Pickleball in Barrington, RI: 18 Town-Listed Courts, Locked Rolling Nets and a One-Hour Rule

By Jason Regan. I run Regan Family Pickleball from Leominster, Massachusetts, and I check every town guide against the town’s own pages before it goes up. Barrington is a rare case where the town has written its court rules down in one place, so this guide leans on that page.

Where can you play pickleball in Barrington RI?

You can play at three outdoor sites, all owned by the town or the schools and all listed on the Recreation Department’s Field Use page, which I read on October 11, 2026.

Site	Pickleball courts (town)	Tennis courts (town)
Chianese Park, 41 Centennial Avenue	6	1
Kent Street, 14-18 Kent Street	4	2
Barrington Middle School, 261 Middle Highway	8	4
Lincoln Avenue, at Barrington High School	None listed	8

Chianese Park is the only site with courts built for pickleball. Kent Street and the middle school are tennis courts with pickleball lines, so expect to share. The middle school courts sit on school grounds. The town page gives no school-day hours, so ask the Recreation Department before planning a weekday morning there.

How many courts does Chianese Park really have?

The town’s page says six, but the 2024 rebuild was approved as four dedicated pickleball courts, and that is the number Pickleheads lists. I could not reconcile the two from public sources.

Here is the paper trail. In April 2021 the Park and Recreation Commission approved painting lines for six courts on Chianese’s old asphalt, two on the tennis court and four on the roller-hockey rink, according to East Bay RI. In April 2024 the Town Council voted 4-0 to award a $249,750 contract to Hinding Tennis of Branford, Connecticut, for four dedicated pickleball courts, a tennis court and a basketball court. The same paper reported that a state Department of Environmental Management grant covered $80,000 and federal American Rescue Plan money covered the rest.

The town manager called them Barrington’s first dedicated pickleball courts. Demolition was under way in early July 2024, and by late September players were already asking the commission for reserved time on the new courts. The six on the town page may be a leftover from the 2021 layout. Plan on four and treat anything more as a bonus. Our own directory lists four.

What are the court rules in Barrington?

The town posts one set of rules for all of its tennis and pickleball courts, and the time limit is the one that matters on a busy morning.

• Time limit. When players are waiting, play is limited to one hour for singles and one and a half hours for doubles.
• Shoes. Proper footwear is required and black-soled shoes are not allowed.
• Not allowed. Wheels of any kind, smoking, alcohol, and dogs or other pets.
• Trash. Carry out what you carry in.
• Lessons. Private instructors need a permit from the Recreation Department. The town ordinance sets a $100 fine per incident for unpermitted lessons.
• Parking. The town code bars parking at Chianese Park from sunset to sunrise.

For the unwritten side of sharing a court, see our pickleball etiquette guide.

How do the nets work?

Barrington uses rolling nets that are locked up between sessions, and the town expects the last group off the court to lock them. The posted routine has four steps:

1. Put the lock around the base and under the netting.
2. Lock the cable to the fence.
3. Lock all four wheels on the base.
4. If another group arrives as you leave, ask whether they know the routine, and show them if they do not.

The page does not say how first-time players get the lock combination or key. Call the Recreation Department at 401-247-1900, extension 202, before your first visit. Biddeford, Maine, runs a similar locked-net system, which we covered in our Biddeford guide.

Can a group reserve the courts?

Yes, but only through the town’s land-use process, and the question has already been tested. In September 2024 a group of players asked the commission to close the Chianese courts to everyone else from 9 to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Commission members answered that any group wanting dedicated time must file a land-use application, the same as a softball league, East Bay RI reported. I found no record of how that request ended.

Today the town takes league and event requests through its Civic Rec system, with a $25 non-refundable processing fee and proof of $1 million in insurance. If you show up to open courts, they are open.

Does the town run lessons?

The Recreation Department lists a class called Pickleball 101 for adults 18 and older, taught by Cliff Teixeira, an IPTPA Level 1 instructor. On October 11 the listing said to check back for the next class date, so there is no current session to sign up for. Watch the town’s Classes and Programs page, or browse our New England coaching directory.

Where is the nearest indoor pickleball?

The nearest indoor club is East Bay Pickleball Club at 317 Market Street in Warren, the next town over. Barrington’s own courts are all outdoors.

• Hours: open daily, 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., per the club’s site.
• Non-members: a free account, a $15 open play fee, and court rental at $50 an hour.
• Members: $80 a month for an individual and $75 for a senior, with open play included.
• Also: a Parkinson’s pickleball clinic on Mondays and Fridays. Phone (401) 252-4021.

One caution. The club’s own pages disagree on the $50 guest court: the rates page says up to six people, and the memberships page says two to four. Ask when you book. For more winter options see indoor pickleball in Rhode Island and our tips for playing in cold weather.

Where else can you play near Barrington?

Barrington sits on the East Bay between Providence and Bristol, so three of our guides are a short drive away.

• Pickleball in Bristol, RI, just past Warren.
• Pickleball in Providence to the north.
• Statewide: the Rhode Island pickleball hub and the full New England court directory.

Chianese is also a clean example of a town pairing a state grant with federal money to build courts. Our guide to pickleball court grants covers how other towns have done it. Shopping for a paddle first? Try the Paddle Finder.

Frequently asked questions

Where are the pickleball courts in Barrington, RI?

The town lists pickleball courts at Chianese Park, 41 Centennial Avenue, at 14-18 Kent Street, and at Barrington Middle School, 261 Middle Highway.

Is pickleball free in Barrington?

The town posts no fee for casual play on its outdoor courts. Fees apply only to leagues, events and private instruction, which need town approval.

How many pickleball courts are at Chianese Park?

The town’s page lists six. The 2024 rebuild was approved as four dedicated pickleball courts, and Pickleheads lists four. Plan on four.

Is there a time limit on Barrington courts?

Yes. When players are waiting, the town limits play to one hour for singles and one and a half hours for doubles.

Is there indoor pickleball in Barrington, RI?

Not in town. The nearest indoor club is East Bay Pickleball Club at 317 Market Street in Warren, where non-members pay a 15 dollar open play fee.

Sources: Town of Barrington Recreation Department Field Use and Classes and Programs pages and the town code, chapter 134, all read October 11, 2026; East Bay RI reports from April 2021, April 2024, July 2024 and October 2024, linked above; East Bay Pickleball Club’s own site. Details change, so confirm with the Recreation Department at 401-247-1900.