Barnes Tennis Center

Great venue for tennis, very close to Sea World in San Diego. Well maintained hard courts, around 20 of them, along with a few clay courts and lots of pickleball courts. Social play and tournament play here. Well stocked pro shop. Snack bar as well. Large paved parking lot and a nice gravel overflow lot. The parking lot does get nearly full during big tournaments, but you will probably find a spot. Really a very nice tennis facility.

Barnes has really nice pickleball courts. The parking lot is a decent size. It's very clean all around. Haven't tried Open Play here yet but heard it's very good.

Came here to play tennis a couple days before a tournament and it’s nice! There’s padel (you can rent to play too) and pickleball courts too; very organized. Courts are well maintained :)

Great first experience at Barnes... great court options for both pickleball and tennis. Dylan at the front desk was super helpful and nice. Cool outdoor vibe to Hit Happy!

It is very professional and well equipped, with 24 tennis courts, which is great. We went there to play and it was a real pleasure. It was a total of 3 days of play and we enjoyed every day.

Visiting Barnes for second time, this place is just amazing. Great tennis courts and nice to see all tennis people around. Lessons, drills, practices and matches all around. They got some clay courts and pickle ball courts too. The parking lot could get tought during huge tournaments but they have extended gravel parking lot too. The pro shop is great and staff is very friendly!!

A great place by the ocean. Magnificent tennis courts. There are also padel tennis courts. Everything is new. The changing rooms and toilets are clean. Very large free parking. A good sporting goods store.

One of San Diego's finest tennis facilities. Always holding great tournaments for the juniors and is now home for the Easter Bowl. last time I was there in 2017 the courts needed resurfacing but that's probably been upgraded. There is ample parking and there are hitting walls in the back. The center stadium court is always well maintained and they still have 4 red clay courts from when the Davis cup played Britain a few years back. The food and beverage selection's r very limited but other than that it's great. Staff is professional and extremely friendly.

Love these courts! Friendly people everywhere I discovered this court and most of my tennis hitting partners on joinplaytennis.com/san-diego

Barnes is the place to be for pickleball with 19 courts I belive. They have tons of tennis courts and padel too but I have only played pickleball. Courts are top notch quality. There are volo leagues, open play, and ladders Shout out to Dylan who is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet and will make sure you feel welcomed and excited about playing Absolute beginner or advanced, they have it all

Visiting Barnes for second time, this place is just amazing. Great tennis courts and nice to see all tennis people around. Lessons, drills, practices and matches all around. They got some clay courts and pickle ball courts too. The parking lot could get tought during huge tournaments but they have extended gravel parking lot too. The pro shop is great and staff is very friendly!!

After my first time at Barnes the other week, I am a fan of their pickleball open play! I went on a Wednesday afternoon (1:30-4pm) to check it out and had a very good experience. Starting at the pro shop, you pay $5 for open play then are directed to head back to the pickleball courts. I do wish they had a little more signage directing you to the pickleball courts since you need to walk past quite a few tennis courts to get there. I also didn't realize there were 3 different areas, two of them were for reservations (I think) and the open play area was in the larger section. The layout was great, with a grassy area in the middle with seating/shade with the courts on either side. I was told that the afternoon session is usually not too busy but the mornings are pretty packed. I personally like when it's not too busy but still able to get in a lot of gameplay which was the situation on this day. It's a great set up with one rack where everyone lined up their paddles and a moderator that made sure people were having fun and matched up well. The crowd was very social and friendly, with lots of good sportsmanship. I will definitely be returning and I'll catch you on the courts!

