Where we play
HAMILTON RESERVOIR (OutdoorS)
Having opened late June, 2019, Palatine now boasts what many believe are the finest, flattest, and, certainly, best-looking courts in the Northwest suburbs. Located at 1037 N Smith Street in Palatine (across from Sundling Jr High), the six-courts are in two, adjacent cages. The three on the south are for recreational players, while the three on the north are for more competitive players. Anyone can go wherever he/she wishes to start play, but if one wins or loses three, consecutive games, it’s time to move to the other cage.
At each cage there are two PVC slotted tubes which hang near the doors of each cage. When a
game ends, winners put their paddles on the “In” side of the winners’ tube. Losers put theirs
on the “In” side of the lower rack designated for those who just lost. When a court opens,
someone calls out the next four names (which should appear upside down on both sides of
your paddle where the handle meets the blade) on the first four paddles on the “out” side
of the tube bearing a clothespin. He/she then moves the clothespin to the other tube. Picklers
then proceed to the open court. Everyone gets an equal number of games and plays with
different Palatine Picklers each game. Everyone loves this. Let me remind you we are a very
friendly club.
TIMES:
Except when snow-covered, the cages are never locked so play is possible from early morning until 10:00
p.m. when the lights shut off. Expect Picklers to be on the courts EVERY day of the week throughout summer
and well into fall, from 8:00 to 11:30 a.m. or so. Well-bundled Picklers will play all winter, regardless of
temps. Also, evenings may find Picklers there from 6:00 to 10:00. Monday evenings clone our morning
protocol, with division of competitive and rec and paddling up in the PVC tubes.
Windscreens are installed on the West and North sides. Wind from the East is rare, and wind from the south
makes play more challenging. Security would be compromised, if screens covered the south fence.
There is a storage box outside the South door. This serves as a lost and found and may have a broom to
sweep puddles from courts. Shovels are NOT allowed to be used on the courts, as they’d scrape the great
painting of the courts. Chairs are not allowed within the cages, but they are welcome on the sidewalks outside the courts.
FALCON RECREATION CENTER (INDOORS)
The Falcon Recreation Center is in the northeast corner of Palatine, located directly behind the Toyota dealership on the corner of Rand Road (Rt 12) and Hicks Road. It’s address is 2195 N Hicks Road, despite being on Recreation Drive. The phone number is 847-202-5111. There are six courts, and balls are provided. This six-court facility hosts pickleball Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30 to 11:30. The daily fee just raised to $10 for everyone. There’s also 10-play pass that never expires and is also good at Birchwood and Community Center. Our indoor season runs from early October into spring. Paddle racks
similar to the Hamilton racks are available for “competitive” and “rec” play. However, these require inserting the handle of your paddle so now you need your name on the very top of your paddle.
