City of Irvine Opens Eight Lighted Pickleball Courts at Mike Ward Park

The City of Irvine celebrated the grand opening of eight lighted pickleball courts at Mike Ward Community Park in Woodbridge with a ribbon-cutting and immediate on-court play for local players. Roughly 200 people attended the event, which city officials framed as a response to sustained community demand for more places to play one of the nation’s fastest-growing sports.

Mayor Larry Agran highlighted the need for capacity as the sport grows, saying, “As pickleball continues to grow in popularity, these courts will serve an important role in meeting demand for more space to play.” Chris Slama, the city’s director of community and library services, called the project “a huge milestone for the community,” and noted the courts reflect years of resident requests and were designed to blend naturally into the park with extra space on some courts to improve accessibility for players of all abilities.

The project includes a range of site improvements beyond the courts themselves. Players and visitors will find four shade structures, picnic tables and benches, hydration stations, upgraded restrooms, landscape and irrigation enhancements, and improved site lighting. The courts are enclosed with a sound-dampening barrier to minimize noise impacts for surrounding neighborhoods, and city photos from the event are available through the City of Irvine.

Court access is intended to balance drop-in play, programming and reservations. The city reports the courts are available daily for drop-in play, reservations, and programs. Local coverage further detailed that two courts will be set aside for reservations, two courts reserved for programming, and four courts open for drop-in play; two reservable courts are expected to open for booking in the coming weeks through the city’s online reservation portal. When not reserved, the reservable courts will default to drop-in access.

These eight courts supplement the City’s existing 22 pickleball courts located at eight community and neighborhood parks, bringing more options for casual players, organized classes and league play. The ribbon-cutting drew players onto the new surfaces immediately after remarks, filling the park with the familiar pop of pickleball and a mix of focused rallies and friendly introductions.

For more information about schedules, programming and reservations, visit the City of Irvine’s pickleball page or contact City Hall at 1 Civic Center Plaza, Irvine, CA 92606-5207, phone 949-724-6000. City offices are open Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m. The City also posted on social media, noting, “Today, the City of Irvine celebrated the grand opening of eight new lighted pickleball courts at Mike Ward Community Park, Woodbridge!”

What this means for local players is more court time and options for both casual drop-in play and organized programming; expect booking windows to open in the coming weeks and watch the city’s reservation portal or contact Parks and Recreation for the exact launch date and details.