Lisa & Douglas Goldman Tennis Center

This facility is beyond frustrating. My last hope is that the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department looks into replacing Lifetime Activities and General Manager Betsy Kemp as the operators of this facility. The reservation system is consistently unreliable. Over the past two years, I have dealt with at least six separate incidents where I arrived for a confirmed reservation only to find the courts unavailable due to school team competition or damp conditions that were not communicated in time. This is a chronic issue known throughout the local tennis community. While I understand weather affects playability, cancelling a reservation 15-20 minutes beforehand—when most players are already commuting—is unacceptable business practice. The front desk's standard response is to apologize and offer a rebooking, but they refuse to address the root cause. I have lived in the neighborhood for over a decade and played here long before the renovation. I miss the days when this facility was operated reliably. The current management clearly does not care enough to implement meaningful changes, and I am tired of having my time wasted.

The Lisa and Douglas Goldman Tennis Center in Golden Gate Park is a great experience for anyone who loves the sport. The recent renovations are truly outstanding, featuring beautifully maintained courts that play really well every time. This facility offers a welcoming atmosphere for players of all skill levels from beginners taking their first lesson to higher level club players. The staff is exceptionally friendly and the pro shop is fully stocked with quality gear. Furthermore, the location within the park makes it a very beautiful area to play, making it more than just a place to play, but a wonderful experience. Great spot for tennis.

What a joke. They cancel classes claiming “weather reasons” when the sun is shining just fine — it’s nothing more than a scam to keep your money and trap you with useless credits. Instead of issuing a refund like any decent business, they hide behind their shady little policy. The so-called lessons? Weak and watered down. The teachers are mediocre at best, clearly set up so you never actually improve and keep paying for more. It’s not a program to teach you, it’s a hamster wheel designed to milk your wallet. And don’t get me started on the staff. Jerry at the front desk is as rude and dismissive as every other review says — it’s almost like being condescending is part of his job description. Bottom line: fake “weather” excuses, scammy credit policy, mediocre instruction, and rude staff. Save yourself the frustration and take your money literally anywhere else

I play here at least 1-2 times per week and am also enrolled in a 9 month program that costs $2200…for the third year in a row. And the high school kid working the front desk just yelled at me for asking if he could move my court reservation from one court to another lol This is not a tennis club. Customer service does not exist here.

My favorite place to play in San Francisco. I have taken 8-9 classes there over 2 years. Great instructors. Beautiful setting. Perfect courts. My only gripe would be that I would they would invest in dryers for the courts. Some might have dew from the night before and sit in shade so it takes hours for the dew to dry and they cancel reservations instead of getting a dryer and putting it out there.

The courts are fantastic and there are lights so playing well into the evening is a viable option. The ability to reserve a court is also great, so there is no need to wait.

If you choose to do group class here - 2 things I wish I knew beforehand: - they cancel class if it rains, and only issue credit in your account for you to purchase another class. There is no refund. - they have no flexibility, if you have any personal reasons to go another day for the same level, they won’t allow even if there is a lot of vacancies. - the supervisor and front desk people’s attitude was a bit condescending when we were discussing these issues on site, and they look tired and disinterested in helping their customers. - 2 stars are for some fun coaches they do have, and relatively quick email responses, but overall it was a negative experience because of their subpar customer service and how they treat their students Hope it’s helpful for people who are researching tennis classes in SF and be mindful of you might not get what you paid for!

Horrible. Don’t recommend for beginners. The goal of ownership is cram as many kids onto 1 court with 1 pro because the private ownership makes way more money with 14 kids to 1 pro. The teaching pros are largely not USPTA certified teaching tennis pros. The only private lessons available are typically on Sunday or late at night.

