North Marin's main public courts, including a rare free indoor option - at the southern edge of the patch.
Novato is the southern edge of the teaching patch and the only Marin town covered here in any depth. Its public pickleball is concentrated at one recreation site, which turns out to be larger than most listings say - published counts have understated it.
The thing worth knowing about Novato, and the reason it earns a page despite the distance, is that it has a free indoor option. Almost nothing else in the entire service area does. Between November and March, when every outdoor court in Sonoma County is either wet or dark by five, an indoor court is worth a drive.
As in Napa, there is already a USA Pickleball ambassador active locally, and the sensible reason to book me from over the county line is something specific rather than a standing weekly hour.
One venue in town. Mostly there is nothing to reserve, and any drop-in fee is included in the lesson.
The main recreation site has six dedicated courts with permanent nets, not the four that still circulate on listing sites, and there are no lights on them - only the bocce courts are lit after dusk. Outdoor play runs 8am to 10pm on paper, but in practice it finishes at sunset.
Indoor courts sit in Hill Gymnasium at the same address, portable nets, free, drop-in, weekdays 6am to 8pm and weekends 8:30am to 5pm - not just the early slot the listings imply. For anyone who wants to keep playing through a North Bay winter that is unusual enough to be worth planning around: most indoor pickleball in this region sits inside a paid private club.
Times and programs above are run by other organizations and can change. Check the linked page before you travel.
Every format below runs at any of the venues above. No membership, no joining fee.
Never played? Beginners in Novato start with either a private lesson (From $85) or a group lesson with a friend (From $45 / player). Paddles are provided either way. One is quieter, the other is cheaper each. What a first lesson is like.
One player, one coach, everything aimed at your game.
From $85Bring your doubles partner, or a few friends, and train together.
From $45 / playerCannot find an hour, or want a game looked at that I was not at? Send me footage instead and the coaching comes back online, wherever you played it.
Novato is the furthest south I teach regularly, roughly forty minutes from Santa Rosa down the 101, and there is no travel charge for the distance. Like Napa, it works best as a planned block or a longer session rather than a single short lesson.
Six, on the best available evidence, though several listing sites still say four. The city does not publish a number, so I have flagged it on the venue page rather than stating it with more confidence than I have.
Yes - indoor courts in Hill Gymnasium at the same site, free and drop-in, weekdays 6am to 8pm and weekends 8:30am to 5pm. It is the best winter answer anywhere in the service area. Bring a paddle and a ball; the nets are portable and the gym runs paddle-on-the-rack rotation when it is busy.
For a one-off with a clear purpose, yes. For a weekly lesson, a Marin-based coach will be easier to schedule and cheaper in your own time.
Something not covered? The full FAQ goes further, or just send a message.
I teach across 18 towns in the North Bay.
Pick a day and a time that suits you and I will confirm it, usually within a few hours. Nothing is charged when you book.