A TENNIS BOOM.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 246, 17 October 1922, Page 6

A TENNIS BOOM.

NEW COURTS AND CLUBS. STILL ROOM FOR EXTENSION. The tennis season, which was unofficially opened in Auckland last week by "the exhibition match of the Australian Davie Cup team, promises to be one of the busiest and most eventful experienced locally for many years. Judging from the inquiries coming from all parts to the officials of the clubs and association there is a very large body of players in both town and country who are anxious to get into competitive tennis through the medium of inter-club play, and every club in the town has added to its waiting list, even though at least fourteen new courts have largely increased the number of players who can this season be catered iox'. In addition to this quite a considerable number of players are being catered for by the laying down of private grass, chip and asphalt courts. Altogether it is plain that the number of those playing competitive tennis thie season will be much in excess of those in the game last year, and the only thing preventing a very notable increase in this direction is the fact that there are not courts enough to go round. NEW GRASS COURTS. The most noteworthy additions to the accommodation for budding Tildens are the courts laid down in Stanley Street by the Auckland Association and those created on Campbell Park for the new Aratonpa Club. In Stanley Street nine courts have been made, and they are in excellent condition. It is expected that three of these will be in use every weekend for inter-club matches, and the others will be for the benefit of players who cannot find places on the courts of the affiliated chins. In order that this arrangement may not act to the detriment of the affiliated clubs, the fees are made double for those who are not members of such clubs. The Aratonga Club j has already got five grass courts in | working order, to cater for something i like 100 members, and it is intended to j extend the lawns as the. membership | justifies it, with a maximum of fifteen j lawns. The establishment clube have not; the space for extension, and are bending ; their energies to improving the existing courts and to getting the freehold of their property. This latter business has | already been put through by the Onehunga and the Eden and Epsom Clubs. THE SEASON'S PROGRAMME.

According to the latest estimate, the Auckland Association will start the season with fifteen affiliated clubs, provid- ' ing teams for three grades of players. Tlie system of deciding the club championship has yet to be fixed, and whether each team will play every other learn, or whether the competitions will be run on the knock-out system, will be discussed at a meeting of the executive this week. Another matter of importance to be talked over is that of bringing the city and country players into closer touch. There is a proposal that such ' districts as Whangarei, Northern Wairoa, Rodney, Bay of Plenty and Lower Waikato should find out their champion teams by local competition, and that the winners should meet each other in Auckland to decide the champion country club for the province, and perhaps meet the best of the town teams. The season's programme will be fairly crowded should the Association be able to carry through the projects it lias in view. In addition to the interclub competitions, and the proposed country week, there will be the visit of the Neiv South Wales ladies' team about the middle of December, a handicap tournament in Christmas and Xew Year weeks, the Dominion championships at Hastings about the same time, the provincial ' championships at the end of January, and the annual inter-provincial match with Taranaki on February 5. LATEST NOVELTIES. The visit of the Davis Cup player? has left its impress on the local tennis enthusiasts in a craze for the steolframed racquets which were used by Patterson, Wood and Wertheiin, and quite a large number of players have decided that they will not be happy till they get one. so that the merits ami demerits of the innovation are !>ound to form quite a fruitful topic of discussion during the seux>'.i. The King Country has some fine tennis! exponents ami there are splendid courts at Kakahi and Owhango. The last, mentioned courts arc beautifully situ-; ate.l in tiic native bush ami visitors' speak highly of this ideal spot for| racquet play. The Kakahi Club, which! opened tiie season informally on Satur-' ■lav. has .1 somewhat exclusive style ofi ixmrt. It is pumice and it. provides a' perfect fi rr " surface after being rolled. .Anotiit»r advantage of the pumice is that it is so remarkably absorbent, that ■ rain water disappears in a few minutesj after I he heaviest downpour. 1