Daylight saving time ended last Sunday, and the outdoor pickleball map around Cambrian got smaller. Doerr Park's courts close at sunset, and sunset now comes an hour earlier on the clock. Camden Community Center's gym closes at 8 p.m. on its latest weeknights. Paul Moore Park on Hillsdale Avenue has six permanent pickleball courts that opened in June, and the City of San José keeps them open until 10 p.m.
For anyone who plays after work, that one park now carries most of the weeknight game in this part of District 9. The June renovation is why it can.
What the June renovation built at 1426 Hillsdale
The project took two tennis courts and rebuilt them as six permanent pickleball courts. According to the District 9 June 2026 digest, the work also resurfaced and restriped every court at the park, repaired cracks, upgraded fences and pathways, replaced benches, and put in new nets, posts, backboards and rims on the tennis, pickleball and basketball courts.
San José Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services ran the renovation. Vice Mayor Pam Foley led the project and cut the ribbon on Saturday, June 13, with the San Jose Pickleball Club hosting demonstrations. In the club's grand opening release, PRNS described the result this way:
"With upgraded surfaces, improved accessibility, and expanded pickleball, tennis, and basketball facilities, this investment reflects our department's commitment to vibrant public life and long-term stewardship of our shared spaces."
Calling the courts "permanent" has practical meaning. Players no longer have to set up on a tennis surface with overlay lines. The courts are built for pickleball, and they sit at a park with restrooms and a parking lot.
Why the lights decide the weeknight game
San José lists Paul Moore Park's general hours as sunrise to an hour after sunset, and the city's park page gives the pickleball courts a later schedule, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. The San Jose Pickleball Club's court map lists lights among the amenities.
Doerr Park, at Park Wilshire Drive and Potrero Drive, is the closest District 9 comparison. The city lists its courts as unlighted, with pickleball hours from 8 a.m. until sunset. Families who use Doerr's play areas should also know that the tot lot renovation, which started May 12, keeps that area gated and locked. The council office expects it to finish in December 2026, depending on weather.
The indoor option is Camden Community Center at 3369 Union Ave. Daily drop-in pickleball is among the sports it lists. Its hours set the limits:
| Venue | Pickleball hours | Lit for evening play | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Moore Park, 1426 Hillsdale Ave. | 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Yes | Six permanent courts, restrooms, parking lot |
| Doerr Park, Park Wilshire Dr. & Potrero Dr. | 8 a.m. to sunset | No | Tot lot closed for renovation until December 2026 |
| Camden Community Center, 3369 Union Ave. | Mon–Thu 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Fri 8 a.m.–6 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.–1 p.m. | Indoor | Daily drop-in pickleball listed; no Sunday hours posted |
A Friday night game after 6 p.m. or a Sunday evening session has one lit public option among these three, and it is on Hillsdale.
How to get into a game
There is no app or sign-up sheet for open play. The San Jose Pickleball Club's site explains the rotation simply: put your paddle in the rack, and you go on when your turn comes. When all six courts are full in the evening, the rack becomes the waiting list.
The club's court map lists Paul Moore as "Open Play all week" and shows a Thursday Beginners Night from 5 to 8 p.m. It also notes that the club provides the nets and equipment there. This post goes up on a Thursday. Schedules can change with the season, so a quick look at the club site before heading over is worthwhile.
The club's homepage lists three more things:
- Membership: $50 a year
- Challenge Night: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., using three challenge courts
- Beginner clinics: Saturdays at 2 p.m.
The homepage does not name a venue for Challenge Night or the clinics, so check the club's current listings for location before going.
Where a reservation comes in
Walking on to an open court and booking one are separate processes. San José's sport fields and courts page handles court permits through an availability search and application. The city's current fee schedule sets court rates at $10 an hour for User Type I, $16 an hour for User Type II and $25 an hour for User Type III. Each location request also carries a $50 nonrefundable application fee.
The city's user-type definitions place San José resident adult organizations in User Type II, and the same policy sets the criteria for when an organized sports group needs a permit. Anyone planning a league or a regular group session should read those criteria first. This is general information and not legal advice, and rules and fees can change, so confirm how they apply to your group with PRNS before booking.
The people who keep the courts running
These courts have a volunteer group behind them. Joe Demers, one of the club's venue directors, served as the liaison between PRNS and the club during the project. According to the club's release, a few years ago he also organized a group of volunteers to maintain the space at Paul Moore. The same release says the club has spent about $12,000 on nets, balls and other equipment for three public parks in San José.
That explains the "club provided nets and equipment" line on Paul Moore's listing, and why a newcomer can show up with only a paddle. Kenji Miwa, the club's co-founder, said at the opening that the goal was "a welcoming destination for players of all ages and skill levels." The District 9 July 2026 digest reported that the club "brought the energy" to the reopening, and that the park's tennis and basketball courts were upgraded too.
So the two tennis courts and two basketball courts that remain also got new surfaces, fencing and hardware this summer. On a busy pickleball night, players waiting in the rotation share the park with every other court at 1426 Hillsdale. The courts are lit until 10 p.m., and the gate opens again at 8 a.m.
Pickleball courts and parks are part of how Aaron sizes up a block in Cambrian. If you'd like to talk through which parts of the neighborhood have amenities like these within walking distance, Aaron Derbacher is happy to do it. Let's Connect.