One of the nicer tennis facilities in San Francisco. Ample parking around the tennis center and the courts are clean and well kept. There's also lawn bowling on the perimeter if tennis isn't your thing

I contacted their office to ask if they'd be willing to block off (paid/contracted) time for a USTA-sanctioned tournament and if I should pitch the idea to the Parks & Rec department or to them directly. Since the courts are public, I'd be willing to contract and pay for time/security/etc. for approximately 10-days for qualifying rounds. The contact stated that they do *not* rent space for private tournaments. Weird, but fair enough. Then it was brought to my attention by several other people that the Kunal Patel ("KPSF Open") happens at this very site. I don't understand people using public spaces as their personal clubhouse where they pick-and-choose their policies. It's weird energy and after reading other reviews, it sounds like inconsistency is a pattern here.

The courts here are always well kept. I've played both Tennis and Pickleball here and it's always a joy to play in such a beautifully set venue. The pro shop on site is also great since you can get your racquets restrung and come by on your next reservation to pick them up.

I am obsessed with this tennis center. Obsessed! What a magical blessing for the San Francisco community to have such an epic resource nestled in Golden Gate park. Every aspect of this tennis center is what's up. From the beautiful flowers and plants which grace the inviting pathway outside of this center... To the approachable front desk staff... To the glistening clean and spacious bathrooms... To the private shower.... To the well maintained changing rooms... To the accessible and adorable community kitchen... To the great vending machines stocked with quality drinks and healthy snacks... To their well curated selection of to-purchase sneakers, racquets, and custom merchandise located inside this center... To the hip modern beautiful seating... To the array of tables - ideal for book reading and lounging... To the perfect temperature inside.... To the floor to ceiling windows that allow you to watch the epic tennis courts... To the indoor ping pong tables... To the stunning tennis courts... To the fun pickleball courts... To the ability to rent this phenomenal space out for events - https://www.lifetimeactivities.com/private-events/ To it's perfect proximity to my absolute favorite place ever - Hippie Hill... This magical spot truly allows special moments of reflection and peace. In addition to allowing special moments of group activity and community. Thank you San Francisco for cultivating a special space that makes everyone who steps inside feel - special. See below for their Mission Statement taken from their website: Through tennis and other lifetime activities, we strive to foster health, happiness, and skill development in every community we serve. We aim to facilitate safe and enjoyable experiences for people of all ages, abilities, and interest levels; and judge our success by the number of smiles and people participating in our services. Trust.

Well maintained courts. Always a pleasure to play here. I found this court and most of my tennis hitting partners on joinplaytennis.com/san-francisco

Very disappointing kids lesson experience. Very little instruction, kids spent most of the time sitting around waiting for a turn to hit 2 or 3 balls. Cannot recommend.

Beautiful, remodeled facilities finally open in Spring 2021! Friendly service, easy to sign-up for a court--but it does cost money to play here, unlike most public courts, and you need to reserve a court on a website that's not Spotery (which is where you reserve every other public court in SF.) Prices vary based on when you want to play (more popular times cost more) and if you are a resident or not. There's also pickle ball courts too! Love the lights and playing at night here--they recently extended their hours! Also saw USF play SCU (women's) here one Saturday which was fun to watch. I love the stadium court (court 6, played there once, felt very important because everyone could watch LOL.) Bathrooms, decor (some cool memorabilia like the walls indoors) and facilities are very nice (they should be, the renovations took a long time and were pricey!) So excited for post-COVID tournaments, leagues, and events here. They do offer lessons, and stringing (haven't used them for this yet) currently (during COVID times). Wish it was slightly less out-of-the-way for me, but good vibes, community, and atmosphere here.

Very nice and clean place to go but I have no idea why they even offer 30 min court reservations because that's definitely not enough time. So make sure to book TWO sessions in a row to get a full hour at least. I do think it should be cheaper or free for SF residents but at least it doesn't break the bank ($5 per 30 mins of play). Be warned that if you don't start using your court within 10 mins of your assigned time, it becomes free for all and those people on the sidelines will snatch it quick