The Barnes Tennis Center is the host venue for the San Diego Open, a WTA 500 women's professional tennis tournament. It's the leadup tourney one week before Indian Wells starts. I attended the event for 4 days and had a wonderful time. If you like getting up close to some of the best tennis players in the world, then you'll enjoy coming to the San Diego Open. I got photos with Jessica Pegula, Leyla Fernandez, Caroline Wozniacki and Beatriz Haddad Maia to name a few of the recognizable faces playing in this year's 2024 tourney. The Barnes Tennis Center is... - Located in the suburbs of San Diego, beside residential communities. I am from the east coast of the US and flying into San Diego for the matches, renting a car wasn't even necessary. There were affordable hotels within walking distance, less than 1 mile away. - After entering the facility, you walk over a synthetic lawn or some sort of plastic grass hallway, but regardless of that, it's a cool introduction to the Barnes Tennis Center. They have the San Diego Open WTA 500 tournament logo along with some of the sponsors' names posted in the background. It's a fun moment to pause and take photographs. - The Stadium Court has terrific seating for watching tennis. There's not a bad seat wherever your ticket is. - They also use Court 2 for matches. Stands are on just one section of this court, but on the opposite side of the umpire's chair so again, you get close to the action without hindrances. Another good aspect about Court 2 is it's next to players entering/exiting the practice courts. Although fans and spectators aren't allowed onto the practice court grounds, you can ask for autographs and pictures when they finish their warmups. - On the left-hand side outside the Stadium Court is one of the only viewing areas where fans can get front row access to watch practice. I believe it's called Tarantula Hill (but don't quote me on it, lol)...it features high stool chairs and a standing bar table for spectators to catch Practice Court 1 action. Included here is a Wilson clothing store, cocktail and snacks concessionaire, and a popular popcorn stand. - On the right side outside of the Stadium Court is the Fan Village. Here they sell merchandise, clothing and food. There are picnic tables with umbrellas. Plus, each day there were Q&A discussions to meet and greet the players. This happened in the afternoon around 3pm. And...Fan Village hosted autograph sessions once each day. There were plenty of chances to say hello to your favorite players. - I attended 2 of the qualifying days and the first 2 days of the main draw. Tickets were available for purchase online using SeatGeek. Buying a basic Grounds Pass...Qualifying Rounds were $20 per day, then add taxes and fees = $27. 1st round tix were $50 on SeatGeek, altogether = $61. Unfortunately, Grounds Passes didn't allow access inside the stadium court, but there was still plenty of action going on all around including matches on Court 2, hitting on Practice Court 1 and events at the Fan Village. - The Box Office sits in the front entrance to the tennis center. Prices at the BO were similar to SeatGeek, so it doesn't matter which path you decide for buying tickets. Overall, visiting the San Diego Open at the Barnes Tennis Center for the first time was a rewarding experience. It's an intimate setting for seeing some of the best women's tennis players in the world. Thank you for having me and looking forward to returning in 2025.

We were looking for a Pickleball court and sure enough, this place is amazing! There were tennis courts, clay courts, Padel courts and the young men and young women working there were very kind and communicative. I cannot wait to play here! You may need to bring a canopy or an umbrella if it gets hot. Not enough to shade you from the heat of the sun. Bring lawn chairs so you'll be comfortable as you wait for your turn. Snacks also! I love to see all the paddles lined up on a holder. It's open play. I hope to see you soon here and let's play!!

Went here with friends and had the BEST time out on the courts! The staff is organized and friendly. Courts are clean and well lit. Parking is easy in their lot.

Barnes is a great facility with everything you could ask for in padel, tennis, and pickleball. I've played many fun matches and clinics. I think this is the best place to play padel in San Diego. They just added a bunch of really nice pickleball courts, too. The open play fees are fair and the padel court rental fees are the most reasonable in the whole county. Definitely go check this place out!

Some friends from Portland were coming to visit and we wanted to get some Pickelball sessions in. I was lucky enough to be able to secure a last minute reservation for a court here at Barnes! It was the most amazing scene for pickleball - close to the beach and during sunset hour. The courts we were assigned to were towards the back and only had two other courts around it so it wasn't too crazy. At some point, we had pros Callan Dawson and Alex Neuman hitting next to us. Pretty cool to see that! Definitely one of my favorite courts in San Diego!

They never tell you when you sign up for a membership that you can never get a court past 5 PM on the weekdays or in the mornings on the weekends. These are the most popular times and they never mentioned it. Also, good luck getting in contact with them. They never answer and never call you back.

I love the open play on Saturdays and look forward to attending upcoming clinics and ladder play. James is fantastic at organizing Saturdays open play. The staff at the front desk are so sweet and helpful with check in. Everyone makes you feel welcome and supportive being a newbie.

Pickleball Review: The Barnes is FANTASTIC for pickleball! You can rent a court for a great price or go to open play. Courts are new and there are plenty of them! The staff is welcoming and the entire facility is lovely.

