A Saturday hit in a Christchurch spring can go from sunny to cancelled in twenty minutes. Wilding Park has indoor courts.
Six indoor courts
Wilding Park, Tennis Canterbury's home ground, has six indoor courts and 18 outdoor hard courts. The outdoor ones are Plexipave. Tennis Canterbury describes the facility as available for hire, so you don't need to belong to anything to ask.
Booking
Courts are booked online through pay2play. You pick a date, pick a court and a time slot, and log in or register. The calendar marks slots as available, special rate, reserved, members only, class or event, or booked, so check the colours before you plan around a time. Some slots won't be open to you.
The court map shows a pro shop and a cafe in the building, plus changing rooms with showers.
What it costs
Tennis Canterbury runs two price lists for court hire, one for members of an affiliated club and one for everyone else. If you're not in a club, you're on the second. Rates are on the Wilding Park page, or ring or email Tennis Canterbury on 027 263 1693 or info@canterburytennis.co.nz if you want a straight answer before you book.
Rain, though
A dry court only helps if there's someone on the other side of the net. Hire outdoors at a club that lets non-members book and it's the same story. Finding the person is often the harder part. Nobody wants to pay for an hour they can't fill because the Saturday partner cancelled.
Hitter is for finding someone at your level in Christchurch who's free when you are. More at hitter.nz.