I had the privilege of checking out the newly renovated Golden Gate Park Tennis Courts both Labor Day weekend and his past weekend for two different tennis tournaments. This place is beautiful! There are 16 tennis courts and five pickle ball courts. Court Six: My favorite court is court six as it is a prime location for final rounds of any tennis tournament. This court is the main court with seating on the two long sides of the court, as well as an upper deck with tables and chairs. This provides a great place for spectators to watch from numerous angles. It was initially strange because you feel like you're basically on the court with the players, but that's part of the experience! Amenities: - There are three vending machines inside. One is for drinks (Gatorade, energy drinks, juice, etc.), one is for food (chips, gummies, etc.), and one is for coffee drinks. - When you walk into the entrance, there is a front desk to your left with staff readily available. - There is a women's bathroom, men's bathroom, and unisex bathroom. This past weekend, I attended the Kunal Patel San Francisco Open. This event was thrown so well with so many small details. From the scoreboards to the bar next to court 16 to the change in tablecloths from afternoon to evening, to the flowers on the tables, etc.

This is a a review for adult pickleball class overall experience. Pros: - Courts are nice and new. - Pickleball classes are available at different levels (there are very few options in the Bay Area at the moment if you want to take classes in this sports). - Center is within the Golden Gate Park, so there is plenty to do before or after the class Cons: - On days/times when there are events at Golden Gate Park, parking is VERY limited to NONE, which resulted in me missing one of the classes because I simply could not find parking after circling the greater area for 40 mins and getting stuck in one-lane traffic. Tips: Pick your class day/time with consideration of this factor. - EXTREMELY Inflexible with rescheduling or making up classes. You cannot make up for the class even if you miss it due to difficulty with parking. And it's impossible to reschedule or drop in to another session on a one-off basis because they are at their max class ratio. These classes are not cheap so I find this policy unfriendly to people who genuinely have one-off conflicts. - In my Beginner Class, both the instructor and assistant instructor were hands-on in their teaching style, and had actual playing experiences with Pickleball, and therefore I considered them as role models and trusted their advice on how to play the games. However, In my Advanced Beginner Class, I was shocked that the assistant instructor was completely new to pickleball and the only reason she was even teaching there was because she was a tennis instructor. Tennis and Pickleball are very different in handling the ball, the rules, the strategies. This is simply unacceptable to pull someone random with no pickleball experience to lead us.

Great spot for tennis! While you do have to pay to play ($11 per hour for SF residents), sometimes it's worth it to not have to wait at the other public courts. The courts are in great condition and are super well lit. There's a nice clubhouse as well with bathrooms and a sitting area. They also offer lessons but I've never tried them. Highly recommend if you're tired of long waits at the public courts!

Great facility and classes. Do not be dissuaded by the negative reviews - the majority of which come from your typical entitled wealthy San Francisco parent, who probably sends their kids to private schools like Waldorf and complain when their isn't tofu on the menu and Italian classes. They probably expect a nanny on the court. I've joined two classes for adults and both have been great and competitive.

The new facility is incredible. 16 tennis courts, 5 mini tennis/pickleball courts all with lights and an amazing new clubhouse with a great public space and public bathroom. Tough to book courts - you need to get on 8 days in advance and be an SF resident but one of my favorite places to play in SF. Lifetime activities does a great job running the facility. Parking is a challenge especially on the weekends Courts 1-5 have issues with moisture in the am - mostly December through Feb.

Great tennis courts and pickleball courts here! The courts are well maintained and the indoor facilities are clean. The space is quite large. There is even a party room for private events, where you can hang out indoors and then easily go play on the courts, and vice versa. Parking can be tricky, but you can park at the Koret Playground parking lot, which is about a 5 minute walk away. The courts here really motivate me to get off my butt and get active. All I do is eat all day (you can see that all my Yelp reviews are about food).

Disappointing and expensive experience. Signed up our daughter for an 8-week course, and it wasn't a fit. I requested a refund for the unused, future classes, and was denied and emailed their strict no-refund policy. I get it. I am mad at myself for not looking into the classes deeper and for not getting the simple fact that a strict no-refund policy like theirs probably came into fruition by people just wanting their $ back.

Beautiful courts! They need to fix their online reservation system. If you'd like to make a change or cancel, you have to call the customer service line. It also sucks that you can't pick which court you want to reserve. I find it easier to reserve a public court through Spotery, especially if you want a single court.

