All across Aotearoa New Zealand are public and private tennis courts. The hardest part is not finding a tennis court but choosing where to go. There is a range of criteria you should think about before signing up with the first one you find.
Tennis clubs offer trials at a reduced fee or even free. They want you to come on in during club days and see it in action. It is a good idea to take advantage of these offers as you can see if the atmosphere is right for you, inspect the quality of the courts, ask questions about their coaching options, and even check out if parking is going to be an issue.
There is no set way of running a club so everyone does it slightly differently. This extends out to coaches as well. There is a variety of options as some clubs follow the Tennis New Zealand programme, others run coaching sessions with volunteers, and some even have their own high-performance academies.
Many clubs have chosen to be a part of the Tennis New Zealand Hot Shots programme. It is a national programme to introduce tennis to children across the country. The focus is to make the game more accessible by using smaller courts, softer balls and shorter rackets. The sessions are designed to improve their tactical and technical skills in a manner that is fun and social.
Playing Wheelchair Tennis in New Zealand
Wheelchair Tennis was first played in 1979 at Hagley Park in Christchurch but the first New Zealand Open wasn’t held until January 1990. Since then the sport has been steadily growing. Unfortunately, this guide has been unable to find clubs that explicitly offer wheelchair tennis but it definitely doesn’t mean it does not exist.
In Auckland, the Parafed community offers development and training for those interested in the sport. Christchurch is the base of Wheelchair New Zealand and they often hold training sessions there. As for Regional and National events, there is the Perry Point Series.
These tournaments are played as singles or doubles. In the 2021/2022 season, the tournaments were held in Christchurch, Auckland and Hamilton. For more information get in contact with Tennis New Zealand.
Auckland has a lot of tennis clubs | Unsplash - Sulthan Auliya
Where to Play Tennis in Auckland
Auckland has the largest concentration of tennis clubs in New Zealand by far. When it comes to choosing a club, the travel distance is important to consider. While you may find a club with cheaper fees, is it really a good idea if you have a long commute to get there?
Setting yourself up for success is about removing as many barriers as you can so the decision to get out and play is easy. While there is a lot of choice for those living in Auckland, the congestion during peak hours is another thing to take into consideration when choosing the right club for you.
With a strong history of the sport in the region, there are many well-developed clubs. Once you have factored in proximity, the next thing is to look at are values. There is a strong mix of competitive and community-focused clubs and many clubs that have successfully combined the two.
There is a strong focus across the majority of clubs on developing the junior section. Within the junior section, there is the option to play socially or competitively. It all depends on whether you and your child feel ready for competitive tennis. Our guide on Auckland has compiled a list of clubs from across the different wards.
Where to Play Tennis in Christchurch
As the weather starts to get a bit warmer it is a good time to start looking at different ways to stay active. As kids, we have plenty of opportunities to meet new people thanks to school and sports. While meeting people through school may now only occur if you have young kids yourself, there is still sports.
Tennis is a great sport to play as an adult as at its most basic form it only requires one other person. There is less chance of panicking because you need to find three replacements at the last moment otherwise you can’t play. When you join a club, you also join a tennis community. You get to meet and interact with new people who all share a common point, you all want to play tennis!
Clubs make sure that members are given plenty of opportunities to interact with each other and of course play. If you are looking for a tennis club in Christchurch our guide looks at a range of clubs based in the Central city, inner suburbs and outer suburbs.
Where to Play Tennis in Manukau City
While technically a part of the Auckland region, Manukau City is in itself a big place so they get their own guide. There are a variety of clubs spread out across Manukau City but there is a higher concentration of them in the Eastern part.
This may mean that some people may have to commute to their nearest club. Another option is to choose a club that is close to your workplace or your children's school. Many clubs in the area offer after-school and holiday programmes. One club even offers a holiday programme for free.
There is a big push to get more children into tennis across all clubs so if there is an issue of costs, many clubs will work with you to find a way to help you and your kids get on the tennis court. Our Manukau City guide highlights some of the clubs across the region you can access as well as provides information on the courts, programmes they offer, and their goals as a club.
Where to Play Tennis in Wellington
While wind is not an ideal playing condition, it is not always windy in Wellington. So get your racket and ball out and take to the courts. Clubs across Wellington have been upgrading their playing spaces to make sure you get to practice on quality surfaces. There are a lot of teams across the city for senior players, with the Wellington Tennis Club alone having 20. For those looking to get back into the sport, there are a variety of teams at different playing levels.
Across the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Central suburbs clubs openly welcome new players. Many clubs offer more than just tennis facilities. Depending on the facilities and location of the club, the membership fee can differ by quite a bit. So have a look through our Wellington guide to see if there is a club that interests you.
Where to Play Tennis in Hamilton
Strangely Hamilton has the least number of tennis clubs of the cities we have looked at but at the same time has one of the largest facilities! Sometimes less is more as the clubs here offer great facilities and a strong tennis community. With a community and family-friendly focus, the clubs in Hamilton offer highly qualified coaches for you and your children. Some clubs have partnered up with Tennis providers and some clubs have their own coaches.
When choosing a club, go over the membership details carefully as some offer rolling memberships and some don’t. There are also differences within the memberships themselves. For example, a Midweek membership can only be played during the week however, some clubs let you come as many times as you want while other clubs require you to choose a certain day of the week. For more information check out our Hamilton guide.
Where to Play Tennis in Tauranga
The Bay of Plenty has a look going for it, especially in Tauranga. There is a real sense of community spirit between clubs as they are happy to share their grounds with other Western Bay of Plenty tennis club members during club days and competitions. The main focus of this guide is on Tauranga and Mount Maunganui.
With the harbour bridge connecting these two areas easily, there are quite a few options for tennis players to choose from. There are also tennis clubs in Katikati, Te Puke and the wider region. With a great climate most of the year, playing tennis here during the winter does not require a hardy attitude. All clubs have varying numbers of courts with floodlights. These help the tennis courts stay open for longer. So what are you waiting for? Check out our Tauranga guide on some of the clubs today.
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