The City of Grover Beach welcomed its newest facility to the public Thursday.
City officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to announce the completion of the Mentone Basin Park pickleball courts.
The facility features four permanent courts for residents and visitors to use.
"Cities are all about bringing people together and enjoying a place where you can live, work and play," Grover Beach City Manager Matthew Bronson said. "And that's what this facility, this entity, is all about right here."
It's the result of an over two-year pilot program that tested the popularity of pickleball by marking temporary lines on existing and underutilized tennis courts.
After positive feedback from the community, the city decided in May to make the conversion permanent.
The cost of the conversion is said to be about $16,000.
Bentone Basin Park can be found at 1500 Trouville Ave. and South 14th Street in Grover Beach.
There are over 50,000 known pickleball courts in the United States and nearly 80,000 members of USA Pickleball, according to the organization. USA Pickleball says it is the fastest-growing sport in America for the third consecutive year.
"What I see in pickleball is a way to stay healthy, stay in shape, and a sport that is accessible," Bronson said. "... It's very social from everything I've seen, and it provides this great recreational enjoyment for our community, right?"
