The valley's first dedicated public courts, and a town where the listings are more generous than the reality.
Sonoma is a smaller pickleball town than the internet suggests. Directory sites list several venues in and around the plaza; when we checked them against the city's own park pages, two of them turned out to have no pickleball courts at all - one is a ball-field complex and the other has bocce and sand volleyball. Both have been removed from this site rather than left to send somebody on a wasted drive.
What is left is real and good. Larson Park holds the valley's first and only dedicated public pickleball courts, and there is a second venue with courts lined onto tennis. For a town of Sonoma's size that is a reasonable amount of pickleball, and the setting is better than anywhere else in the service area.
Sonoma sits at the eastern edge of the regular teaching patch, so times here are arranged rather than picked off a shelf. It is worth asking - it just needs a little more notice than Santa Rosa does.
Pick whichever suits you - or say "whichever is nearest" and Michael will choose. Court booking and any reservation fee are handled for you.
Four dedicated courts, described by the county parks service and the local club alike as the first purpose-built public pickleball in Sonoma Valley. It is a county regional park rather than a city one, which is why it does not appear on the City of Sonoma's own facilities list and why people miss it.
This is worth stating plainly because the listings are still out there. A well-known recreation complex on the plaza is a baseball, softball, soccer, football and lacrosse site, and a second central park offers bocce, petanque and sand volleyball. Neither has pickleball. Both appeared on this site until August 2026 and have been removed.
The regional park venues in and around Sonoma can charge for parking, which is unusual in this county where almost all pickleball is free. It is a few dollars rather than a real cost, but it is the sort of thing that is annoying to discover at a pay station with a paddle under your arm.
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.
$85Sonoma is about half an hour east of Santa Rosa over the hill. Because of the drive, lessons here work best booked with a bit more notice, and blocks of sessions are easier to schedule than single hours.
Some are not. Two commonly-listed central venues have no pickleball courts - we checked them against the city and county's own pages and removed them from this site. Larson Park is the dedicated public pickleball in the valley.
There is an indoor option in the valley, but its public access could not be confirmed, so it is not listed here as a venue. If weather threatens a booked lesson it will be moved rather than cancelled.
More notice than Santa Rosa needs - a few days rather than a few hours. It is the drive rather than the courts that constrains it.
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.