Facilities are great, coaches are fine. Front desk / phone staff incredibly rude and not super helpful. Asked questions about sf resident rate and condescendingly replied "you probably haven't verified residence". Without any other explanation. Ok? Well care to share how we can do that? Very curt and not pleasant to talk to at all. I understand jobs can be a pain but if someone is calling just to ask about tennis lessons for their kid without any complaints I don't see the reason for the animosity. It was a woman on the phone. I would consider hiring someone who is an actual customer service rep that can help and provide customer service. Was pretty happy with our experience with classes until this phone call. Not sure I would recommend this place to anyone now considering if they called to sign up they would likely encounter bad customer service.

Tennis group lessons for kids ran more like daycare programs. Student to teacher ratio increased, price increased, while class duration reduced over the year. They do keep your kids safe and entertained but not satisfied/challenged for those that are serious about the sport. Very little instructions given in class. It is a great place to hang out and meet people, and the facility is excellent. Set your expectation right and you may enjoy it.

Large space, clean, and well maintained courts. I really enjoyed my experience here! The only thing I'll add is that I wish each court was fenced off so when tennis balls roll away, they don't interrupt the game of the adjacent group.

A tennis center with five dedicated pickleball courts (my jam). The tennis center itself is fantastic in that it's newly renovated, sleek, clean, and has incredibly lovely staff. (Shout out to Celeste!) I feel privileged to belong to such a wonderful public facility. (Anyone can join, btw.) Court time is inexpensive, especially if you're a SF resident, and even cheaper if you work a flexible schedule and/or are older and can play weekdays during the day. While the tennis courts are perpetually half empty, if you can snag a pickleball court (almost always full), it's great. Hopefully at some point Parks & Rec will see the financial and social benefits of converting some of those underused tennis courts to additional pb courts. (But that's a separate discussion.) Parking? Free and fairly easy to get except when there's a big event in GGP; like Outside Lands. Don't know how to play pickleball or tennis? Join up and take a class. All levels, and a great way to make new friends. If I have anything negative to add, it's certainly not the fault of GTC: courts are often canceled in the early morning due to wetness on the courts, but no surprise -- it's San Francisco!

Beautiful courts, but when I visited, I noticed that the courts aren't dried off/wiped down in the morning. This led to random slick spots on the court I played on, with the person I played with almost getting injured due to this.

Don't bother trying to sign up for Pickleball classes. The online enrollment system fails and then you are out of luck 5 minutes after enrollment opens. Despite having the class I wanted in the cart while spaces were available. Lifetime Activities, the lame vendor, should be fired. Truly terrible.

At the Golden Gate Park Tennis court, it's very wonderful. Its got the tennis club house, gym, tennis shop, stringing machine, selling refreshing beverage drinks & delicious good food, they do have over 22 amazing tennis court & the staff are wonderful. It looks GREAT. A lot of public people hangout sit back enjoy & relax on a beautiful day!!! Plus, sometimes when it get very busy either on weekend (sat & sun), weekdays (mon-fri), sometime Holidays. It's tends to get very crowded, annoying & frustrating at the same time!!! It's just my honest opinion & I'm just saying!!! Overall it's all GREAT!!! Grade: A+ (Excellent)

Love these courts here. Brand new beautifully designed courts that are available for all skill levels. My kids take lessons here and they are top notch. Mike, there are 2 and I'm referring to the African American guy, is as amazing tennis coach. He has so much patience with my kids and the other children. He's always interacting and showing my child how to improve his swing. He's taught my kids all of the tennis swings and they've become amazing players at such a young age. We've requested Mike for the next session of classes. Try the kids and adults classes. They have beginners, intermediate and expert. Really great sets of coaches here. Feel very lucky to have these courts so close by.

nice tennis park renovated and many courts and a facility..set up your tennis match and play tennis for an hour or so...golden gate park

I went here for a few months with my son. I tried hard, wanted him to try the sport. I felt stupid in this place because everything around me was going wrong, my son was throwing a tantrum in the car because he didn't want to go anymore. I can see why: 1) it wasn't fun anymore, we landed in a class where it wasn't engaging enough 2) a mother was yelling the whole time because her kid wasn't playing the right way. I couldn't sit there in peace. She was yelling so loud she distracted the whole class. 3) director sent me a letter pretty much telling me if it's distracting I should get a private class 4) when it would start to drizzle coaches would debate out loud whether they should be working because they were getting paid anyways. I enrolled my child in a different sport with a family owned business never had these issues again. I was stressed over having to go to tennis myself.

