I took up tennis at 58 because my knees had retired me from running. The Monday course was six weeks of people being very patient, and I now have a Sunday game that I plan the rest of the week around.
Members
What members say.
Six members, including one who has a fair complaint about winter evenings. We print no scores and we chase nobody for a comment.
Six of them.
My daughter started on the red balls at five and now drags me out of bed on Saturdays. The coaches know every child's name and no one has ever tried to sell us anything.
Clay in Cardiff sounded like a gimmick. Then I played on it. Sliding into a forehand at my age is unwise, and I recommend it.
Lovely club, but the booking grid fills up too fast on winter evenings because only the four lit courts are any use after work. I have given up on Tuesdays until March.
I moved here knowing no one and went along on a Sunday with a racket from the 1990s. Someone found me a partner and a better racket, and someone else found me a plumber.
We hire a court on Friday evenings and it is the cheapest good night out we have. Text the code, turn on the lights with a token, hit balls for an hour, go to the pub.
Comments sent to the secretary and printed with permission. On this demonstration site they are fictional.
About that complaint
Sian is right about winter evenings.
In November the lights come on at about four. That leaves four lit courts for everyone who works until five, and on league evenings three of those are taken. We cannot light courts 1 and 2 without planning permission, and the neighbours have views. What we have done is hold court 6 back from the league and from club night, and let members book it only seven days ahead in winter, so that it does not vanish on day one.
It helps, but it does not fix it. Grid watchers will tell you the best hour in winter is 9pm.
Come and hit a ball before you pay for anything.
A free guest session on any Sunday morning or Wednesday club night. Borrow a racket from the pavilion, meet whoever is on the next court, and decide over a cup of tea.