Best Tennis and Pickleball courts in Berkeley, Alameda County

2 tennis courts, 3 layover pickleball courts with portable nets in Golden Bear Recreation Center of University of California, on the Clark Kerr Campus in Berkeley, CA. The two hard courts at the Golden Bear Recreation Center are available for member use with a reservation. The court has lights for night play. These newly resurfaced multi purpose courts serve tennis, pickleball and basketball. Well maintained. Some shade from trees. The courts have lights for night play. Golden Bear Rec Center Tennis Courts are now available for Recreation & Wellbeing members to reserve daily from 8:00 AM-9:00 PM. Street parking is available along Dwight Way and in the metered spaces directly across from the GBRC building.

Who Can Use It?

Golden Bear Rec Center Multi-Sport Courts are available for Recreation & Wellbeing members to reserve. Make a reservation online in our member portal up to 72 hours in advance.

Location

Four blocks south from main campus, Golden Bear Recreation Center (GBRC) Tennis Courts are located on the Clark Kerr Campus (residence halls), off of Dwight Way, near the Hillside Avenue intersection. Street parking is available along Dwight Way and in the metered spaces directly across from the GBRC building.

Pickleball Lessons

UC Berkeley students must be at least 17 years old to enroll in this program. Non-UC Berkeley students must be at least 18 years old to enroll in this program. Have you signed your RecWell Waiver for 2025-2026?

1. 1. Log into CalCentral

1. 1. Review and accept the RecWell Waiver under “Tasks” or “Notifications”

1. 1. Student pricing and access to our facilities will be enabled the following day by 7 a.m. If you continue experiencing issues, please email RecWell@berkeley.edu for assistance.

Looking ahead to Spring 2026? Email RecWell@berkeley.edu and ask to join our interest list for next semester’s offerings.

Pickleball Drill & Play (6 weeks)

Kaari Nielsen will be working for CAL Rec running some pickleball lesson series. These are a series of one hour sessions that run for six weeks. There is a beginner and advanced beginner series. Even if you think you know it all, this may be a good opportunity to tighten up your skills and unlearn any bad habits. She’s a great instructor and player.

Location: Golden Bear Recreation with Kaari
Capacity: 12 (minimum 6)

Pickleball Basics I (6 weeks)

Includes:
Vol 1. Series serves/returns
Vol 2. Groundstrokes (forehands, backhands)
Vol 3. Volleys at the NVZ line (kitchen)
Vol 4. Series game play
UC Berkeley students must be at least 17 years old to enroll in this program. Non-UC Berkeley students must be at least 18 years old to enroll in this program.

Location: Golden Bear Recreation with Kaari
Capacity: 12 (minimum 6)

Pickleball Basics II (6 weeks)

Includes:
Vol 1 thru Vol 4
Vol 5. Lobs and overheads
Vol 6. Series game play
UC Berkeley students must be at least 17 years old to enroll in this program. Non-UC Berkeley students must be at least 18 years old to enroll in this program.

Location: Golden Bear Recreation with Kaari
Capacity: 12 (minimum 6)

For questions regarding enrollment or purchases, contact RecWell@berkeley.edu

Program Payment

Eligible customers may register for programs through our online platform or in person at the Customer Service Center. Full payment is required at the time of registration. Participants must accept the RecWell Waiver at the time of purchase to participate in RecWell programs and access RecWell facilities.

Enrolled participants who request to transfer a registration payment from the original payment method to another credit or debit card will be charged a 15% processing fee.

Price Adjustments

• • Students: Each academic year, students must accept the RecWell Waiver in CalCentral before their student RecWell membership is imported into our system, typically within 1-2 days. Students may request one retroactive price adjustment per academic year if they paid the non-student rate before their membership imported. The request may be submitted up to 3 business days after the program start date. This applies to most programs, including Adventures offerings, as long as there were no separate student and non-student listings.
    • Note: Some Adventures programs have separate listings for student and non-student participants. If the student-rate listing is full and you register for the non-student offering instead, no refund or price adjustment will be offered. Please confirm your membership status before registering.

• • Non-students: Please confirm your membership status before registering. The rate paid at the time of purchase is final and cannot be adjusted.

You can check out Castro Park in Albany for pickleball also.