General Court Facilities

Court facilities, lights, nets and surfaces.

2004 Situation

As you might expect this is regarded by most people as the most important area. Many people have commented about the lights, and the need for more lit courts. Strange as it may seem however, evening club sessions in the winter have tailed off, and from my own experience I would not be able to justify more lights based on players waiting at evening winter club sessions. What the feedback has helped us do though is place our priorities here.

Most people join to use these facilities, and having a first class surface and court facilities must stay at the top.

Response from Hugh H (2004)

Line Re-painting: As most of you are aware, the line re-painting was a great success. It almost makes it look as if courts 3,4 and 5 had been completely re-painted - that is, at a distance.

Nets: Where the nets are concerned, it seemed as if it would be a good idea to buy one new net and have the others repaired, in turn. However, having had one net repaired, it still looked like a tatty old net, and the others seemed to be beyond economical repair.  We are considering buying two more new nets, but of better quality than the one on court 2. Ideally we should replace them all , but I don't know if we can provide that much money out of the kitty.

Floodlights: The event of five floodlights failing within a week was not as traumatic as first appeared. Two electric relays had failed and had to be replaced. This turned out to be much less expensive than replacing five lamps.

Extra Security Light: Ian B has arranged for an electrician to supply and fit a security light, with a movement sensor, on the corner of the club house nearest the car park. This, in conjunction with the proposed new pathway, will make access and departure safer on dark nights.

Current Situation

All the courts have now been power cleaned and repainted.

As well as looking so much nicer, this has provided much better grip underfoot and a much truer bounce of the ball.

The only adverse report is that the new surface is wearing the balls out more quickly.

This is now regarded as a five year cycle, if the court surface is going to maintained in good condition.

Extra floodlights for the three remaining courts remains as a priority consideration.