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Edith Hopper Park, Ladies Mile, Manly

Talking Tennis – Spring 2021 Edition

New Tennis Year fast approaches.

The clearest signal yet that the new tennis year is upon us, comes via the arrival in our ‘in boxes’ of the invite to represent the club by competing in an Inter-club Team.

Last season we had over 80 senior club members, and 45 juniors taking part in Inter-club – an impressive number. Let’s see if we can better that number this time around. Senior interclub players have until Sunday 8th August to register.

Feedback on topics raised at AGM

A few topics to report back on now that the new club committee has met for the first time post AGM.

Tennis Ball Availability –

Club Captain Craig has written separately to members. Fresh tubes of balls will be made available each Sunday at Senior Social tennis sessions. Along with the return of balls used following the resumption of inter-club matches, we will learn if this formula improves matters.

Wheelchair Access to clubhouse –

We do need to address this issue going forward.
Whilst we have no costs budgeted this coming year for any works to take place, we can spend the time drawing up plans to explore what might be possible.

Club Membership Fees –

Fees for the coming year have been finalised after the committee reviewed our charges compared to other tennis clubs under the Tennis Northern umbrella.

Changes to fee rates are as follows:

Seniors to $315 p.a.
Midweek to $150 p.a
Juniors to $200
Family discount – increased to 20% for families of 4 or more.

These fees will apply when renewal invoices are sent out in August. We are confident they remain competitive with other clubs in the region.

Desire for 2 x extra courts –

The club is re-invigorating its effort to try and gain the support of the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board to extend the footprint of the land we lease from Auckland Council.

I will be putting that request to a Community Forum meeting of the Local Board in early August. The detail of our case will form a display on our club notice board – take a look.

A word of caution – our efforts to achieve this is now in its twelfth year! We can but try!

Love Tennis – Sunday 19 September

A date for your diaries. This is a key recruitment event for the club and we want to enlist the involvement of many club members to help the day go with a swing. This year it is a one day event rather than two – so a less onerous time commitment for all involved.

If you can help – please sign up on the noticeboard in the clubhouse.

Although the recruitment drive on the day is for all age groups, experience has shown that it is Junior sign ups we tend to capture.

Speaking of Juniors

The experiment last season of Junior Inter-club matches being staged at Manly Seniors courts on a Saturday morning proved popular with players and watching parents. We are talking with Manly Seniors to see if that arrangement can be repeated.

And speaking of Seniors

We have now formally received our renewal of Bar Licence. It has been quite a process for our Bar Manager, Simon Crampton, as we set about increasing the bar hours. The hours available to us encompass Monday to Friday – 12 Midday to 11.30pm, and Saturday and Sunday – 10am to 11.30pm. Taken together, that should prevent any future rigmarole and cost of applying for any special licences, and mean when we host inter-club matches on whatever evening we can open the bar.

Co-inciding with this news, Simon is launching the addition of ‘House Wine sold by the Glass’. So for $6, you can enjoy a 160ml measure of Bygone Era Shiraz or Cape Campbell Chardonnay served in new glasses with the appropriate measure markings.

Of course, full bottles, both small and large, are still available to purchase.


Phew!

So, a lot going on as we prepare for the new season.

If you have been one of those club members hibernating during the winter, watching sport on TV ( Wimbledon, Euro2020, and now the Olympics), then Spring and the call of the great outdoors cannot come soon enough.

Time then to dust yourselves down and hit a few balls.

See you on court soon.

Alf Sayer
Club President