Pickleball enthusiasts came prepared on Friday, celebrating five new courts in Ojai with matches throughout the day.
Ojai introduced the pickleball courts at 10 a.m. to a crowd of about 60 people at Soule Park.
During the summer, workers installed the pickleball courts at the park along with two paddle tennis courts and one multi-striped court.
The opening of the new facilities coincided with the closure of four pickleball courts at the City Hall campus.
In November, Ojai voters will consider Measure O, which would require the city to reopen the four courts near City Hall year-round , overriding the council’s decision to close them.
Council members voted earlier this year to close the City Hall courts when the Soule Park facility was finished.
The council in May approved more than $600,000 for the new courts. City funding and about $200,000 of park grant funds paid for the courts, said Lindy Palmer, public works director.
The Soule Park facilities have benches, shade covers, fencing to separate play, new sidewalks and new concrete.