For many of us — it’s clear that we urgently need to build more tennis courts in Boulder.
This is not news: there hasn’t been a single new public tennis court built in Boulder in more than 20 years! Plus there is not even ONE dedicated Pickleball court in Boulder.
The gist is that there aren’t enough courts currently to satisfy the needs of the tennis and pickleball communities that share them. And contrary to the old cliche that tennis is a country club sport, the majority of the players of all ages are playing on public courts because it is an affordable family activity.
In addition, with the Rocky Mountain Tennis Center and its 15 tennis courts closing within roughly a year, and the annexation and subsequent re-development of CU South removing the 12 courts there, things are dire. Boulder is looking at the closure of 27+ tennis courts, some of them precious indoor courts, within the next couple of years.
That, along with the new dense housing developments in town, the growth of tennis and pickleball over the pandemic, and the continued development of land where tennis courts exist – are enough to convince us that tennis in Boulder is about to enter an existential crisis.
But – there is possibly good news. Land does exist within the ownership of Boulder Parks and Rec that could potentially be the site of new courts and facilities. But the only way we can secure the future of tennis in Boulder is to be vocal and united in our efforts to let it be known that this issue is important to us. The reality is — as land continues to be developed and the population of Boulder grows — if we do not secure the future of tennis within Boulder now it may never fully recover.
We ask all of our BTA members and any other players in the community to let your voices be heard.
Please fill out this survey, pass it on to friends, and leave your contact information – we will keep you in the loop as we continue to build awareness of this issue and the efforts of everyone in the Boulder tennis community to make good things happen.
Our ultimate goal is to build a brand new Boulder Racket Center that will house multiple indoor and outdoor tennis and pickleball courts!
We are hoping to build this center on public land , with private funding from donations, investors, grants and any other sources that can help us. We want this to be a public/private partnership facility that will be affordable and accessible to everyone.
Now is the time to act, show your support, and help us advocate for tennis in Boulder.
Thanks in advance for your interest in the state of Boulder’s racquet sports!
Sincerely,
The Boulder Tennis Association Board
