I have some very exciting news to share with you.  We are about to start an improvement project for the club that you are going to love.

First the backstory.  Mike Posternak was a beloved member of the club, who tragically passed away in 2023.  Early last year, we received notice from his estate that he had left the club a significant gift.  We did not want the funds to just disappear into the club coffers, so we spent much of last season discussing with family and friends of Mike’s what would be the best way to put his generosity to work. 

First we developed a set of key principles:

• Mike was very practical, so focus on functional improvements

• Nothing should be ostentatious.  Maintain the rustic charm of the club.

• There should be no “shrine” to Mike.  Any memorial should be very understated

• Incorporate a tree, as Mike loved to sit out on his back deck, enjoying looking out at his fruit trees

It was deemed not practical/affordable to bring either electricity or plumbing to the club, so this eliminated all sorts of investment options: lights, bathrooms, etc.

At the end of last season, we made our first investment.  We installed a battery operated automatic watering system.  This is already improving the courts beyond expectations.  Yes, it has taken some time to get the water timings dialed in, but the system allows Mark to spend his time rolling the courts, rather than watering them.  All of this extra rolling has the courts playing exceptionally well, especially considering all of the rain we have had.  The value of the system will be even more evident when we get into the hot, dry season, when we will water during the day, so that those who play in the evening are no longer dealing with baked, dusty courts.

Over the next couple of weeks we will start our second project.  This one will add beauty as well as functionality. 

• Parking lot – Regrade the parking lot to eliminate puddles and lay down new gravel

• Seating area – Create a well-defined, expanded seating area.  Install two shade sails (google it if you don’t know what they are): one to cover the seating area, and the other to cover the “grandstand.”

• Landscaping – Replace the weeds that run along the front fence with a bed of large-ish rhododendrons.  Lay down a wood chip walkway to the seating area, lined with smaller rhododendrons.

• Memorial tree – Place a flowering tree at the entrance of the walkway.

This project will take a few weeks to complete.  The first step will be to remove the large ash tree that overhangs Court 1.  We anticipate that we will not need to close the club at any time, although we will sometimes need to shut down Courts 1 and 2.  While the work is being done, you will need to park away from the fence and in areas not needed by the crew.  Obviously, on the day when they are re-doing the parking lot, you will need to park further away.  I will try to give a heads-up on Teamreach and on the Members Only page of the website as to what you can expect, but please  respect any requests made by the crew. 

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. 

Member-Guest Tournament

The tournament is scheduled for June 21.  Registration is now open.  Please register on Yourcourts (click the “Sign Up” button on the event).  When you register, please put your guest’s name and the division you want to play in (A or B) in the “Optional Comment” box.

Staying off of the IR list.

John Kokot has shared an excellent article on avoiding tennis injuries.  Basically, it tells you all of the things that you should be doing but probably aren’t.  As if you don’t get enough of that already.  Here is a link to the article.