In a town once presided over by Clint Eastwood, residents have found themselves in a standoff not with outlaws, but with pickleball players. The affluent coastal city is poised to enact the first permanent ban on the sport in California, following years of heated debate over noise complaints.

The City Council at Carmel-by-the-Sea has voted unanimously to pave the way for a permanent ordinance that would extend a temporary ban on pickleball at Forest Hill Park. As the only public court within city limits, the decision effectively outlaws the sport in public spaces throughout the fairytale, cottage-lined community of about 3,000.

The conflict centers on the distinctive “pop” of the pickleball paddle, a sound that has driven a wedge between local enthusiasts and homeowners near the courts. While the sport has exploded in popularity nationwide – boasting nearly 20 million players and a 300 percent increase in participation since 2021 – residents in this quiet pocket of the Monterey Peninsula argue the racket is unbearable.

“There’s gonna be a problem,” resident Kimberly Edwards told the City Council, according to SFGate. “These aren’t supervised courts. You know that. They’re not –there’s no parks and rec department. So as I addressed in my letter: Who’s going to enforce this?”

Ms. Edwards questioned the logistics of policing a proposal that would mandate players use “quiet” paddles. “Am I going to have to hear a noise and then call the police? Is a police officer going to have to be, you know, sitting there on these courts, supervising them? It’s an unrealistic proposition.”

She appealed directly to the council’s duty to the homeowners. “You guys are all in this position to protect us,” she said. “That’s your No. 1 goal. That’s what your job is – not to placate these pickleball enthusiasts.”

Two council members, Jeff Baron and Hans Buder, had tried to broker a peace deal involving soft paddles and balls designed to mitigate the noise. However, officials ultimately decided that enforcing equipment regulations was unfeasible.

“We’re just overcomplicating it in the name of compromise,” a council member, Alissandra Dramov, said, concluding that locals must “accept the reality that this is not a good location for pickleball.”

Mayor Dale Byrne agreed, noting the strain enforcement would place on local law enforcement. “It’s just a really difficult thing to enforce, and I can’t ask the [police] chief to send his people up there. … It’s really sad that we can’t figure this out.”

The decision has left the local pickleball community reeling. Supporters argue the ban removes a vital social outlet for the town’s older demographic.

“Pickleball is more than just a sport. It’s community at its best,” a local physiotherapist, Christie L. Italiano-Thomas wrote in a public letter, SFGate reported. “One of our widowed players once said, ‘Pickleball saved my life.’ And that’s because no matter what you’re going through, you can show up on any given day, pick up your paddle, and find yourself surrounded by friends – to talk, to laugh, or simply to play – and remember that you’re not alone.”

Barbara Lang, a competitive player and former New Yorker, urged the council to reconsider the compromise before the vote. “If you want to try it with the quiet ball, I think it’s only fair to the players to give that a chance,” Ms. Lang said. “I just keep coming back because I guess I’m like a pit bull. I just kind of have that New York staying power.”