City Opens Pickleball Courts in Jones Park

The Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Department will open a new ten-court pickleball complex in Jones Park, 2901 Fruitland Boulevard, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, August 22, at 10:00 a.m. The event will be followed by a demonstration of the sport by members of the Linn County Pickleball Association and free lessons provided by Smithfield Tennis and Pickleball Center. Some rackets will be available for use.

“We join the pickleball community in our excitement for the opening of this facility,” said Hashim Taylor, Director of Parks and Recreation. “Pickleball has exploded across the country and in Cedar Rapids. We are proud to have this facility for tournaments and recreational play.”

The new complex features five courts on both sides of a central shade area with electrical outlets. A drinking foundation and benches are available for use in the central area. Each court has a four-foot fence that separates it from the others. An eight-foot fence encloses five courts on each side. The complex is accessed off Fruitland Boulevard and not the park road through Jones Park.

The pickleball complex is the first project in repurposing Jones Golf Course into additional recreational amenities at Jones Park. The available land, parking and utility infrastructure lent itself to a pickleball facility that the growing community had advocated for over fifteen years.

The Parks and Recreation Department provides tennis courts with pickleball lines that allow for shared use at Ellis, Bever, and Jones Parks. While tennis and pickleball are similar, the lines and nets are different, making an individual complex important for users and tournaments.