Cambridge Racquets Club has so much to celebrate, members decided to make an afternoon out of it.
Architect Antanas Procuta’s plans for Cambridge Racquets Club.
The club recently won club of the year in two sports – tennis and squash.
Plus, club manager Suzie Halliday – who joined two years ago after nine years at Waipā District Council – picked up the Waikato Tennis administrator of the year award, Mike Causer won best volunteer and Annabel Chapman player of the year.
It was quite a haul, said Halliday, and a testament to the club’s hard working committee and members’ support.
So why not celebrate? And on Sunday, they will where invitees can play tennis, squash or the brash newcomer, pickleball.
That club commitment is about to be put to the test as it embarks on a $2 million fundraising drive to upgrade its Thornton Rd clubrooms.
Cambridge architect and near neighbour Antanas Procuta has created concepts which makes use of one of its biggest assets – a deck offering a panoramic view of the tennis courts.
The plans also provide for new sports and activity lounges, plus tiered pavilion seating.
Cambridge Racquets Club honours board
The site has been home to tennis since 1888 and in 1963 added squash to the mix. The club has 500 members and there are eight tennis courts – four astro turf and three plexipave with another available to the public – and four squash courts.
The club honours boards and photos are a who’s who of Cambridge society and will somehow be retained, said Halliday who when not administering the club is a pretty handy B grade squash player.
Most nights there is something happening on the floodlit tennis courts – men’s on a Tuesday, women’s or mixed on a Wednesday and women’s on Thursday.
The men’s league is one of the most competitive leagues in the Waikato, said Halliday.
And in recent months a newly formed facilities committee has been politically active making a submission to Waipā District Council’s spatial plan Ahu Ake. The club leases the land from the council and says the council could help further by providing safer access, more parking, better connections between it and the other clubs on the Te Koo Utu reserve and more commercial flexibility.
Cambridge Racquets Club manager Suzie Halliday on the deck which have been kept on new plans for the club house. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
