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The removal of an old asbestos-riddled structure is set to be part of a greater upgrade to a Red Centre tennis club – which will see the courts resurfaced and new fences installed before one of the locality’s biggest tournaments.
Alice Springs Tennis Association President Joel Crawford said after three years of planning, contactors have finally been chosen to resurface the courts and install new fences at the Alice Springs Tennis Club.
He said pickleball lines will also be added to the courts, with the courts to additionally get two different kinds of surfaces.
“There shall be eight synthetic grass courts from courts one to eight; and two hard courts (for nine and 10) which shall also be marked out also for pickleball as well as tennis,” he said.
“We shall in fact for the first time since 2004 once again have two different surfaces.
“Over July and August is the two months it is expected to resurface the entire job of all 10 Tennis Courts.”
Mr Crawford said all works on the grounds will be completed by the end of August, just in time for the Master Games in October.
“This will be perfect also as Synthetic Grass is well known to be so much more kinder to those of us with bad knees and it is way cooler than hard courts at that time of year,” he said.
Also included in the works is demolition of the old tennis house – which has sat unused for years now.
Head coach and manager of the Alice Springs Tennis Centre Orin Harrison hoped to see another accommodation option replace the house once it was demolished.
“I’d like to see like a demountable or something that can be transported in,” he said.
“But the big thing is having an undercover camping area for travelling people to come … accommodation in Alice Springs is quite expensive.
“To have some accommodation on site where we are is going to be something to appetise more people to travel to Alice for tennis.”
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