Quick answer: The Smithfield RI pickleball noise dispute is about the eight courts at Willow Field, which sit about 70 feet from the nearest home. The town has cut playing hours to 9 a.m.–5 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m.–noon on weekends. It has floated moving pickleball to Deerfield Park. In August the Town Council postponed a vote on a padded fence and berm because the product doesn’t meet the town’s own sound study.
The 30-second version
- Eight courts, 70 feet from a house. The town manager says courts are usually recommended to sit 200 to 600 feet from neighbors.
- Players are under a curfew. Willow Field closes to pickleball at 5 p.m. on weekdays and at noon on weekends.
- The fix on the table falls short on paper. A $5,100 sound study recommended padding rated STC 23.7 and NRC 0.7. The product proposed rates STC 19 and NRC 0.67.
- A court swap is on the table too. The town manager has proposed moving pickleball to Deerfield Park and putting tennis at Willow.
- Check before you drive. Most directories, ours included, list Willow Field as a free public court without showing the shortened hours.
Every New England town that builds pickleball courts near houses ends up having the same argument. Smithfield, Rhode Island is worth following closely because it’s trying almost every fix at once: shorter hours, quieter balls, a sound study, a fence and a possible court swap. Here’s where it stands, based on Valley Breeze and NBC 10 coverage of the town’s meetings.
What’s behind the Smithfield RI pickleball noise fight?
The Willow Field courts were converted from old tennis courts by the town’s Department of Public Works and paid for with federal American Rescue Plan Act money, according to Town Manager Robert Seltzer. There are eight of them, which means up to eight games popping at once, and they sit close to houses.
In October 2025, Seltzer told the Valley Breeze that courts are typically recommended to be 200 to 600 feet from neighbors, and that Willow Field’s are 70 feet from the nearest home. One neighbor told the paper in April that the sound “echoes and reverberates dramatically due to the basin-like location.”
How have the Willow Field hours changed?
| When | What the town did |
|---|---|
| October 2025 | Standard play set at 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Players asked to use quieter balls outside that window. More soundproofing promised for spring. |
| April 2026 | Hours set at 9 a.m.–5 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m.–noon weekends while a consultant studies options. Deerfield Park swap floated. |
| June 2026 | NBC 10 reports the 5 p.m. / noon limits still in force, with two options: move to Deerfield or build stronger soundproofing. |
| Aug. 4, 2026 | Council postpones the fence-and-panel purchase to its September meeting. |
The curfew is what players feel most. “Unfortunately the people who work full time jobs can’t get out here and play,” player Tricia Monteleone told NBC 10. Court advocate Lucille Borrelli, who has pushed for courts in town since 2020, told the Valley Breeze the hours are “totally unfair to anyone who has a job.”
Why doesn’t the proposed fence meet the sound study?
At the August 4 meeting, Seltzer presented a plan from United Fence and Construction Corp. of Johnston using SLN/CR sound panels: a nearly 6-foot berm topped by a padded fence on one side of the courts, with trees behind it. The Valley Breeze put the cost at more than $46,000.
Councilor Rachel Toppi objected with the town’s own numbers. The $5,100 sound study recommended material rated STC 23.7 and NRC 0.7. The proposed backing rates STC 19 and NRC 0.67.
- STC (Sound Transmission Class) measures how much sound a barrier blocks from passing through. Higher is better.
- NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient) runs from 0 to 1 and measures how much sound a surface absorbs instead of bouncing it back.
Seltzer said the panels would bring readings from about 70 decibels down to about 50, and called it the best option available. As a rule of thumb, each 10-decibel drop sounds roughly half as loud, so that would be a big improvement if it holds up. Councilor Angelica Bovis worried about aesthetics. The Budget and Financial Review Board chair, Ian McLean, questioned paying for it out of the Capital Reserve Fund, since it wasn’t an emergency. Seltzer and Council President John Tassoni said the volume of complaints made it one. “I’m at the end of my rope with the nasty emails,” Seltzer said.
What happened in September? The item was pushed to the council’s September meeting. As of this writing we could not find a published account of that vote, so we’re not guessing. Call Smithfield Town Hall before you assume anything has changed.
How are other New England towns handling pickleball noise?
Smithfield is choosing among the same options other towns have already tried:
- Close the courts: Kittery, Maine agreed to close its outdoor courts after a sound study. See our quiet pickleball balls story.
- Mandate quiet balls: Mashpee, Massachusetts now requires them on its town courts. The same story covers it.
- Mandate quiet paddles instead of a wall: Salem, New Hampshire approved a 12-court club on that condition and dropped a proposed 12-foot fence. See quiet pickleball paddles in Salem NH.
- Give each sport its own space: Brattleboro, Vermont built dedicated pickleball courts and got public access to the high school tennis courts, so neither sport has to share. See pickleball in Brattleboro.
If you’re heading out to play, the Providence-area guide and our Rhode Island hub list the alternatives, and the directory has Willow Field and Deerfield Park pages. Evening players should also read can you play pickleball at night.
Frequently asked questions
What are the pickleball hours at Willow Field in Smithfield RI?
As of the most recent reporting, pickleball at Willow Field is limited to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to noon on weekends. The hours have changed several times, so confirm with the town before you go.
Why is Smithfield limiting pickleball at Willow Field?
Neighbors complained about noise. The town manager says the courts are about 70 feet from the nearest home, well inside the 200 to 600 feet usually recommended.
Is Smithfield moving the pickleball courts to Deerfield Park?
It has been proposed. In April 2026 the town manager described swapping pickleball to Deerfield Park and tennis to Willow Field. No final decision has been published.
What did the Smithfield sound study recommend?
The 5,100 dollar study recommended sound material rated STC 23.7 and NRC 0.7. The product proposed in August rates STC 19 and NRC 0.67, which is why the council postponed the purchase.
Where else can I play pickleball near Smithfield RI?
Deerfield Park in Smithfield also has outdoor courts, and the Providence area has several indoor and outdoor options. Our Rhode Island hub lists them.
Sources: Valley Breeze, Oct. 23, 2025, Apr. 16, 2026, Apr. 30, 2026 and Aug. 6, 2026; NBC 10 WJAR, June 4, 2026. Verified September 2026. This is news, not an endorsement of either side.