Beautiful facility and friendly staff. I've done drill and play for the last 1.5 years and absolutely love the instructors and experience. Perfect amount of coaching and live ball.

Unbelievable. They don't let you practice with a ball hopper! What?!? Next to me, I see a teaching pro using a huge cart of balls! Rule is that you need to be a certified instructor at the facility to use more than 3 balls at a time. Private courts, sure they could make any funky rules they want, but these are public courts in a public park! They were not made for pros to make more money, so tennis pros shouldn't be the ones making the rules on courts made with tax payer's money. Sure, they have the right to make a living, but I vote for freedom when it comes to public courts. I'm even paying hourly court usage fee. On the positive note, the guy who worked there, Greg, was a cool guy and gave us a discount because he felt bad for enforcing the rule which he didn't make. Do not confuse this place with Golden Gateway Tennis & Swim Club (http://www.yelp.com/biz/GNrSeYAH6sCNhcApN1af_A).

Nice facility and I've been playing here pretty much every week since they opened a few times each week. Recently they increased the hours to close later which helps open things up. I'm sure the next thing is they could open earlier as well for the ones who want to fit in tennis before work. All the old memorabilia plaques are gone from the old club house which included champions of each year that they added names to. My advice is courts 1-13 are the courts you want. 16-18 on a windy day is not ideal. I grew up playing at the park so it's a big improvement to the old facility. Just the processes they have in place now need to be improved. With the covid situation tennis has been really popular so there are so many new players and their tennis balls go all over the place so expect to be returning their balls off the court every few minutes which is annoying. Back in the day at least the director and old staff placed novice players out of the way. The courts were given out at set times and everything was first come first serve the day of. Put your name on a list and go pick your court when the time comes which made it more fair/transparent. The new system you have to book a week in advance online which favors people who have the time to do it. Time slots for courts could be reserved for 30, 60, or 90 minutes. I really think they should get rid of the 30 minute time slot since that is barely any time at all to play so that's why they have those slots leftover. So if you see 3 back-to-back 30 minute slots you can only book 1 of them. The maximum number of times 1 person can reserve a court is once per day regardless of length of court time. Side note - I've been stringing rackets for 20 years and I would not trust these guys with stringing rackets. They get pulled away from that task all the time which is not ideal and the way they string I could tell they are still learning. They will get better hopefully and they should have a person dedicated to running the pro shop/stringing. They have a limited selection of gear enough for the average player.

The tennis courts in Golden Gate Park were established in 1901, the year the first automobile permit was issued in San Francisco and five years before the Great Quake and Fire of 1906 reshaped the City of San Francisco. This is a HISTORIC tennis facility and the courts are in great condition. The outside bathrooms are pretty sketchy, bu the inside ones are decent and much better. Parking is limited. Do NOT leave anything visible in your car as breakins are frequent

Great courts and nice staff. Easy to get to and park. They have a tennis shop and a nice seating area with large screen TV. Good place to be.

Review for Youth Lessons: My 9 yo is taking tennis lessons there (and just finished another tennis lesson session with another tennis group which was amazing). Unfortunately, this session has coaches that seem unskilled in working with children. The "coaches" were on their phones throughout the lesson, don't engage the children positively, don't bother to learn their names or introduce them to other kids, or even set up the expectations or activities in a clear way. They addressed the kids with a "hey you, you can get this one", they were not clear in their instruction (kids wandering around the court trying to understand what is asked of them). They just do 1 hour of drills and nothing more engaging. At this age, we have had wonderful coaches that truly inspire kids to want to learn tennis, make the drills playful and interesting, and incorporate some sportsmanship and positive behaviors throughout. This lesson session has been the opposite of what we had hoped. So disappointing for such a beautiful new facility. I hope some expectations of coach behaviors, coach development and instruction on how to work with kids can turn this facility around.