If you are in to playing or watching top 50 players (men or women) in world compete for the San Diego Open titles, Barnes Tennis Center is the place to be. The Center is dedicated to the youth of San Diego. You pay a small usage fee to play at the center. The center has ​ 23 lighted hard courts 2 lighted Caliclay courts 3 Championship Pickleball courts 3 Padel courts 1/2 mile jogging trail Locker and shower facilities They also have a nice pro shop and you can schedule tennis lessons too.

If you care about PICKLEBALL, DON'T play here. The ONLY reason the have/allow Pickleball is to subsidize tennis..Also VERY windy. The ownership group only added courts to STOP Pickleball (top level venue) from getting built elsewhere and to "FUND tennis programs.." Their words not mine. Play and support Pickleball elsewhere but NOT here..

Staff are friendly and welcoming. Jerry is an excellent coach. Courts are well laid out and clean.

This place is massive! I got lost my first time. Might need a map. They're tons of tennis courts, but I came for pickleball. They have about 9 pickleball courts designed for pickleball in two separate areas. You need to go online/app to reserve by the hour. I signed up on Volo app for a pick-up game and met some nice folks. Definitely a good time at a very clean, organized venue! Pickle Point!!!

WTA SD OPEN 2022 First time at Barnes Tennis Center. This is not my tennis club nor do I play tennis here but I did come by to spectate the WTA SD OPEN 2022. The day I came, it rained. So, I missed the smaller matches as they were cancelled and everyone hurdled in the main lobby or the shop for 30-45min. The stadium court where the main matches were to happen were soaking went and every single staff person out effort to try and get the courts dry if that be with a blower, manually with towels, etc. I didn't appreciate the staff wiping down the vip and stadium seats so we aren't sitting in a puddle. By 630pm the match offs begun at the stadium court - if they couldn't get the court to dry or if it continued to rain then everything would have been cancelled and no refunds. Food options: The Route Cafe was open, a snack stand was open, and concession stand area had plenty food booths serving hot meals along with other vendors selling clothes or services. Tickets range from $30-$150, as it gets down towards the weekend and finalists the tickets also get more expensive and lesser purchases. Cool experience. Motivated to continue playing. Loved tennis since I was young, love it even more when I'm old.

Fantastic pickleball facilities! Specifically made courts, so you aren't scrunched on a tennis court alongside 3 other courts with taped over lines. Being near the water, the breeze and sunsets are simply fantastic with palm trees all around. Pricing is reasonable. Everything is well kept. Super impressive - ended up going three times in one week. Highly recommended.

I usually don't write reviews but the customer service at Barnes is terrible. The receptionist I just talked to basically told me to f&$# myself in very polite words and hung up on me. Last year, they promised me a refund of $50 dollars which I followed up on for three months and talked/emailed to 3 people but never received the refund. The two stars is for the fact that they have available courts. I will be looking for other places to play.

Great facility but you can't ever reserve a tennis court because there's always something going on regarding tournaments. Every time I call they're all booked up. I'm not sure why anyone would buy a membership here if you can't even get a court what are you paying for? Very frustrating since I live 2 miles away and can't even play on the courts.

Nothing compares with the Barnes!!! It been evolving over the many years of service here in San Diego.

Do not go here for kids group sessions. Before joining I was under the impression that the colors/ages are by levels so green ball is more like intermediate for kids. Not so here... the kids in the group are more towards the beginners and there's very minimal instructions. Before signing up, I emailed a few times detailing my sons background in tennis and schedule. She suggested the green ball on Saturdays. After the first day of trying out I emailed asking if I can cancel or if there are other options since the level wasn't what I was looking for. She basically said no cancellation. What irritated me was that I had emailed her what I was looking for and she recommended this one and when it didn't fit I was somehow stuck. Nothing but a money grab, unreasonably inflexible, and really minimal instructions. Well, a couple hundred dollars down the drain but lesson learned not coming back here again! Definitely much better places for kids group sessions!!

We love having a place this close to the beach to play pickle ball on high quality courts. There are currently 7 courts in place with another 12 courts to come by the end of Summer 2023. Rent courts by the hour (online scheduling is coming soon from what we're told) or show up for one of their open play sessions for $5/person. We've found lots of friendly faces on their courts and would highly recommend it!d

Awesome place! Make sure you set a reservation otherwise you might not be able to play! They have tons of courts but still need to be aware that they are very popular! Great lighting and ambiance! They can rent you paddles if need be! They also have a small store where you can purchase anything necessary!

