Twelve permanent dedicated courts, floodlights, and the most organised pickleball community in the county.
If you want to know what a town looks like when its pickleball players get organised, Rohnert Park is the answer. Sunrise Park holds the largest block of public outdoor pickleball in Sonoma County, and it got that way because the local club paid for it.
The practical consequence for a student is that Rohnert Park is the most flexible place in the area to learn. There are enough courts that one is nearly always free, the surface is dedicated rather than shared with tennis, and - unusually for the county - there are floodlights, so an evening lesson after work is a real option rather than a race against the sunset.
It is also the town where the free route is strongest. The club runs its own beginner clinic at no charge. That is a genuinely good place to start, and it is worth saying so on a page trying to sell you lessons: take the free clinic first, and book coaching when you have specific things you want fixed.
Pick whichever suits you - or say "whichever is nearest" and Michael will choose. Court booking and any reservation fee are handled for you.
Sunrise Park's twelve courts are all permanent and dedicated. The last two were converted from tennis courts in October 2025 after the Rohnert Park Pickleball Club raised roughly $32,000 from more than 125 of its own members. That is why the venue feels different from a park that simply painted some lines: the people who play there paid for it.
The club runs open play most mornings and a free beginner clinic on Saturdays. Times have been published slightly differently in different places, so check the club's own page for the current one rather than trusting a directory. You do not need to be a member to turn up to open play, and paddles are usually available to borrow.
Sunrise Park is floodlit. Most public pickleball in Sonoma County is not - Windsor, Napa and Novato all close at sunset, and Santa Rosa's only currently-open venue has no lights either. If your schedule means a six-thirty start in November, this is the venue that can take it.
Times and programmes above are run by other organisations 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.
One hour, one player, everything aimed at your game.
$75The long session, for when one hour is never quite enough.
$110Bring your regular doubles partner and fix the team, not just the strokes.
$100Three to five players, one theme, ninety minutes.
$35 / playerNever played? Two hours and you will be playing real games.
$50 / playerSee what you actually do, not what you think you do.
$85Rohnert Park is a short run down the 101 from Santa Rosa and there is no travel charge. Sunrise Park has its own car park off Snyder Lane; the courts are behind the sports centre building.
If you have never held a paddle, yes - start there. It costs nothing and it will get you playing. Book a lesson when you have something specific you want to fix, when you want an hour that is entirely about you rather than shared with a group, or when you have plateaued and cannot see why.
Yes. Sunrise Park is lit, which makes Rohnert Park the most reliable place in the area for an evening lesson, particularly between November and February when everywhere else is finishing mid-afternoon.
Twelve courts is a lot, and it is rare for all of them to be busy. Mornings are the liveliest because that is when open play runs. If you would rather learn somewhere quieter, an early afternoon slot is usually near-empty.
Possibly, but not something to promise. There is an indoor facility at the same site and a large private club elsewhere in town, and neither has a confirmed public pickleball programme at the moment. If rain looks likely your lesson will be moved rather than cancelled - you are never charged for weather.
Something not covered? The full FAQ goes further, or just send a message.
Michael teaches across 10 towns in the North Bay.
Pick a day and a time that suits you and Michael will confirm it, usually within a few hours. Nothing is charged when you book.