Fantastic newly remodeled facility. Great customer service and amazing newly renovation

I sustained an injury during a class last month run by Lifetime Activities. Staff did the absolute minimum possible. I was unable to walk and the only thing they did was get a wheelchair out to the court after about 25 minutes. The 2 coaches went on and coached class while I grabbed onto the chain link fences and used my good leg to wheel myself back to the clubhouse. No classmates offered to help. The 2 staffers on duty in the clubhouse did absolutely nothing. I wheeled myself around to get ice for my leg and called Kaiser to ask what I should do. No help going through either door at the facility, And I dragged myself on my butt up the stairs outside and to my car. Lifetime Activities is terribly disorganized and their website is 1990's abysmal. Ever tried to sign up for a class??? These people contribute to the culture of pickleball and tennis, and it's not a good contribution. I've had some lonely times in California, and my experience getting injured at the Goldman Tennis Center is one of the worst.

17 courts, $5 to play (I'm sure it's for 1 - 1.5 h but wasn't quite clear). There's a nice clean bathroom inside the building where you pay and reserve a court. The only bad thing is the courts are very close to each other and if you're a beginner like me, you may be apologizing a lot for accidentally hitting balls outside your court. The atmosphere is casual, lots of people hitting balls around and only a few that looked above average. Will definitely be back to play some more. I had forgotten water and the office even gave us a plastic cup and access to water.

Growing up on public tennis courts, I've had my fair share of long waits and near-fights with other "civilized" tennis players in regards to who's up on the next available court. WIth SF's limited number of sunny days and limited number of public courts, you are bound to have an hour long wait wherever you go (I lived 1.5 blocks from Dolores Park and that was impossible). And once you actually get on court, you're stared at and constantly asked how much time you have left by those left waiting... my favorite at Alice Marble was, "shouldn't those Chinese people be done by now?" Thank goodness for the reservations system at GGP Tennis Complex. You can call in advance for weekends and evenings when tennis courts are most popular. It's totally worth the $6 to be able to get to the courts 10 min before your time and know you've secured a court for 1.5 hours (non-res is $8 but they don't seem to check, discounts for seniors, and free for youth under 18). You can also try to walk-in for $5 but make sure to stick to the session times so you can get the full 1.5 hrs (weekends - 9a, 10:30a, 12n, 1:30p, 3p & weeknights April-Oct - 4:30p, 6p). The courts were resurfaced a few years ago so they're better than most of the random courts in parks in the city. They're not perfect with some cracks but I can't imagine too many pro's are looking for public courts. I think the small fee and short distance between courts dissuades beginners from playing there... it's a definite plus not to constantly chase after your neighbors' balls flying through your court.

Golden Gate Park Tennis Complex is one of the best things that San Francisco has to offer. This was my second home in high school. $5 here can get you: very well maintained tennis courts, great staff members [Greg & Jake - who both manage the courts and leagues here], other fabulous tennis players [both young & old], beautiful green scenery [trees surround the complex], spontaneous passerbys aka your new audience members [fences line the entire complex so don't worry - they won't be hurt if you're hitting the balls out of the ballpark/tennis complex] and a bunch of seating and benches for your fans. A quick tip - don't drink out of the water fountain. Seriously -- homeless people take baths there, dogs drink there, people can get pretty disgusting with a water fountain and unless you want to inherit a new strand of bacteria, don't drink from the water fountain. My high school varsity tennis [yep that's right - I was one of the captains] coach, Greg, works here. He is an amazing man. Let me tell you -- putting up with 15 girls groaning and whining, "Coach! I don't wanna run today! I'm tired!" is not an easy task. My poor coach. I come to play tennis here [or try to, at least] whenever I can because of Greg -- he's always willing to hit with me or he's got a poor victim to put me up against. Like today, I was just strolling through Golden Gate Park and I decided to drop by and say hello after a year of not seeing him. He was gracious enough to lend me his racket & pick out a poor guy for me to play tennis with. [There are always people willing to hit -- or you can go and play against a wall near the outer part of the tennis complex]. That poor guy didn't play much tennis with me - except to fetch the tennis balls that I hit -- to another court. Sorry! He probably wasn't sure if I was playing tennis. or baseball.. GG Park is wonderful - it's close to Haight Street and Irving Street so you can always grab a snack after your tennis workout. It's too bad the Bloody Academy of Science had to locate itself in GG Park -- there is hardly any parking around here, but it is still 100x better than the foo-foo tennis "clubs" in downtown. People only go to clubs to play tennis because they are 1) there to show off their tennis wardrobe, not their skill, 2) they're too scared to play a game of "pick up tennis" so they find a sucky tennis partner so they can show off at the club. Tennis is great! I totally recommend coming here and learning or refining your tennis skills. It's a great workout AND you can tan at the same time. Life is good.