Not as advertised. My child experienced a racially motivated bullying incident, which I am aware can happen anywhere, the way it was addressed was very disappointing. All involved were dismissed from the program and the payment was refunded. I would have liked it used as a learning opportunity to teach kids how to resolve differences , and as members of the community to acknowledge mistakes that were not only made but remain unresolved. My daughter felt punished for having spoken up about the incident. Overall, very poorly handled by staff onsite.

Place was great. Very clean and lots of courts. It's a little odd that you rent pickleball paddles but have to buy a ball. That being said we will be back again many times.

I think Barnes Youth Tennis classes are a work in progress. Pros: Teachers clearly enjoy working with kids. They keep the kids accountable for the most part and kids learn best with other kids. Kids who improve quickly are likely naturally athletic or have good hand/eye coordination. If your child needs special attention, don't expect to get it here. Fundamentals taught include general tennis drills, forearm and backhand form, and some foot agility drills. The facilities are very nice and seem to continue to improve with donations and endowments. It seems like the youth program is making an effort to expand their services and programming including monthly tournaments and better communication with parents. Cons: Very little flexibility in the schedule. Once you sign up for a set of classes (Red, Orange, Green, etc), you are committed for an entire quarter and there is no room for make up classes (they do offer one make up session at the end of the quarter). Kids are also categorized pretty early on with little room for nourishing their potential. In order for a child to accelerate or get more attention, private lessons are absolutely needed. A child who is not flourishing, will continue along this slow trajectory due to being categorized into a once weekly program unless you are able to supplement yourself with private or other lessons to make it twice weekly or more. I would not necessarily recommend Barnes if your child is initially starting out in tennis. There are other more flexible lessons out there that are of similar cost and will teach much more than what Barnes teaches your child. You will also probably save money because in other locations, you may not need to commit to an entire quarter or pay for private. Their connection to the tennis tournament world, however, seems excellent. So, if your child is good enough to start competing in tournaments and have not yet connected with Barnes, then you should start to think about connecting to Barnes.

Everything changed since they have new management. Much much better then it was before.They improved everything. Tennis clinics are great, tournaments are awesome. People working there from front staff, maintence to coaches are awesome. Paola and Bane are amazing coaches and great persons. Cody and Joel with Paola are working great in Competitive High School. Good work and good choice of staff and coaches mr Redondo. Definitely would recommend it. We are very pleased to be here and have my daughter practising here.

They have an amazing club. There's tennis, padel and pickleball. Major WTA and mens tourneys along with national junior tourneys. It's always busy. A very well run club.

Don't waste your time and money to send your kids (both new and experienced) as you won't receive any instructions here. How does the management expect one coach be okay managing 10-15 kids ? It is making extremely hard for the coach to do their job. Front desk staff is a joke. They only hand you name card when you ask them questions... why even bother to pay them salary to sit there and play on their phone? The facility itself is nice. If you look for a court to play then it is a place to go to.

My daughter is in the junior high tennis program here, and it is pathetic. The coaches pay no attention to the students and basically gave them no instruction. They ignore the beginning players and just have them hit together on a court which doesn't help anybody since most of them can't get the ball over the net. Then they pay most of the attention to the more advanced players who play on a different court. .

