Grass Court Tennis Exhibition

Description

When Waverley's present clubhouse was constructed in 1913, the plans included several tennis courts next to the Willamette River. Shortly thereafter, tennis became more than a minor auxiliary at the Club and the members hosted the Oregon State Tennis Tournament. Today, the Club has only one remaining tennis court but there continues to be a strong core of devoted and accomplished players. A few years ago a newly formed Tennis Committee proposed grooming a grass tennis court on the Driving Range to host an exhibition match with known local tennis players and past touring professionals; the event came to fruition in 2019. The matches attracted an impressive number of spectators that enjoyed Wimbledon style food and libation.

Implementation

In 2017 there was a push to convert the one tennis court to be used for pickleball. Many of the devoted tennis playing members were opposed to adding additional lines to the court and competing for court time with pickleball. With that, a Tennis Committee was formed to promote tennis usage and events. The Committee Chair had fond memories of playing professional tennis on grass courts and after several discussions with management we came up with the idea of a grooming a grass court for an exhibition match. The golf course superintendent and his team researched grass tennis courts and groomed it to near regulation size. There was even a referee perched high on an observation chair. Members were also allowed to play on the grass tennis court prior to the matches. Today, tennis at the Club is becoming more active and the Committee continues to look for opportunities to grow the game.