Axios San Francisco is an Axios company.

Considered "the fastest growing sport in America," pickleball — a mashup of tennis, badminton and ping-pong — has made its way to San Francisco.

State of play: San Francisco boasts 11 dedicated pickleball courts — five at the Goldman Tennis Center in Golden Gate Park and six at the Louis Sutter Playground in McLaren Park.

Yes, but: Multi-use courts can limit the number of people able to play, since many are open for pickleball on weekdays.

"When you offer it only during restricted hours ... you're only going to get seniors and retired people," Hans Carter, who's on the leadership team of the San Francisco Pickleball Community, told us.

Reservations on multi-use courts can be hard to come by, and for some sites, players must bring their own nets, which newcomers to the game are unlikely to own.

To unlock the sport for a broader swath of San Franciscans, Carter says more dedicated courts are needed.

Still, San Francisco is far from alone when it comes to cities grappling with how to make room for pickleball.

The other side: "We have to balance all the needs of our parkgoers," rec and parks spokesperson Daniel Montes told us. "Pickleball is so new that we want to meet the demand … [But] we want to make sure that [it's] going to be around for a while before we act rapidly and … create a bunch of new spaces."

What's next: Organizers for the San Francisco Pickleball Community have semi-regular meetings with rec and parks, but advocates say there are no concrete plans for new dedicated courts.

Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios San Francisco.

Support local journalism by becoming a member.

No stories could be found

Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios San Francisco.

Support local journalism by becoming a member.