Tennis club appeals for new members after getting £55,000 court upgrade

Alsager Tennis Club is appealing for new members to come and try out its brand new all weather courts.

Just four days after the UK entered lockdown due to coronavirus, work was completed on the new £55,000 upgrade at the club.

The club, off Sandbach Road North, has replaced the four old tarmac courts with TigerTurf Advantage Pro – an artificial grass surface which can be used all year round.

Unfortunately the courts were closed for more than a month until the lockdown restrictions were lifted and playing tennis was once again allowed.

Now the club, which continues to go from strength to strength having held a successful open day in 2019, is hoping to attract more new members.

Club Chairman Dave Parkinson said: "The new courts are a fantastic improvement on our old tarmac courts, particularly for our older members who will find the strain of their joints is greatly reduced.

"So far the feedback has been fantastic from our current members who are taking advantage of the easing of lockdown to start playing again.

"The new courts will be a great benefit to the club, in particular it will give us a great advantage in attracting new members as we now have some of the best facilities in South Cheshire and North Staffordshire.

"The new surface is TigerTurf Advantage Pro, which recovers and is playable much quicker after rain and, unlike all old courts, is not slippery when wet."

Alsager Tennis Club also boasts a purpose-built clubhouse, opened in 2014, for members to make use of.

And, to help stay within government guidelines, the club has implemented a new booking system to ensure a minimal number of players are at the courts at any one time.

Hand sanitiser has also been provided for each court.

Jason Lockett, of Alsager, who has been a member at the club for three years, was delighted with the new surface.

He said: "The new courts look and play fantastic. They feel much safer and playing on them, you feel more sure-footed and experience much less stress on the joints.

"There is a friendly environment at Alsager and the club is open to all standards and levels. Everyone just wants to enjoy tennis, as well as the social, health and mental health benefits."

Clive Young, from Alsager, who has been a member of the club since 2016, said: "The new TigerTurf surface is less punishing on the limbs of young and old and allows me virtually all year round tennis.

"We're a small, friendly, community-based club with tennis on offer for all ages and abilities, now with the latest technology in court surface for the game to be enjoyed at any level." 

Head coach at the club Chris Hancock, who is LTA qualified, said tennis was a great sport to play during lockdown where social distancing can be maintained.

He added: "The benefits tennis has over other sports is that we can still abide by social distancing rules and still play. It's also a great sport for the whole family to play.

"The key thing is it allows us to get out and exercise during the current climate we find ourselves in.

"Plus the new surface we've recently had laid is great as it increases the amount of time we can play on them when the weather isn't great."

Chris is also offering coaching at the club and is offering a discount for key workers and their households.

For more information about membership at the club, contact Dave on 07765 476 969 or email him at daveparkinson@live.com.

For more information about tennis coaching, contact Chris on 07817 240 953 or email cjhancock@live.co.uk.
 

Credits to Malcolm Hart photography - Facebook