A
Bit of Olivers' Red Clay Tennis History
by Steve Oliver
After
playing tennis for many years, starting in the early 1960's, my
father, Jim Oliver, decided to build two red clay tennis courts
of his own. He just happened to own a very level piece of land
that was adjacent to Route 6 - the main artery of Cape Cod
in Wellfleet
(the quiet end of the peninsula).
This
piece of land had been carved out of a small hillside and levelled-off
to serve as a clay and sand "pit" for the Highway Department.
I spent many hours with my siblings playing amongst the scrub
pine in the "Sand Pit". The Pit was where Courts 1 and
2 are today. Originally Court 2 was called Court 1, as it was
the first to be built. When Courts 3 and 4 were added two years
later in 1971, the numbers were switched on the first two courts
to lessen confusion.
As
the tennis boom of the seventies continued so did the expansion
of Olivers Tennis. In 1975, Courts 5 and 6 were added and finally
in 1977, Courts 7 and 8 completed the picture. Olivers' Tennis
consisted of 7 red clay tennis courts and 1 hard court. View
Court Images
Concerning
my father's creation of the tennis courts, there are three elements
which stand out the most. First, he wanted the courts to always
be in impeccable condition and well maintained. One of the main
ways he achieved this goal was by insisting the courts be swept
every time there was a change-over. We did this for 28 straight
years! That's a lot of sweeping - good thing I have a lot of siblings.
Second,
my father made a decision to stagger the starting times on the
courts. This was done primarily to allow us to sweep the courts
after each change-over. As it turns out, it is also an amazing
example of how effective Queue Theory can be, especially in regards
to handling customers and the parking lot.
Third,
is how my father set up the layout of the tennis courts. Courts
1 and 2 are side-by-side. On a lower level are Courts 3 and 4,
side-by-side. Courts 5 and 6 are on a still lower level, side-by-side.
Lastly, Court 7 is by itself and Court 8 is by itself. This arrangement
lends itself to a very intimate setting and sense of privacy when
playing. Court
Images
Though
I don't sweep the courts at every changeover anymore, the courts
are still in great shape. Hopefully, you will come and check them
out. Tennis doesn't get better then tennis on very well maintained
red clay tennis courts.