Farmington Field Club Blown Down in February

March 23, 2016
Farmington, CT

As the late Henry Ford said, “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”

The Farmington Field Club had just finished a full renovation of its paddle facility--three courts and an 800-square-foot clubhouse with assistance from an APTA grant—when Mother Nature brought down some very specific wrath.

David Marshall, General Manager and Director of Tennis, said, “Court-Pro worked for us all summer and fall. They dismantled our wood courts and built beautiful new aluminum courts, with gorgeous mahogany snow gates. We added a ‘paddle only’ membership to our club this year in anticipation of growing the game in our area. Not to mention, we hired a PPTA-certified pro (David Meharg) to lead all the members in clinics, created a women’s team, and held social events. Things were going so great, we added on online booking system on our website. Everyone was loving it!

“But the night of February 24, we had a 70+ miles per hour windstorm that brought a neighboring 80-foot pine tree down across two of our brand new courts.”

The good news: no one was hurt. The even better news: Court-Pro was up to the facility within hours of getting the call. It was clear that it was just a bad day for paddle tennis in Farmington but that that would be remedied quickly.

One court was made playable in a matter of days, so that the club had two courts available. Marshall said, “However I was still stuck with trying to find a third court for our members. I called Courtia Worth at Hartford Golf Club and the Farmington Country Club, two neighboring clubs. They welcomed us with open arms, in true paddle tennis spirit!”

The Field Club plans on holding a tournament next year, when all the damage has been fixed. Strong winds are no contest for an even stronger love of the game that has stormed through the Farmington Field Club.