Tennis Talk
By Marty Funcell
The Villages is fortunate to have 6 championship tennis courts and wonderful viewing stands. Each year the Villages Tennis Club Board elects a Tennis Court Manager to oversee keeping the courts in the best shape possible. Since 2023, Marty Funcell has been the Court Manager.
Court Manager:
The Court Manager’s role is to monitor the physical conditions of the courts, viewing stands, tennis shack and storage units, and recommends upgrades to the Club Board and coordinates maintenance and upgrades with the Villages Golf and Country Club.
Court Projects:
One of the major projects this year was to seal the cracks on Courts #1 through #4. Village Maintenance used internal resources to complete this task which they estimated saved thousands of dollars. Although both blue and green crack sealant was applied, the color mismatches the original paint resulting in spider patterns. There is a plan underway to touch up the cracks with matching paint to improve the court appearance.
Court Enhancements:
- Large digital clock for easier viewing will be installed later this summer.
- Tennis shed proposed improvements for easier tennis ball machine access is pending review by the Villages’ Board.
- New BBQ was purchased for our various club and USTA events.
- 911 signs for the courts with a proper address for medical emergencies are still pending.
Recent Upgrades:
- New clocks were purchased for Court #1 and also for the Viewing Stands.
- Clock repaired on Court #6.
- Umbrella repairs were done by Jayme Dickson and Helen Varenkamp in order to delay purchasing new ones. Thank you, Jayme & Helen!
- Water leakage issues adjacent to Court #6 created water puddles have been resolved.
Ball Machine:
The Villages Tennis Club is fortunate to have a Tennis Ball Machine that Tennis Club members Tim Keys and Gil Ong volunteer to oversee the maintenance, training and managing the plethora of used tennis balls. Used balls are first repurposed for the ball machine, some balls are collected and donated to Silver Creek High School and the unplayable ones are simply trashed. Thank you, Tim & Gil!
Next Tennis Club Event:
- Come enjoy our beautiful tennis courts at the Men’s and Women Doubles Tournament on September 7 and 8. Mark your calendars!