Boca Paddle Opens November 18 on Public Parkland. So How Do Non-Members Get a Court?

Boca Paddle by CityPickle opens November 18 at North Park in Boca Teeca. It has 25 courts, 19 for pickleball and six for padel, inside a 100,000-square-foot building with a Farmer's Table restaurant and bar. The Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District owns the land and the building, and it describes the facility as "available to the public." The private operator runs it as a club with monthly memberships. Both descriptions are accurate, and the published rate card shows where they meet. On weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., a non-member pays the same hourly court rate as a member. At every other hour, the club charges non-members a premium.

Public land, club rules, and a fee schedule written into the contract

North Park used to be the Ocean Breeze Golf Course, which the District bought in February 2018. The original plan was to rebuild it as a golf course. That plan was dropped after the City announced in fall 2020 that it would receive a different golf course. The District then sought a public-private partnership for a racquet facility on the southeast part of the property. It awarded the project to the Malcolm Butters group in March 2024, and the Board approved a contract with Boca Paddle in August 2024.

The deal looks the way it does because of how the District was created. July 2024 Board minutes note that the District's enabling law does not allow it to lease, sell or convey its property, so the concession agreement gives Boca Paddle no real-property interest. The Board approved the agreement 4–1 after adding the initial fee schedule as an exhibit. Pricing had come up earlier that year as well. February 2024 minutes record Board concerns about membership rates. An April 2024 update described a daily fee for non-members of $35 for Boca residents and $40 for everyone else, plus a $49-a-month Community membership.

Those 2024 draft numbers match the operator's 2026 prices. The day pass is still $35 for Boca Raton residents with proof of residence and $40 for non-residents. The Community tier is still $49 a month. The cost of the building is reported two ways. The District's September 2026 project overview says $17 million, and the Palm Beach Post's October 2 story says $20 million.

Four ways in without a membership

The club's FAQ calls Boca Paddle "a membership-based club, but non-members can still experience it." Here is what that means in practice, starting with the option that commits you to the least:

1. Walk into the restaurant and bar. No pass is required. The Palm Beach Post reports that local restaurateur Mitchell Robbins runs the food side.
2. Come as a member's free guest. Each person can do this once every 60 days, and guests can join programming and book courts at member rates during the visit.
3. Buy a day pass. You can buy one as often as you like. It lets you book pickleball and padel courts during all available hours and join Intro Clinics.
4. Take an Intro Clinic. These cost $40 an hour for pickleball and $50 an hour for padel, the same price members pay.

Non-members can't join open play, social programs or leagues. The rate card lists all three as "Members Only." That limit matters if you don't already have a regular group. A day-pass holder can book a court but can't join the rotating open play where players find new partners. Members pay $10 to $12.50 an hour for pickleball open play. The Plus membership, at $299 a month or $3,289 a year, includes 12 open-play passes each month.

The weekday hours when non-members pay the member rate

Here is the club's 2026 pickleball court pricing per hour. Off-peak means Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

At peak hours, a non-member pays $20 more per court hour than a Standard or Plus member. Off-peak, the rates are the same. Padel works the same way. A peak indoor padel court costs non-members $120 and members $100, and both pay $75 off-peak. The weekday window is where the club's pricing comes closest to the District's promise of public access.

The Community membership fits that window. It costs $49 a month or $539 a year and comes with a three-day booking window, compared with 10 days for Standard and 14 for Plus. Its program access runs weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Community members pay the same court rates as non-members. So the tier makes the most sense for someone who already plays during the off-peak hours, when everyone pays the same court rate anyway.

The published pages don't settle one point, so ask before you book. The FAQ says a day pass lets you reserve courts "at member rates." The rate card puts non-members in the higher-priced column. The site also doesn't say whether the day pass is charged in addition to court rent. If it is, four Boca residents sharing an off-peak indoor hour would each pay the $35 pass plus $11.25 for their share of the $45 court. If it isn't, each would pay $11.25. The front desk can tell you which before November 18. The club is also offering hard hat tours of the building before opening, bookable from its website.

Patch Reef Park sets the public price

The District already has a large public pickleball facility. On October 22, 2025, about 400 players came to the opening of Boca Raton's first public covered pickleball courts at Patch Reef Park. The facility has 18 courts, two of them ADA compliant, plus lighting, overhead fans, a sound system and bleachers. At the opening, Mayor Scott Singer played the first volleys with Rick Retamar and Brian Levine of the Boca Surge professional pickleball team. Levine is now a co-founder of Boca Paddle. He told the Palm Beach Post on October 2, "Boca Raton is the pickleball capital of the world."

At Patch Reef, a staffed open-play session costs $10 for residents and $20 for non-residents, and annual members pay nothing. Courts are grouped by skill level and play in a four-on, four-off rotation. To get the resident rate, you need to show a license or utility bill in person before you buy. Residency is broader there than at Boca Paddle. Anyone who owns, occupies or leases real estate in Boca Raton, the District or Palm Beach County counts. Every booking runs through the PlayByPoint app.

The comparison favors Patch Reef on price. A resident open-play session there costs $10, while at North Park a resident pays $35 just for the day pass. Patch Reef also sells non-members the open play that Boca Paddle keeps for members. The District's launch schedule set reserved play at Patch Reef from noon to 4 p.m. on weekdays, which overlaps most of Boca Paddle's off-peak window. Open play ran mornings and evenings. The District said that schedule could change after the first weeks, so check the app for current hours. One way to split the week would be weekday daytime court bookings at North Park at the shared off-peak rate, with open play at Patch Reef on mornings, evenings and weekends.

What comes to North Park after the courts

Boca Paddle is the first piece of North Park to open. The District broke ground on the eastern part of the park in September 2026, after bidding the project three times, and expects it to be substantially complete by June 2027. That work includes pavilions, trails and a playground. Along the way, the City took over the pedestrian tunnel portion of the project. From November until then, the club's restaurant, which is open to anyone, and the day pass are the only ways the public can use the site. The pricing outside the 10-to-4 window shows that the operator is counting on players who become members.

If you're weighing how a $17 million club on District land might change daily life near Boca Teeca, The Gobin Group follows these North Park changes closely and is glad to talk through what they could mean for your home's value. Request a home valuation whenever you're ready.