The Bunbury Tennis Club has mown the grass, set up the nets and marked the courts ahead of its 2017/18 competition and social calendar.
The club, located at Hay Park, has devised a new way to raise the numbers by offering half price single and family memberships for new players.
The club has spent $20,000 on kitchen upgrades and $8000 for a new mower ahead of the new season.
This season’s fixtures have included social tennis on Wednesday mornings, ladies pennants on Thursday mornings, ladies’ competition tennis on Thursday evenings, men’s competition tennis on Friday nights, Junior tennis on Friday nights and social play on Saturday afternoons.
Bunbury Tennis Club president Jeff Glossop was excited to see new and existing members playing this season.
“We just try to encourage a lot of average people to come down, they don’t have to be a starry player to come down and learn how to play tennis,” he said.
“We have huge encouragement for juniors and seniors/people of all ages and it’s the health aspects of getting kids away from computers, families can come down and enjoy that time together.”
We just try to encourage a lot of average people to come down, they don’t have to be a starry player to come down and learn how to play tennis.
- Jeff Glossop
Mr Glossop also nominated grounds director Kevin Dingle for the Good Sports Program, run by the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, for his efforts in restoring the courts and facilities.
Mr Dingle’s achievements included painting the clubhouse and workshed, re-sanding and painting net posts, improving the grass courts impacted by fungus, cleaning around the grounds and assisting the new kitchen facilities’ installation.
The awards recognised volunteers who’d set an example and went ‘above and beyond’ to assist their organisations.
The club president acknowledged Mr Dingle’s determination over the past six months in the role.
“It’s meant hundreds of hours of his time and he doesn’t ask for any repayment or anything else like that for anything, he’s kindly donated all of that back to the club as well,” he said.
Mr Dingle was a member for 18 years before becoming grounds director.
“When they didn’t have anyone else, and I could see the courts going downhill, I thought ‘Well, someone should do something here’, so that’s why I stepped in,” he said.
Mr Dingle said he was surprised and grateful to receive the nomination.
Bunbury Tennis Club has reserved its seniors open day for Friday, October 7 and juniors open day for October 13.
Contact the club on 9795 8685 for more information on the new season.