The Challenge

Creating equitable play opportunities in a thriving community

Santa Cruz County has established itself as a hub for pickleball and tennis enthusiasts, boasting a thriving community of players. However, a significant challenge faced by the city was balancing players who preferred scheduled playtimes while maintaining open access for those who preferred the first-come-first-serve approach. Additionally, while a portion of the courts were dedicated to pickleball, it was impossible to find a reservation system that could efficiently accommodate overlapping court bookings.

Solution

Santa Cruz County collaborated with Rec to implement a cutting-edge reservation system that intelligently assigns player to courts and has shared court functionality. Shared Court functionality is highly sought after by municipalities that are in the midst of transforming tennis courts into shared courts with Pickleball. It’s quite simple - when someone reserves a pickleball court that overlaps with a tennis court, the tennis court become unavailable. When someone reserves the tennis court, any overlapping pickleball courts become unavailable.

This innovative solution has transformed the way players schedule court time, allowing them to easily reserve their preferred slots while also accommodating overlapping reservations. As a result, Santa Cruz now offers a seamless experience to its pickleball and tennis community, enhancing accessibility and fostering a sense of camaraderie among players.