The courts will enable club members to play unimpeded by the winter months — which renders traditional grass courts unusable — and in the evenings.
‘‘The synthetic turf provides dryer conditions for night play under artificial lighting,’’ said clubman Harley Moore, who lobbied for the upgrades.
‘‘We’re still keen to preserve our lawn courts, as it’s easier on older bones and provides a different — faster — style of play.’’
The project was supported by Edward River Council, who applied for state funding on behalf of the club.
Mr Moore said efforts to refit six of the 13 available courts began after club members noticed increased demand for midweek evening play.
‘‘We noticed that there was a lot of demand for this kind of play, and Tennis New South Wales conducted their own thorough survey, which confirmed this was the most popular time to play,’’ Moore said.
According to Moore the courts currently host ‘‘a couple hundred’’ regular players, including children.
Complementing the new courts is new lighting, which was installed last year with separate funding.
DLTC president Clive Gow gave NSW Member for Murray Helen Dalton a private tour of the new courts last week, and said Friday’s official opening was ‘‘an acknowledgement and celebration of the work of previous committee members’’.
The official opening invited people to play and enjoy a barbecue.
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