TENNIS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 November 1924, Page 2

TENNIS

NOTES BY “SIDELINE.”

As an instance of the, popularity of tennis and the hold it now has locally the membership of the Park Club now stands at over a hundred. Although the list of members mio-ht appear heavy, so .far no congestion has yet been experienced, excepting, perhaps, on Saturdays and Wednesdays, when large crowds go up. IVith a limited number of courts to accommodate the large number playing day after day while tennis is playable, the grounds committee are faced with, the problem of what course to take so as to keep open and maintain the full number of courts in playable condition.

As the turf around the base lines receives the bulk of the play, this part naturally nears off first, and the idea, as adopted by the committee, is to have extra blocks made so that the courts could be moved about in three or four die rent positions is quite a good one. Unless some similar move to this is made so as to distribute the wear, the caretaker would have no- option but to close down courts.

Members might bear.in mind that it would be quite unfair to expect the Grounds Committee to fulfil all the points necessary to emisure the good condition _of the courts, and so make tennis enjoyable woitliut their valuable co-operation,' for much damage might be caused through (a) playing on the courts soon after rain and the ground is still soft; (b) playing on courts too. late in the evenings at this early stage of the season, as heavy dew falling while the sun is yet up is not unexpected; or (c) playing too early in the mornings before the wet turf is dried up. To induce good play perhaps a little more could be taken off the turf than is removed at the present, and without any undue risk to the good preservation of the grounds. As an alternative the courts may bo mowed as they are now, but twice weekly/ and the caretaker, who has sole charge of the grounds, no doubt will, as in the past, assist the club in hvory way reasonable in this direction.

The club proposes to hold several competitions during the season, which will provide much encouragement for good play ami will also tend to keep up the enthusiasm of members. A good suggestion would be. to endeavour to get someone to put out and take in the nets each playing day. A small remuneration would' probably be necessary in order to get this very useful service performed. The advantages would be that (a) the nets would be properly arranged; (b) one person doing the regularly would after a time know the respective nets for each court, thus avert damage thereto; (c) the nets would probably last two or three seasons longer, and thus reduce the expense incurred by renewing some nets perhaps each year. In many other' ways this would also be an advantage.