Some of the fence posts have been corroded so badly they’re now purely serving an aesthetic purpose: rustic chic.

“It’s gotten to the stage where it’s actually dangerous,” club president Tom Rice said.

The Council has come in on multiple occasions to do ‘bush mechanic’ patch-up jobs, using cable ties to attach the floating fences to the light posts.

And with OH&S red tape mandating a cherry picker be hired every time a blown bulb needs replacing, the hard-up tennis club committee has often had to weigh up the cost-benefit ratio of even hiring the courts out at night.

Currently there’s an archaic system in place whereby anyone wanting to turn the lights on at night must blindly reach through a hole in the wall to insert their three dollars into an automated machine which switches the lights on for an hour.

The synthetic grass court has just about reached the end of its tether, and after the caravan park next door reclaimed some of the Scotts Head oval and built up the drainage area for stormwater runoff, the courts now get comprehensively flooded with sediment every time it rains.

The little boy’s room has been going through an involuntary de-tiling process.

And if you’re thinking a nice cuppa after a few sets sounds like a plan – don’t. Because there’s no hot water system in the clubhouse.

It sounds like doom and gloom, and, truth be told, the club’s drive for new blood has been on struggle street – although not for lack of passion or trying.

But, after consecutive incarnations of the club’s committee spent several years fundraising and lobbying for funding, it seems the ball’s finally in their court.

With the help of Council’s grants officer Teresa Boorer, the little club is now the beneficiary of two separate sums of State Government funding. 

And with Council resolving to chip into the renovation pool, Scotts Head Tennis Club can now rebuild itself anew.

This week brand new fences are to be installed at the club.

Council’s assets officer James O’Hara is currently receiving quotes to replace the lights and their coin-operated system with brand new longer-life and energy efficient LEDs and a remote smart-phone application, meaning the lights will be able to be switched on and off from anywhere with the stroke of a touchscreen.

They’ve just had the guttering fixed.

And before the year is out, the clubhouse will get a new lick of paint, the amenities block will be resurfaced with an epoxy floor, and the council will hopefully find a better option than the incompetent drainage sump.

“I think it’s just fabulous,” club secretary Jill Goddard said.

The committee has also been itemising a wishlist which Council is considering: an up-to-code disability access ramp to the clubhouse, a hot water system, and a rejuvenation of the 15-year-old synthetic grass court.

“We’ve been trying to promote tennis with the juniors out here – we’ve recently put on a few introductory lessons.

“And if we can get 6-10 kids, we know we’ll be able to secure a tennis coach.”

And once the new lights are installed in a couple of months, he believes they’ll be able to start up a social tennis night on Fridays, which he said the community has already expressed interest in.

“We already get people coming in from Macksville and Grassy Head for our social events,” vice president Roger Goddard said.

“And the courts are a prime resource for the caravan park. If the lights work properly, it’ll be a godsend, because they can use them at night in summer, when it’s not so hot.

“In lobbying for the improvements, we are ensuring the tennis courts are a valuable asset for future generations.”

Game. Set. Match.

New GP and medical centre for Scotts Head

Infrastructure grants up for grabs