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KNYSNA NEWS - Tennis players in the Garden Route could soon have the opportunity to experience two of the sport's traditional playing surfaces without leaving the country, with two new grass courts and two European-style clay courts taking shape at Portland Manor outside Knysna.
The facility is believed to be the first of its kind in South Africa to offer both grass and clay courts at the same venue, and further courts are already being planned.
Eight tennis players from Cape Town recently visited Portland Manor as part of Baseline Africa Tours' Courts of the Forest tennis experience. Knysna players also joined the visitors for a day of play on some already finished courts, providing an early demonstration of the facility's potential.
For players accustomed almost exclusively to hard courts, the opportunity to play on grass and clay is a novelty.
"Most players have never played on any other surface than hard courts," says Marzahn Botha, co-founder of Baseline Africa Tours and an experienced tennis coach. "This facility is truly going to be world-class."
The two surfaces offer distinctly different playing experiences. Grass rewards quick reactions, timing and precision, while clay slows the ball down and allows players more time to construct points.
Botha, who has coached on clay in Munich, says the Portland Manor courts offer something particularly unusual for South African players.
The clay surface slows the ball down and allows players more time to construct points. Photo: Hugo Redelinghuys
The development is the result of a collaboration involving De Villiers Kroon, a national masters tennis player; veteran coach Frans Cronje, tennis director at Prosat in Pretoria; and Russell du Preez of the RussellStone Group, owners of Portland Manor.
The aim is not only to create a high-level tennis facility, but to make the different surfaces accessible to ordinary tennis enthusiasts.
Instead of travelling overseas to experience grass or European-style clay courts, local and visiting amateur players will be able to book courts at Portland Manor at an affordable rate.
That accessibility could prove one of the facility's biggest attractions in a market where padel has rapidly grown in popularity and tennis players have relatively few opportunities to experience alternative surfaces.
Baseline Africa Tours' visit was partly aimed at showcasing this potential. The eight guests spent several days combining tennis on the new courts with activities in and around Knysna.
Coach Debbie Hyde organised for local players to join the visitors on the courts, creating an opportunity for players from different clubs and backgrounds to meet and compete.
For Baseline Africa Tours, the Portland Manor facility also offers an opportunity to develop tennis-focused travel experiences in South Africa, combining coaching and competition with local attractions.
But for Knysna, the significance may extend beyond tourism.
The courts introduce a rare tennis resource to the area and could give local players access to surfaces that would otherwise require international travel.
More courts are planned for the development, with the long-term vision including a broader tennis hub linking Portland Manor with other facilities locally and internationally.
Portland Manor is situated on the Rheenendal Road outside Knysna, on a historic country estate surrounded by forest and farmland.
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