Hammersmith Park Tennis Court Needs Resurfacing

Soggy tennis courts in Hammersmith Park

The tennis courts in Hammersmith Park are one of our best local amenities, at least when it hasn't rained for a while. The best thing about the courts is that you can't book them in advance - meaning that anyone can drop in at any time and play.  You might have to wait a few minutes, but spontaneity is rewarded for the patient.  

The downside is that the tarmac on the courts has bizarrely been designed to drain into the centre of the courts themselves (rather than drain towards the verges, as you might expect), turning the courts into a wet sludgy mess after every rainfall.  

Soggy Tennis

Since I play tennis at Hammersmith Park regularly with my children, I have on occasion brought along my own broom, sweeping the water and mud off the court as best I could.  But it does no good, the water and dirt all just drains back into the central lake, now with a big smear of mud over the whole court.  

Can the problem be fixed? Of course, by re-pouring the tarmac. The problem is that resurfacing a tennis court is not cheap, and our local council is (like most councils) very short of cash.  The good news is that it's only the middle court that is really bad - the courts on either side are pretty decent.  So, LBHF, please can we have a new surface for the middle tennis court in Hammersmith Park?

The Shepherd's Bush Blog offers a personal view on life in Shepherd's Bush. If you would like to contribute a story about our neighbourhood, email us at shepherdsbushblog(at)gmail.com.