The City of Irvine celebrated the opening of eight new lighted pickleball courts at Mike Ward Community Park — Woodbridge with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday, February 3.
Approximately 200 people attended the event, which featured remarks by City leaders and the opportunity for the local pickleball community to hit the courts for the first time following the ribbon cutting.
“As pickleball continues to grow in popularity, these courts will serve an important role in meeting demand for more space to play,” said Mayor Larry Agran. “Expanding pickleball access within our community is one more way we continue to enhance the quality of life in Irvine.”
In addition to the eight courts, four shade structures, picnic tables, benches, and hydration stations have been installed as part of the project. Lighting improvements, upgrades to the restroom facility, and various landscape and irrigation enhancements have also been completed at the park. To minimize noise impacts, the courts will be enclosed with a sound-dampening barrier.
Two courts will be available for reservations from 8 a.m. to noon and 4 to 10 p.m. daily. Reservations will open in the coming weeks at yourirvine.org. When courts are not reserved, they will be available for drop-in play with a one-hour time limit.
Two courts will be reserved for programming, and the remaining four courts will be available for drop-in play from dawn to 10 p.m.
The new courts will supplement the City’s existing 22 pickleball courts at eight community and neighborhood parks, helping to meet the demand for one of the nation’s fastest-growing sports. They also underscore the City’s long-standing commitment to providing outstanding recreation spaces for all ages. For the past 10 years, Irvine’s park system has been ranked among the best in the nation, based on park access, acreage, investment, equity, and amenities.
To learn more about the courts and pickleball in Irvine, visit cityofirvine.org/pickleball.