The club normally has in the region of 45 members and on a typical club night there might be around
15 to 25 members who come along to play. There a roughly equal numbers of men and women and doubles tennis
is the usual order of the day. Occassionally some players opt for singles, expecially if numbers are awkward.
The usual arrangement is to play just one set and then the players mix-in to form new pairings and
matches. This is all arranged informally so there is scope to even up players abilities giving good tennis. Unfortunately
it is not really possible for people to play all evening with their friends since this rather spoils the
club ethos.
The surface is grass which is superbly manicured and presented. On a sunny summer's day it is un-surpassed
as a playing surface, it feels like the natural home of the game and makes for a great experience.
On the days when the grass is less than perfect the club has access to 3 Astroturf courts. Astroturf is
a carpet of plastic tufts similar to grass but with a very reproducible bounce. This means there is always tennis available
unless it is actually pouring with rain at playing time. Even on wet days the Astroturf drains very quickly. If
the rain stops the courts become playable almost immediately.
In general play is continuous and it is rare to have to "sit out" between sets. In mid-summer, if the
weather is good, a lot of people may come along. This may mean a short wait between games but the rest if often welcome on
a hot day. There may also occassionally be a wait between sets if we are down to 3 courts because of rain.
The season at Phennards starts on Astroturf at the beginning of April. At the start on May we move onto
grass for the summer months. Then in September we move back onto Astroturf for the Autumn. The season ends at the end of September.
During the season the club meets on Tuesday and Friday evenings with play beginning
at around 6-00pm and continuing into the twilight for the "night owls" amongst us. There is no need to arrive for the start
of play and people generally drop in (and out) at any time during the evening.
Outside the times of the organised club sessions the courts are not available since they are reserved
for college use.
