Montecito's Upper Manning Park Pickleball Court Opens, Ribbon-Cutting Planned

The court at Manning Park closed in 2023 after its playing surface experienced severe cracking. For Montecito players who had been watching that spot sit idle, the wait is over. The County of Santa Barbara, Community Services Department, Parks Division, has completed construction to restore the public tennis court at Manning Park, with improvements including replacement of the tennis court and additional court striping for four pickleball courts.

The tennis court at Manning Park is a popular local facility constructed in the 1960s, and repairs to the concrete court in recent years did not correct the recurring surface cracking. The County's solution went deeper than a patch job. The project was constructed with a steel-cable post-tensioned concrete foundation to address cracking and pile footings to protect two mature oak trees. Before the tennis court existed, there was a swimming pool at the site, which was filled with concrete and asphalt before the court was placed on top of it — a layered history that made the engineering challenges all the more complex.

First District County Supervisor Roy Lee said, "Our team tackled some significant challenges during construction to save two large oak trees located next to the court – but we stayed with it and now have a great project that respects the history of the park."

Colored acrylic court surfacing was applied in accordance with American Tennis Association (ATA) standards. The result is a surface now officially called the Manning Tennis and Pickleball Courts, situated within Upper Manning Park, which is split into two levels, with the upper level containing a small sunny lawn, a toddler playground, and the court.

The Montecito Association board heard a report on the opening at its March meeting, with officials noting that a formal ribbon-cutting would be coordinated with County Parks and the Association. That ceremony took place this morning: the County Parks Division completed the restoration of the public tennis court at Manning Park, with the court now striped for four pickleball courts. The public ceremony to commemorate the reopening was held at 11 a.m. at 449 San Ysidro Road in Montecito.

Not everyone is entirely at ease with the new configuration. One commenter on the county post captured a sentiment that echoes through dual-use facilities everywhere: "All those pickleball lines are hella distracting for tennis, but what can you do… I get it, shared use now that pickleball has become so trendy. I wonder how they'll divide the court time between the two." Another commenter had a different concern: "Hopefully they leveled the court. Historically it was sloped." The old court did, in fact, tilt to the south. Whether the new post-tensioned foundation resolved that issue is something players will be gauging in their first sessions on the fresh acrylic.

The Court Replacement project is intended to provide improved public safety and recreational opportunities for both tennis and pickleball. More information about the Manning Tennis and Pickleball Courts is available at sbparks.org.