to becoming the first town in California to entirely. The debate centers on the courts at Forest Hill Park, a neighborhood greenspace just a few blocks from Ocean Avenue. What began as a friendly community activity quickly escalated into a contentious noise dispute that now dominates local government meetings.

When pickleball first appeared in Carmel, it arrived gently. Local players offered to paint lines on the tennis courts, purchased nets, and encouraged neighbors to give the sport a try. But as the game grew more popular, the distinctive “pop-pop-pop” of plastic hitting paddle grew impossible to ignore for those nearby.

Neighbors began reporting that the sound bounced through the trees, traveled between homes, and sliced through the quiet that had long been a hallmark of the area. Some described the noise as constant and piercing, unlike anything else permitted in the park.

Restrictions didn’t make everyone happy.

Hoping to strike a balance, the city tested several compromises. Officials temporarily restricted pickleball to specific hours and limited play to certain days of the week. They also conducted sound monitoring to determine whether the complaints matched the data. The results showed that the noise regularly exceeded the town’s decibel limits, confirming what nearby residents had been saying all along.

By October, the Carmel City Council issued a temporary emergency ban on pickleball at Forest Hill Park. On November 4, after another packed meeting, the council voted unanimously to begin drafting a that would codify the ban. The ordinance will still need to go through public readings, but the direction is unmistakable: the city intends to remove public pickleball from its limits entirely.

Players played ball and pushed back

Pickleball players urged the city to consider alternatives rather than moving straight to a ban. Many pointed out that other communities had successfully addressed noise concerns by requiring “quiet” paddles and softer balls or by adjusting play hours. They emphasized the benefits of the sport, particularly its accessibility for older adults and its role in creating community among residents who might not otherwise socialize.

Despite those arguments, Carmel officials concluded that enforcing such restrictions would be unmanageable. The city does not have a parks-and-recreation department, which means compliance would fall to police officers responding to noise complaints. Council members expressed concern that the town would end up in an endless cycle of residents calling law enforcement every time someone played with the wrong equipment.

This quiet town would like to stay…quiet

For many locals, Carmel’s desire to ban pickleball doesn’t feel extreme. Instead, they see it as consistent with the town’s long-standing commitment to maintaining order, quiet, and aesthetic cohesion. This is a place known for resisting chain businesses, protecting its architecture with unusual diligence, and even to wear high heels over two inches.

The way things are looking, pickleball doesn’t have a home in this town’s storybook.