It's one of the fastest growing sports in Bakersfield. And now Northwest Bakersfield has eight new courts dedicated to pickleball in Greenacres Park off Calloway Drive.

Saturday over one hundred eager pickleball players attended the grand opening of the renovated courts at Greenacres Park. Organizers said the courts used to be two tennis courts, but over the last couple of years the tennis courts were under used. So they decided to turn the two tennis courts into eight pickleball courts.

During Saturday's opening organizers allowed open games to be played on six of the eight courts, while the other two courts were dedicated to first time players.

Pickleball Vinny, who helped run drills for the new players' clinic Saturday, said pickleball is similar to tennis, paddleball, ping-pong and badminton. The game began to get popular in the 1960s and has recently grown in popularity in Bakersfield.