This review pertains to the youth tennis clinics. My kid is in one of the beginner classes, and it leaves a lot to be desired. To summarize, the staff from the desk to the tennis courts is not a friendly bunch. Not mean, but not friendly either. More importantly, the clinics are way too big to offer any individual attention to technique. Your kid will not learn how to properly hit a tennis ball by going to this camp. I think the main guy is passionate about tennis and wants the kids to succeed but there's nothing warm and fuzzy about the approach. Expectations seem high, but there is relatively little in the way of teaching proper technique. It's more about learning the rules, lines, points, and movement. The kids spend the first 15 minutes doing foot and ball tapping drills. After some instructions, the kids try to hit to each other and have a rally. It just doesn't work. I think the instructors get sick of it because they see so little improvement. Well the kids don't get better because this camp will not make them better unless supplemented with private lessons. The main guy basically said so. My kid has been there for 11 of the 12 weeks, and no one has yet shown him/her (I have to stay anonymous) how to grip a two handed backhand. That's just an example. No huge surprise there since there are only 3 instructors for 20 kids. In general, the teaching staff is far from friendly. The desk staff is about the same. Not mean, either, but since we are clients who pay money you'd expect friendliness but you don't get that. It feels like the attitude you get at a big public school. Maybe the place is a little hard-nosed because they're all business when it comes to tennis. I can't quite tell if what the source of the attitude is, and maybe the message from me is, don't be offended, because we all get treated like this. Your kid will learn about the rules/etiquette of tennis, learn and develop foot movement essentials, get in better shape, improve his/her sportsmanship, and learn the very basics about how to hit a tennis ball. On the latter point, expect your kid to understand that his racket should finish over his shoulder. There are way too few instructors and time to analyze how a kid is hitting the ball and to improve their technique. Unless you get private lessons, I doubt very much this camp will teach your kid how to properly hit a tennis ball. I doubt they'll change anything based on this review. But parents need to set realistic expectations about what you are likely to get from the clinics here, and what personal treatment they should expect as clients.

The Barnes Tennis Center is my go to tennis courts and also the home courts for my various USTA leagues. I play on the courts here multiple times a week and take adult lessons with their pros regularly. I also enjoy their adult cardio clinics, which occur Monday & Wednesday evenings as well as Saturday mornings. It's a great opportunity to hit a bunch of balls. The courts are great and well maintained and, as of the writing of this review, resurfaced less than a year ago. Moreover, I really like that the fencing between the courts extend further between the courts than any other courts I have played on in the San Diego area including all the most popular spots. As a result, you're chasing fewer balls, there is no limit to the number of balls you can have on the court, and you get fewer interruptions from other players' balls. I've been part of what they call "friends of the facility" program for many months now so I don't pay court fees but their drop in court fees ($6-8 depending on time of day) are cheaper than the majority of other facilities, which is nice. There are so many courts that I never have trouble getting one even without a reservation unless they're hosting a tournament. Their coaches and staff are friendly and helpful.

Probably the best tennis center in San Diego. Well maintained and the court conditions are great. You have the nice cool ocean breeze as well. Only drawback would be the noise from the freeway on the far end courts and and the plane flying overhead. Those 2 issues can't be helped. Excellent customer service from staff. Especially the front of house staff when you first arrive. Very friendly and accommodating.

This is another wonderful tennis club. The courts are always in great condition. The folks working the from office/pro shop are friendly and helpful. They have several tennis leagues and tennis instructors to help you with your game (for a fee of course). Overall, this is a great location for family and competitive tennis.

I have been to several tennis clubs in San Diego and Barnes is by far the best. I take take the cardio tennis class every Saturday and it is the best workout and Coach Morgan is so great!

It is ridiculous that empty tennis courts sit idle while pickleball players are stacked up on three courts waiting to play. Why is pickleball, seemingly, the runt of the litter? Pickleball is played by millions of people with more added each day. Not so with the great game of tennis. Tennis is a phenomenal game, yes. But it is not growing like pickleball. For cripes sakes, Barnes, you have excess tennis courts. Yet you throw pickleball a bone with the three courts, and make people wait to play. Really? You can't convert one tennis court?

Love Barnes Tennis Center! My 8 year old niece who I am a guardian to has been playing tennis here now for almost 2 years. Rising Stars Group lessons/ classes are a fantastic way to introduce kids to tennis, and of course great exercise. They make the classes really fun. We honestly picked tennis because it's so close to our home (BTC,) and because our complex has tennis courts. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND ANTHONY for private lessons. He is fantastic, very kind, great attitude and I have seen ENORMOUS results in my nieces tennis abilities/game in just a very short time w/ his lessons. ***Definitely consider a few private lessons the results are 5000x better/ faster than what you will get from group classes*** The front desk girls are very sweet, and informed. Nice conference room to hang in for parents (sometimes I watch 1/2, and work 1/2 time on my laptop in that room.) Snacks and water available to purchase, rackets, clothes etc.

The new club pro lacks people skills. He is rude, condescending, and full of himself. Other than that, it's a great tennis facility.

