By Kind Permission of the Rossmoor Pickleball Club ... [RTC emphasis]
Our RPC Board of Directors is still hearing rumors regarding singles vs. doubles pickleball restrictions. This week I couldn’t stand it anymore and decided to go to the source to confirm the facts.
On Monday, June 22, I emailed County Supervisor Candace Andersen asking for confirmation of County pickleball restrictions. On Tuesday, her office called me. They recommended that I call the County Covid-19 hotline, (844) 729-8410, which I did.
I was very impressed. The woman I spoke with was well versed on the County’s pickleball and tennis restrictions. She immediately knew the clause # in the public order where they were referenced.
She confirmed that the public order (dated 4-29-20) that originally opened tennis and pickleball courts with restrictions is still in effect. She also confirmed the following:
- The County public order permits singles only. As long as the County requires social distancing, singles will remain the restriction.
- Doubles can be played only when partners are from the same household.
- Clubs and private communities, like Rossmoor, can institute rules that are more strict than the County restrictions. Here at Rossmoor, GRF is stipulating singles only. No doubles.
- A city, club or community cannot institute a rule that is more lenient than the County restriction. For instance, a city cannot allow doubles across the board at this time.
The County hotline employee has received many inquiries about restrictions for pickleball and tennis. She was well aware of the lack of enforcement at municipal Rutgear (Walnut Creek) and Willow Pass (Concord) courts. She was not aware that some, if not most people were playing doubles at those parks when they were not members of the same household, thus not complying with the County public order.
Please see the links for the Walnut Creek and Concord pickleball restrictions at the end of this email.
So what caused the disconnect and how did the rumors get started? Who knows. I think part of the problem is there was no specific reference to pickleball or tennis in the public order that ‘opened things up’ (dated 6-5-20) or in the County’s Nixle messages. People probably assumed that the openings applied to pickleball, but they did not. Also the CCC Openings at a Glance chart on the County website shows ‘Open’ across the board. People might have assumed ‘open’ meant pickleball went back to normal, but again, it did not.
I asked the County hotline employee to consider changing two things. She said she would pass the ideas to management and the County Supervisors since the topic has received so much attention:
- Have future County public orders, summaries, and Nixle announcements reiterate the pickleball/tennis rules since people are making incorrect assumptions. (The County needs to keep the restriction in the public eye.)
- Review and consider altering the County website’s Openings at a Glance chart listing all the activities, because the all-open line for tennis/pickleball is misleading.
The County's confirmation doesn't change anything for RPC, but at least we have the facts that we can relay to you. Please spread the word.
For your reference, I’ve included a few links below. As a resident of CCC, I recommend you read the public orders as they are issued, but be forewarned, reading them is like reading IRS documentation! (Okay, maybe not that bad…)
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we go through this difficult time. Please keep things in perspective and realize that we are very fortunate that our courts are open and we can play pickleball. That’s a good thing.
Best,
Leanne Hamaji
President, Rossmoor Pickleball Club
GRF Restrictions for Pickleball
Concord’s Pickleball Court Restrictions
Walnut Creek’s Pickleball Court Restrictions
CCC Openings at a Glance Chart