Tennis and Pickleball courts in Burlingame, San Mateo County

Originally joined Bay Club for the indoor tennis court. For anyone thinking of signing up for the same reason, it’s basically impossible to play tennis here during the day. There is usually only 1 open court for tennis. 2 courts are reserved for pickleball 3 courts are reserved for private lessons or “clinics” from 9am-1pm Monday through Friday. Sometimes the clinics run until 2pm. Unfortunately, these clinics are private and are not open to members. I shared some screenshots so you can see the schedule, but it is like this every week.

As guests of a member, we checked out Bay Club’s tennis and pickleball facility in Burlingame. For a gym that’s marketed as high-end and charges a premium membership fee, the experience left us wondering where all that money is going—because it’s definitely not into upkeep, comfort, or functioning links on their website. First off, the facility was freezing. The indoor courts are housed in a hangar-style building with no heating, so you’ll want to bundle up unless you enjoy playing pickleball in arctic conditions. We had Court 2, separated from Court 1 by a sad, broken divider that looked like it was held together by sheer willpower. I should have taken a picture of it—it looked like Woody from Toy Story when Andy walks into the room: floppy, lifeless, and downright pitiful. With the price members pay here, you’d think they could afford a divider that doesn’t collapse under its own existential crisis. Oh, and the roof? It leaks. Or maybe it’s condensation. Either way, water drips down onto the court, and the solution? Towels placed on the floor so you can mop it up. Nothing says “luxury” like being your own janitor. Then there’s the bathroom situation. The stall lock barely works, and the gaps in the doors are so wide you could make full-on eye contact with someone walking by. And the floor gap? Huge—big enough that anyone strolling by can confirm what shoes you’re wearing while you’re on the toilet. If someone lightly taps the door to check if it’s occupied, it’s game over. They’ll see you pooping, and you’ll see their horrified reaction. Honestly, at that point, you might as well invite them in for a conversation because there’s no mystery left. But the real disappointment was the people. As soon as we got on the court, people were already rushing us to start playing, even though our friends had barely stepped onto the freezing court to warm up. Good thing we had a reserved court for an hour, because as soon as open play started, the entitled aholes came out in full force. No friendly “hellos” or sportsmanship here—just impatient glances, silent paddle drops, and an overwhelming vibe that screamed, “Hurry up and get off the court because I need to play.” If this is the “exclusive club” experience, we’ll happily stick to public facilities with friendlier players and warmer vibes. And the cherry on top? I got an “experience survey” email after our visit, which I thought was my chance to provide constructive feedback. I clicked a rating, and guess what—it opened to a broken link with an error 404. I mean, seriously? Where is all the money going? I also heard they’re planning to raise membership prices starting in 2025. Hilarious. That said, we do appreciate our friend inviting us to check it out—it was an eye-opening experience, to say the least. If you’re considering joining Bay Club, maybe give it a trial run first. For what they charge, the lack of hospitality, comfort, and basic maintenance is just... baffling.

Terrible lighting in the PM - and though they have increased membership costs 4 times (every 6 months) since I’ve been a member, they have not addressed the lighting a single time. Also, my membership account got hacked (where my bank card info is saved), and Maria Agostinelli (Bay Club) told me that it was done from my personal device… even though I told her that the changes made to my account could ONLY be made on their end. I told Maria this in January (which she ignored), and the bank card that I had saved for Bay Club payments got emptied out in March. Terrible customers service. Terrible facility maintenance. I don’t know where all their money goes. (There’s a photo of the lights that don’t work…)