San Francisco’s unique topography and landscape, among other things, make it a destination for tourists from all around the world. Many of the tennis courts around the city reflect this uniqueness in their locations and the views do not disappoint. There are 130+ public tennis courts in the city, and here are some of my favorites.

Alice Marble Courts

The Alice Marble Tennis Courts are in a park right above the start of world famous Lombard St. on top of Russian Hill. There’s even a basketball court here too. In the summer, you will often see hundreds of local snapping photos from the top of the street and there is sure to be a traffic jam so be sure to get there from Hyde Street if you are driving. You could argue that the views from the top of Alice Marble Courts are among some of the most picturesque in the entire city with panoramic views of the bay and golden gate bridge. I can’t think of a better place to play tennis in the entire United States. Some of the trees have even been removed to make the view that much more spectacular. It may get a bit windy but that just adds to the intrigue. There are 4 courts up top with 2 having doubles lanes. The synthetic surface may give you some strange bounces at first but it’s great on the knees.

Alamo Square Court

There is a little known tennis court tucked away between some massive cypress trees near the top of Alamo Square Park. It used to be quite worn down but it was just recently renovated and reopened in November 2017. It is only a single court so you might need to get a little bit lucky to get on right away, especially at peak hours, but it is really a one of a kind place to play. After a nice game of tennis bring your water bottle 200 feet away to the top of the park and take in the famous views of downtown and the painted ladies.

Corona Heights

Another cool spot that isn’t very well known are the Flint St Courts in Corona Heights. There are only 2 courts but they are very close to the heart of the Castro, although you should put on your walking shoes because they are directly up a huge hill. Renovated in 2015, they are still in great shape and just a fun place to go play. The views aren’t too shabby either. You shouldn’t have much trouble getting on these courts, even during peak hours.

Golden Gate Park Courts

Golden Gate Park’s Tennis courts are a massive complex of 21 courts. This is actually the only place that you will have to pay for to use courts in the city but the fee is small and there are usually some empty courts, except some Saturday mornings. You can even join the club if you want access to events and round robin’s that they offer throughout the year http://www.goldengatetennisclub.org/index.html. Located just a stone’s throw from “hippy hill” you can play tennis while enjoying all of the drum rhythms that come from the hill on a nice weekend day. It can be a very “San Francisco” experience. Maybe even go for a quick dance session with the colorful locals on “the hill” after your tennis game.

Dolores Park

Dolores Park now has 6 courts right next to Mission High School. Anyone who has been to Dolores Park knows it is one of the most popular outdoor destinations for San Franciscans to hang out on a nice day. Enjoy a tennis game while taking in all of the “interesting” aromas floating around the park. The tennis court complex was remodeled along with the rest of the park in 2014 and it is a good place to get in a serious game. You may have to wait but there is a decent system for signing up to play next. Wind can be an issue here but there aren’t many courts in San Francisco where it isn’t. You’ll get used to it.

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