Courts to get boost with better lines, nets
Southern tennis courts will be looking plush after receiving an upgrade to its lines and nets.
Tennis Southland will receive $75,000 a year from the ILT Foundation and the Invercargill Licensing Trust to maintain 21 courts in the Invercargill area.
The line and nets will be upgraded on six courts at Southland Boys’ High School and six courts at Surrey Park. The line will be upgraded at Southland Girls’ High School and the junior and senior James Hargest schools.
Tennis Southland operations manager Jo Grimwood said: ‘‘We were looking around Invercargill for what would be a motivator to encourage people to play tennis competitively and socially.
‘‘There were courts at the schools but they were often deteriorating so with the help of ILT we were able to fix the lines and nets and offer people a place to play.’’
On top of the 21 courts, four courts were upgraded at Verdon College last year, with a multi-sport surface and mobile netting system.
Tennis Southland also plans to use Surrey Park to encourage lower-decile areas to come down and play tennis on Saturdays.
‘‘It was part of Tennis Southland’s vision to provide facilities by providing the courts that allow access to people and are able to create more opportunities for events,’’ Grimwood said.
She hoped to organise events at the start of next summer. ‘‘Providing people with equal opportunities is big for me because I come from a background in public health.
‘‘I’ve come back into tennis and I’m told that tennis is such an elitist sport but, well, I actually think it’s only the perception.’’
Invercargill Licensing Trust chair Alan Dennis said: ‘‘I think this is the most positive thing I’ve heard for tennis down here in a very long time.’’