BEND, OR--  Bend's new pickleball courts are now open for use. Bend Parks and Rec opened eight new courts Friday afternoon. 

Werner Zehnder is the Bend resident who donated a quarter of a million dollars to build the additional courts. "We have a large website and 400 pickleball club members," Zehnder says. "In the last six months, there have been lots of people who would see the courts also when they would go to the dog park. There would be 20 people waiting on the weekends to play and now that waiting is over."

Zehnder says he's already broken in the courts. "We already had one game and I lost.  That's OK, they're good guys.  I definitely plan to play tomorrow and Sunday, and on Monday we'll start our organized games through the Bend pickleball club."

Zehnder says with 16 courts, Bend now has the largest pickleball complex in the state.