Everything you're wondering

GLP reserves courts for open pickleball play — all skill levels welcome — from late March to early October during peak hours: roughly 5:30 PM until dark on weekday evenings, and 10:00 AM to noon on weekends and holidays. Court #3 (closest to the lake) is unreservable and open for play at all times.

Nothing — Green Lake East is a free public court complex managed by Seattle Parks and Recreation. GLP collects no dues; player donations support our expenses (court reservations, balls, nets, and maintenance equipment) and are always appreciated.

No. No reservations needed for open play: stack your paddle and you'll rotate into games. At Beginner Welcome Courts, volunteers will even help you find a game — just show up.

Just yourself and athletic shoes. At Beginner Welcome Courts, paddles and balls are available to borrow. For regular open play, bring a paddle if you have one — the community keeps a supply of balls going.

GLP uses a skill-based paddle-stacking system for open play that was first introduced by a few members of Green Lake Pickleball royalty (Frank Chiappone, Sean Oldridge, Steve Balch, and Clay Hess, to name a few) in the pre-Covid era. Point your paddle handle down (toward the lake) for beginner, right for intermediate, up for advanced, and left for expert. Stack diagonally if you rate between levels.

GLP's rating guidelines (Autumn 2023) summarize USAP pickleball rating definitions across four tiers: Beginner (1.0–2.5) — learning basic strokes, scoring, and rules; Intermediate (2.5–3.5) — sustains medium-paced rallies, improving consistency; Advanced (3.5–4.5) — dependable strokes, reliable serves, spin, and aggressive net play; Expert (4.5–5.5+) — mastered placement, strategy, and tournament-ready play. See the full guidelines on our skill ratings page and self-rate honestly.

You don't have to… but you won't make many friends at the courts if you don't. Honest stacking matches like-skilled players for fun, competitive games at every level. That said, we grow as a community by playing with people both stronger and weaker than ourselves — be respectful and generous, and play “up” and “down” every now and then.

Beginner Welcome Courts. Every Thursday from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM and Tuesday from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM, courts are blocked off for beginner and intermediate players. Volunteers teach basic rules, scoring, and etiquette; paddles and balls are available to borrow. No experience, partner, or sign-up needed.

Yes — Beginner Welcome Courts has its own WhatsApp community for coordinating games and chatting pickleball. Come play in person and someone will gladly add you (invite links are shared in person only, to keep out spammers).

Beginner Welcome Courts are weather-permitting and may be canceled if it rains. We typically block off the eastern-most courts, nearest to the road — look for orange traffic cones.

No. GLP is the name we've chosen for the informal group of players who gather for open play at the Green Lake East courts. We don't collect dues and have neither a charter, a governance board, nor formal officers. But we do have a mission: to create and sustain a fun, inclusive, and challenging pickleball environment for players of all abilities.

Player donations support GLP's expenses: court reservations, balls, nets, and maintenance equipment (brooms, leaf blowers, garbage cans, tape-removal tools, and the like). You can donate via Venmo — see the Support page.

Volunteers. Peter Seitel — the unofficial “Mayor of Green Lake Pickleball” — makes court reservations, keeps the ball supply going, and advocates with Seattle Parks and Recreation for court improvements, with help from Nicole Bideganeta, Dave Kwok, and a crew of court ambassadors.