The other reviews are pretty comprehensive, so I'll just add a few points: Court condition - probably resurfaced in the late 1990's, so they are pretty fast, but are fine overall, and the paint is consistent (no asphalt showing through). 3-ball rule - I usually have 3-6 tennis balls, and have never had a problem. The only people who are allowed to give lessons (and use the big baskets) are the pros associated with the park, and the money they generate is used largely for court maintenance. Pick-up games - You can usually show up and find some people to rally. Walk over to where the wall is (northeast of the courts), or just look around for any group of 3 people hitting. Court-time - It is great to have a facility with 21 courts, as you can usually just show up and get a court (without an advance reservation). If the courts aren't too busy (weekdays), they usually don't require people to pay the $5 fee (90 minutes). If things are busy (weekends), then the reservation/fee policy is more often enforced. If you aren't sure what that day's policy is, walk over to the "clubhouse," which is at the southwest part of the court area, and ask! Court spacing - I don't have an issue with the courts being spaced too close. Wind - sometimes an issue, but that's life in the city, no? I like playing here because (i) you get to see so many other bay area people enjoying tennis in one (attractive, tree-filled) setting, (ii) parking is easy, and (iii) court-time is reasonably easy to obtain. So get out there and play some more tennis!

I never been confronted by the "3-ball rule" as some other yelpers have, so can't comment on that, but I will say these are gorgeous courts by public standards. They are plenty of them too, plus some fun leagues you can join for all sorts of folks - singles, gay/lesbian, kids, you name it. Compared to private clubs, it's a real bargain too, plus you're in Golden Gate Park, another bonus when the weather is nice. I've played some recerational tennis here, both doubles and singles, and also watched some exciting matches and tournaments too.

I run by these courts every week, and finally Crystal A. and I decide to get our tennis on. I never realized how many courts there are!! I couldn't find her for ten minutes bc I was walking around the whole perimeter of the outside courts. Its $5 for 90 minutes and they have a reservation system. And since we played on the court that was kinda wet (we're not very good, but we try), we got a discount :)

Tough time getting courts here. Many times there is a long list. Plus you have to pay for the time on the courts. People are friendly out here though. I have met some great players and especially great friends, but it can be difficult to play on the weekend without being on a team. During the weekday's the courts are usually wide open before 3pm Tip: on Sunday's when the streets in the park are closed to traffic, look for parking on Lincoln Way. When all courts are taken, enjoy the practice wall behind court #16 in the practice area.

Ive been playing tennis here for over a year and fairly frequently to boot. I love it. You get to be in the outdoors, while nestled in a beautiful location with trees surrounding you from almost all directions. I fortunately have the option to come here during the mid afternoon when the courts are bare and most people are at work. I know that around 5 it can get pretty busy until dark. Ive never heard the 3 ball rule before, and I dont think I would like this place as much as I do it that were the rule. Maybe its never been an issue as to how empty the courts are when Im usually here. Really windy days can be a nuisance depending on what court youre playing on.

