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Sun City West advisors push to refurbish aging platform tennis courts; $305,000 budget placeholder set
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Summary
Tennis club leaders told the Charter Clubs Committee Feb. 3 the four platform tennis courts are unsafe and undercounted in usage data, urging full platform refurbishment to support platform play and the growing Red Ball program; staff placed $305,000 in the budget as a placeholder while costs are finalized.
The Charter Clubs Committee on Feb. 3 heard a push from tennis club leaders to refurbish four aging platform tennis courts that club advocates say are in a “poor state of repair.” Larry Praster, past president of the Tennis Club, told the committee the courts’ surface has developed cracks and “dead spots” that make play unpredictable and have driven away experienced players.
“We believe we can bring those all back once we refurbish the courts,” Praster said, adding that historical membership and informal play suggest participation is substantially higher than registration-sheet counts indicate. Praster warned the point-of-service data only captures a fraction of users because many members check in through ClubTrack, which does not distinguish platform tennis from general tennis play.
The committee’s staff placed $305,000 in the budget as a placeholder for the refurbishment. “So currently, we have put 305,000 down as a budget number,” Herschel said, noting that earlier estimates excluded fencing replacement and LED lighting and that final costs may end up slightly under or over $300,000.
Cliff Swan, the association’s chief financial officer, said the platform courts have long been part of the repair-and-replacement budget but that recent years layered the project into master planning and usage studies. “It’s actually we gotta pour post tension concrete there and bring it up to level with everything else,” Swan said, stressing the work is sizeable and requires board approval for final allocation.
Tennis advocates argued refurbishing to platform-court standards would preserve the facility’s heritage and allow multiuse play — including Red Ball tennis, a growing program supported by the U.S. Tennis Association that organizers say can serve younger or lower-mobility players. Praster said refurbishing the courts for platform play would also allow Red Ball to grow on those courts without losing the option for traditional platform tournaments.
Committee members asked about alternatives, including converting courts for Red Ball only or for mixed uses such as pickleball; Praster and others said altering the courts for Red Ball-only play would limit future platform play and provide fewer competitive options. Committee discussion emphasized balancing multifunctional use against preserving platform functionality.
Next steps: staff will firm up cost estimates and present refined numbers to the committee and governing board during the coming budget process; no formal vote was recorded at the Feb. 3 meeting.