What a beautiful, top-notch tennis center. According to their website it was completed just 5 years ago in 1997, and is a 4.5 million dollar facility, funded by public and private donations. Our kids have been taking lessons here for the past 5 months, and I have been really impressed with the program, the instructors, and how much they have learned (see my other review under Youth Tennis San Diego). The Center is dedicated to the youth of San Diego, and the focus is on kids (in fact, kids 18 and under have court priority over adults); which is great for the kids. But it also means that if you're coming to try to play, the courts are often taken up by classes, camps and tournaments (especially in the evenings and on the weekends). For adults, there's no membershp fee, cost to play is just $6/person 8am-4 pm, or $8 after 4 pm. Kids are free before 4pm, $2 after 4 pm. They accept reservations 48 hours in advance. Hours: Mon-Thur 8am - 9 pm; Fri-Sun. 8 am - 7 pm.

Awesome PickleBall, and beautiful facility! Would love to see Cocktail hour introduced. Amazing facility though!

Love it Great lesson with woods Really helped my game. Great for kids learning the game

quite possibly the worst tennis facility with its management. the coaches there dont seem to know what they're doing. i used to come here 4-5 years ago to watch the junior programs with that crazy russian lady and they actually knew how to play tennis. this past year i stopped by to see if anything has improved since the poor change of staff, but it was underwhelming. oh well, time to find a new place to watch tennis.

Great club and great people. Love that all courts are always well maintained. Friendly staff too.

Continuing my grand plan to enlighten San Diego parents on how keeping their kids active and in lots of outdoor activities keeps them way TOO TIRED to get in trouble, I now take on the Tennis Center. And The Barnes Tennis Center is first rate! It i s a US Tennis Assc. sanctioned facility which regularly hosts National Championship Tournaments. Barnes is easily the best tennis facility in San Diego county. There are teaching pros on staff and has a great pro shop with a good selection of tennis clothing, accessories, visors and raquets. Playing tennis there is very affordable-kids 18 and under are free, and adults are charged a very small fee. There are a variety of classes: Adult doubles, mixed-doubles and singles, wheelchair tennis, Ladies nights, fitness training, and then a large variety of tennis geared towards the experience level of the kids-beginner's, intermediate, and on. Barnes also hands out partial scholarships to those in need. What I like is that the Tennis Center has both hard and soft courts. There are 20 hard court surfaces available and 4 clay courts. Barnes has a very popular Learning Center and offers after-school homework assistance. The library is full of books on tennis history. When you live around a diverse selection of people, it is important to keep a safe distance from some of the "bad seeds." If you can keep your children so active and busy with athletic activities, they will usually then lack the time and energy to run with the bad crowd. And make no mistake-that "bad crowd" can be anywhere..in any neighborhood.. Parents: make use of community resources such as The Barnes Center-especially during the summertime. Your exhausted and sleepy children--too tired to cause you much trouble will be the best reward.

I have a 3 year old who absolutely loved his first camp experience!!! They kept the kiddos totally engaged I'll admit I was the mommy ninja on his first day and I totally stalked my kid to see how he did. He on the other hand never looked back because he was so happily occupied with all the activities. Simply adorable and a great first camp experience

This is great IF you are kid or if you like green-clay courts. That's about it. Otherwise, the club is higher priced than any other I've been to in San Diego. And since it's so overly youth-oriented, it's actually more difficult for adults to get a reservation than it is for kids to just walk on and play. Since I'm not a kid, this sucks for me. The high rates, the children, and the many other tennis options in SD means that I'll never be back to this one.

The nicest and most complete tennis center in all of San Diego. Great courts and facility. The issue is with the tennis instructors. I have had several students that started with Barnes but became disenchanted with the instruction so they came to me. I had to redo many the technique on all of them so that they would be more consistent and efficient. The center is great though with all of the junior tournaments that they have.

I love this place for my son. I have been taking him there for a 4 months know and he loves it the staff is great and you can feel they really help him get better and Tennis. After class my son likes to stay longer and hit the balls with against the wall, after 10 mins of him doing that his instructor comes over and stay on his free time and helps him learn how to hit the ball the right way. I was very happy with seeing that, it shows me that they really care about the kids learning... I will keep on taking my 9 years old to Barnes Tennis Center