The Geelong Lawn Tennis Club must modernise its facilities in the near future to stay relevant, report reveals

The Geelong Lawn Tennis Club may remove excess courts for a residential development as tensions simmer at an operational level, a new report reveals.

The Geelong Lawn Tennis Club could spend several million dollars on a significant upgrade which may incorporate residential housing.

The club, which was founded in 1882, must “modernise its facilities in the near future” in an effort to stay relevant amid dropping national participation rates, its annual report reveals.

New president Jason McGregor told this publication the club could spend several million dollars on the project, having recently signed a non-binding heads of agreement with local prominent property developers, James Morphy and Marcus Birrell.

“(We will) look at opportunities to upgrade our tennis facilities including potentially a residential development component,” McGregor said in a statement.

“We are currently consulting with members and stakeholders and plan to regularly communicate our progress to members.

“The decisions that we take are about securing the future of the tennis club and that tennis will always remain core but we have to realise that we have ageing facilities and an ageing membership profile and we need a facility that will be attractive to new members.”

Geelong Lawn Tennis Club celebrated its 140-year anniversary in late 2022. Picture: Mark Wilson.

McGregor said with 27 courts, the club probably didn’t need all of them to service its members.

While the club is in great shape financially – turning a net surplus of nearly $80,000 for the financial year to September – it is also keen to resolve tensions between the committee and management.

“It has been a challenging year due not only to the club’s limited financial resources but also the difficult relationship that has existed between the committee and the management of the club, a situation we are keen to remedy,” the report revealed.

McGregor hoped a new committee would help ease any existing frustrations, while looking to reinvigorate tennis pathways with more Melbourne pennant teams and potentially introducing paddle ball and pickleball.

In the report, the club’s secretary Paul Fowler said it must remain modern and relevant amid the region’s growing population and the “nationwide decline in tennis participation rates”.

“I hope and believe there is general agreement across the membership that the club must broaden its offering and modernise its facilities in the near future,” the report revealed.

“If tennis is to survive (let alone thrive) in the longer-term.”

Meanwhile, the club is hopeful recent LED lighting upgrades, which cost around $190,000, will increase night time participation and enhance the safety for night time players to “see the ball with greater clarity”.

Geelong player Jacqui McGrath. Picture: Mark Wilson

However, on another brighter note, the past year saw a record number of winter (22) and summer teams (24) – winning Tennis Geelong’s club of the year for the first time since 2013 along the way – with new junior benchmarks with 120 players across 20 winter teams.

Outgoing president Robert Spurling said the club was in “good shape financially”, with a significant increase in the value of its property which is 100 per cent owned by the club with no debts, the report revealed.

He thanked all volunteers and committee members for being “united and loyal” during the year which involved “very difficult circumstances” at various times.

Club manager John McConaghy said in the annual report the GLTC had “never been busier”.

“We are working hard to sustain the upward trajectory we have established. I believe we have a spectacular opportunity to elevate this club to a level never before seen,” McConaghy said.

Originally published as The Geelong Lawn Tennis Club must modernise its facilities in the near future to stay relevant, report reveals