Ventana Ranch's new dedicated pickleball courts are open. There are 8 of them, not the 20 the city announced.

Albuquerque's west side finally has dedicated pickleball courts. New courts at Ventana Ranch Park (10000 Universe Blvd NW) soft-opened in mid-August with no announcement, no ribbon cutting, and no update to the city's own pickleball page, and players confirmed to My Pickleball Connect that games are already running on them.

The number worth noting: eight courts. The city's District 5 project page, describing Councilor Dan Lewis's nearly $2 million investment, promised that "Upon completion, Ventana Ranch Park will boast 20 dedicated pickleball courts, accommodating up to 80 players simultaneously." What is on the ground at soft opening is 8. Whether the remaining courts arrive in a later phase, or the plan was scaled back, has not been announced; the project page also calls for an administration building at the court complex.

Some context on why this park matters. Ventana Ranch has been the west side's default pickleball home for years, but only on borrowed ground: 12 tennis courts with 6 of them dual-striped, which the city counted as 12 pickleball courts. Community open play packed those mornings six days a week, and the city's own project page admitted that "peak usage often exceeds this capacity." Dedicated courts, permanent lines with no tennis overlay, are what the west-side community has been asking for.

The soft opening also means the practical details are not yet posted. The city's pickleball page still lists the park's old 12-court dual-striped configuration, and there is no word yet on whether the new courts change the open-play schedule, whether the tennis-court striping stays, or when the administration building lands. We will update our Albuquerque directory as each of those gets confirmed; the Ventana Ranch entry already reflects the 8 dedicated courts as verified on the ground.

If you play there this month, you are playing on courts the city has not officially opened yet. Enjoy the head start.