This review is for the kids classes at the new facility Lisa & Douglas Goldman Tennis Center open in 2021. The new facilities are great but the classes have been a big disappointment for our family. My 5 yos took classes last spring and attended short summer camp (1.5h for young kids) las summer and were very happy, they were engaged, the class included different games and play mixed with tennis instruction by fun active instructors. This last session has been a disaster due to really poor instruction. The class is not age appropriate, no games, no water break, it seems to me that they could not find instructors and hire whoever was available regardless whether they had any experience teaching (anything) to young kids. The classes are so boring my kids refused to go after going only 2 times. We complaint and tried to cancel and get refund but the stuck to there cancellation policy despite being an issue with terrible instructors. The head of the program contacted us and he made a few changes that improved the classes a little bit, still, the same non experience instructor are there. We are not returning for now.

I've been playing tennis here on the weekends for the past few months and really love the place. They are the nicest city run courts I've been to and are really well maintained. I've always found the staff to be really helpful - they even gave us free balls once when we forgot to bring some. (Why did we trek to the park to play tennis without balls? Don't ask.) My favorite thing is that the reservations are really well organized. Courts are booked by the 1 1/2 hour (call the Wednesday before if you want a court on the weekend), so you always know when you are going to play, when your time is up, etc. No waiting for someone to finish their game and no pressure from the bleachers as someone is waiting for you to finish first. The pros are also really great. I've taken lessons from Lou which have really improved my game. And the price is right: $50/hour for a single lesson, $30/hour for a doubles lesson, $20/hour for a group. This was less than anywhere else I could find in the city.

It's the best because you get the court for 90 minutes without people standing around your court warming up around you waiting for you to finish. The courts are clean and well maintained. You're in the park already and it's close to a lot of other great places in the Inner sunset and the richmond.

These courts are amazing by public court standards. $6 and a phone call a couple of days ahead gets you your very own court for an hour and a half. There's tons of courts, and the only real downside is that means stray balls will probably fly into your court. There's a tennis club house is basically a time capsule from about 1965. It's clean, and has a large changing area and bathroom, so no need to deal with GGP's general bathrooms. Parking is great on the weekdays, but pretty tough on the weekends, especially when there is great weather.

We love the Golden Gate Tennis Complex. We usually play on the weekends and sometimes it's a bit challenging to get in at a popular time (i.e. Saturday mornings). Best advice- call or email early in the week to make a reservation. The courts are well maintained, there are water fountains and clean restrooms and even table tennis inside of the office. Once you've checked into your court, you have a full 90 mins until the next session begins so you don't have to worry about clearing off the court for people waiting. Cheap, convenient and accessible to everyone.

These are quite nice courts relative to the other shoddy outdoor courts in the city. Nestled within the greenery of Golden Gate Park they offer a pretty special atmosphere to play a good match of tennis in. I'm unsure whether they are public or private, but you definitely have to pay at times. Also, during the weekend it's near impossible to get a court as a walk-on so be sure to schedule in advance. You can reserve a court for about 90 minutes.

This was my home away from home for years. I played here for many years, then took a leave, then returned the other day. We found the courts to be fast and slippery, probably time to resurface soon. The court reservation and fee system is great for those who want to have a set time and place. Courts in SF can be crowded so this is a good alternative. Keep in mind the road is restricted on Sunday's to walking and biking so be prepared to park a few blocks away. Generally, GGP is a good venue. However, we almost got into a fight with a dirty deranged man and his friendly dog. This guy harassed people at the clubhouse, then walked out to our court, came up to our face and yelled for a few minutes. Why us? Maybe because there were only a few people playing. Have you had a stranger come up to your face, with bulging eyes and scream? He deserved to be taken down, but that was our last resort. We thought he's just a tough acting guy who likes to yell and scream. A "security" guy came out from the clubhouse, saw us with this guy, and came over. He kept his cool while listening to the screaming man and slowly, gently escorted him out. The mad man continued to rant and rave as he walked down the street, screaming at no one in particular. A few minutes later, policemen arrived, asked us which way he went and started to look for him. Who knew, there was a lot of action that day that included more than tennis. The park is a beautiful place with a variety of personalities and people. You never know who you'll meet.