Stop guessing who has the court at 8am.
A paper sign-up sheet on a clipboard is why your community argues about pickleball. Lantern gives your courts a real schedule that every player can see and book from their phone, in about ten minutes of setup.
The clipboard was never going to work
Every community with courts has the same three problems: the sheet is on the fence so you have to walk over to read it, someone crosses out someone else’s name, and four households have quietly decided the 8am slot is theirs forever.
It is the most-felt problem in a neighborhood and the least political one to fix. Nobody needs a board vote to agree that a shared calendar beats a clipboard.
How it works
Three steps, and you are running. No procurement, no implementation project.
Add your courts
Name each court, set the hours they can be booked, and choose how long a slot runs. Ten minutes, once.
Set fair-play rules
Limit bookings per household per day or week so the same four players cannot own every morning.
Post the QR code
Tape it to the fence. Players scan, see the live schedule, and book. No download required.
What you get
Everything below is included from the start.
One view, every court
All courts side by side, so players grab the open one instead of waiting on their favorite.
Real limits, enforced
Per-day and per-week caps, optionally per household, applied automatically rather than by confrontation.
No double-bookings, ever
Two people confirming the same slot at the same moment is handled at the database level. One wins, one is told immediately.
Ladder nights and clinics
Block courts for organized play, then let everyone RSVP to the event instead of guessing.
Reminders that show up
Players get a notification before their slot, so no-shows stop eating court time.
Close a court in one tap
Resurfacing or standing water? Mark it closed and everyone booked gets told.
You do not need the HOA to start
Court scheduling is coordination between the people who play, so a resident can set it up today. Your group gets a clear label as community-run, not official HOA communication, and the board can claim it whenever they are ready.
When they do, the same schedule keeps running and the association gets the rest of the platform. Nothing you set up gets thrown away.
Common questions
Do I need HOA board approval to set this up?
No. Scheduling shared court time among the people who play is coordination, not governance. Your space is clearly labeled community-run so nobody confuses it with official HOA communication, and the board can take it over later.
Is it really free?
Setting up courts for your group costs nothing. If the association later decides to make Lantern official for the whole community, that is a separate conversation with the board.
Do players have to download an app?
No. They scan the QR code on the fence and book from the browser. There is an app for people who want notifications, but it is never required to reserve a court.
How do you stop the same people booking every morning?
Set a limit per household per day or per week and the system enforces it. Nobody has to be the person who confronts a neighbor about hogging the 8am slot.
What if two people book the same slot at once?
They cannot. Reservations are confirmed with a per-court lock, so exactly one of them gets the slot and the other is told instantly rather than showing up to a conflict.
Can we use this for tennis, bocce, or the clubhouse too?
Yes. Courts, ramadas, the clubhouse, the grill pavilion, anything with a schedule works the same way. Pickleball is just where most communities start.
Get your courts on a real schedule
Tell us about your courts and we will help you get set up, free. Most communities are booking within a day.
- Help setting up your courts and play rules
- A printable QR code for the fence
- No cost, and no board approval needed
- Your schedule keeps working if the HOA takes it over
Ready in about a minute. Prefer we set it up with you? Leave your details instead:
Further reading
Other ways neighbors start
Same platform, different starting point. Pick whichever problem your community feels most.