New tennis courts to be completed for extra space
The Coastal Carolina University Department of Athletics is in the process of adding a new tennis complex located across U.S. 501 for both the men’s and women’s teams. The project began Feb. 28 of this year and is expected to be finished in October.
The new complex will be complete with 12 courts and a clubhouse equipped with lockers, coach offices, shower facilities and a lounge area. There will also be a press box, concessions, a public address system, bleachers, equipment storage, fencing and multiple conduits. Six of the courts will have overhead lights for nighttime playing, but all 12 of the courts will be wired so that lights can be added later. The six-acre complex will feature a runway down the center so that players can maneuver through the courts without disturbing other matches.
“The courts will sit at a 23-degree angle in relation to the sun,” says project manager Jerry Starling. “This accommodation ensures that the sun does not interfere with the players throughout the day. The softball fields nearby are tilted in a similar fashion for the same reason.”
After many layers of compacting soils, the courts’ asphalt layer will be placed. And then 28 days after that, a soft cushion layer will be set.
“There’s a preference for the courts to be blue, like the U.S. Open,” says Starling. “Over time, the colors will fade, and they will resemble a more teal tone.”
Women’s Head Tennis Coach Catherine Hewitt looks forward to the added space the new clubhouse and courts will provide. “We will be able to coordinate matches more easily with the new courts. The current facilities are too small, and students couldn’t do homework and rest as comfortably.”
Hewitt says this new addition will also bring in revenue. “We will be able to host more tournaments, which means more fans,” she says.
The final steps until the fall season involve completing the roof on the clubhouse and finishing its interior.
“It’s just going to be an all around nicer facility,” says Hewitt. “We are all looking forward to hitting those balls on the new courts.”
