It’s Time for “Timelessness”

Having just finished reading a great article by Russell Versaci on the newest trends in home architecture, I asked myself the question – Why isn’t tennis court construction more trendy?

In the article entitled, “Fashion Reset”, Mr. Versaci talks about how the recession has forced a “reset” of sorts in home design and construction, and how there is a growing trend to build more traditional, more authentic type homes.

I would call it a return to “timelessness.”

In the world today, there are very few timeless places. The grand Cathedrals of Europe are timeless, The Great Wall of China is timeless, the classic shingle style homes of Nantucket are timeless, the Magic Kingdom at Disney World is timeless…

…and in our business, the manicured lawns at tennis clubs like Merion and Longwood Cricket are timeless, the “dirt” courts at camp houses in Maine and Vermont are timeless, Cambier Park in Naples, and the oak sheltered courts at Amelia Island Plantation are timeless.

I can only hope this reset in design will find its way into tennis construction. Close your eyes and think about a time where construction wasn’t all about the fastest, the least expensive and the easiest. Courts were built by hand with skilled and apprenticed craftspeople who put their own identity on every job. Courts had subtle nuances that were created to “fit the site” or blend into the surrounding grounds. Local materials were used for fencing and curbing and design elements were chosen to compliment the site and the landscape around the court. A builders brand was forged on quality of construction and not on quantity or on efficiency.

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for saving time and lowering cost whenever possible, and I wonder how, and if, we can strike a balance between taking the time to care for every small detail and yet still live in the iPhone society we find ourselves in today.

Later in that same article, Versaci writes “I’m encouraged by America’s younger generation who seem hell-bent on seeking cultural, context, and vivid social interaction in the places the choose to live…the essence of traditional architecture is to provide meaningful places for social interaction, and the power of this notion is not lost on the young.” Let’s hope it’s not lost on our designers and builders as well.

It’s a tough challenge I know, but I truly hope that the builders and designers of tomorrow’s tennis facilities will look back and embrace design elements that have stood the test of time…and create facilities that are truly timeless.

Randy Futty
General Manager
Lee Tennis Court Products