Letter to the Editor Sparks Tennis Revival in Santa Rosa Three Years Later

Three years after a letter to the editor from a concerned citizen appeared in the Press Democrat admonishing the city of Santa Rosa for allowing the local tennis facilities in Garvin Park to decay, the Santa Rosa Tennis Club (SRTC) will unveil the newly resurfaced tennis courts at a Ribbon Cutting Celebration and Tennis Festival on Sept. 20.

The 2011 letter, authored by Bob Dreyer, in part stated “… not only is the city poorly served by creating a run-down eyesore adjacent to the revenue-generating Bennett Valley Golf Course, allowing the courts to decay and then restoring them will be more costly than maintaining them now.”

Santa Rosa resident Wayne Seden, an active tennis advocate in Santa Rosa, responded to the letter. “I, too, am disappointed with the condition of these courts,” he wrote. “What is needed in southeast Santa Rosa is a similarly dedicated group of tennis players who are committed to work as a group with the city and the USTA to raise the money needed to refurbish our courts.”

He ended his letter by volunteering to be point person for tennis enthusiasts who wanted to get involved.

“The courts were so bad, we were seeing people drift away from the sport and stop using the community facilities,” Wayne said.

This was too big a task for Wayne to take on alone, so in 2012 he reinstituted the Santa Rosa Tennis Club, originally founded in 1909, which quickly went from a one-person operation to one that now has five active board members and 80 in its membership.

Thanks in part to a $12,000 resurfacing grant from the United States Tennis Association, as well as $134,000 from Santa Rosa’s Rec and Parks department, and funds raised by members of the SRTC totaling $9,000, the courts are now completed and seeing a revival in tennis activity in Santa Rosa for all residents.

The local Home Depot also stepped up to paint the community buildings surrounding the courts and provided a significant discount so SRTC could put trash cans and benches on the courts.

“Now that the courts have been repaired, we are seeing people young and old, beginners and experts playing tennis in a new beautiful facility that the people of Santa Rosa can be proud of,” he said.

The public is invited to the official celebration of the new facilities on Sept. 20 which will include:

· An adult singles round robin tennis tournament - 9:00 a.m.

· Ribbon cutting with the mayor of Santa Rosa, USTA representatives and members of the SRTC - 12:00 p.m.

· USTA Free Kids’ Play Day with prizes, snacks and loaner equipment - 1:00 p.m.

More information about the resurfaced courts and event as well as links to register to play in the adult round robin tournament or participate in the free kids play day, can be found at www.santarosatennisclub.org/events.html.