Grün-Weiss Godesberg tennis club Bad Godesberg now has a digital tennis court

Bad Godesberg. At a tennis court in Bad Godesberg artificial intelligence is used to record all the players' data. The Grün-Weiss Godesberg club wants to appeal to younger players in particular. There has been more refurbishment, but the construction of the new tennis hall had to be postponed again.

 In single-digit temperatures, Lennard Nels and Caspar van den Assem play their hearts out on Court 1 in the Kurpark on Saturday.

In single-digit temperatures, Lennard Nels and Caspar van den Assem play their hearts out on Court 1 in the Kurpark on Saturday.

Foto: Niklas Schröder

In single-digit temperatures, Lennard Nels (16) and Caspar van den Assem (18) are hitting balls back and forth on Court 1 in the Kurpark on Saturday. Rackets whiz through the air and trainers slide across the red surface. The court is one of two tennis courts that the Godesberg Grün-Weiss Tennis Club has completely renovated.

New tennis courts are a milestone

"The new tennis courts represent another milestone in the elaborate renovation of the over 100-year-old tennis club complex in Godesberg's Stadtpark," CEO Stephan Rheinwald told the GA. "Beautifying and revitalising the area in the heart of Godesberg is one of our central goals, not only from a sporting point of view," Rheinwald said. Above all, the club wants to offer young people more opportunities to exercise. The so-called Porplastic pitches, which are to be state-of-the-art and usable all year round, come at just the right time.

LED lights mean you can play in the dark

With new LED floodlights, it is also possible to play in the dark. On Court 1, Nels and van den Assem feel right at home after only a short settling-in period. "The court feels harder than a normal cinder court. But I don't see any of the usual court faults," Nels reports. "Despite the cold, it's much more fun to play in the fresh air," van den Assem finds. The youngsters want to move regularly from the hall to the courts in the coming months. The complete digitalisation of Court 1 is also likely to be attractive. Every game is automatically evaluated via camera and artificial intelligence.

One of the first digital tennis courts in North Rhine-Westphalia

The so-called Wingfield system was initiated in Bad Godesberg as one of the first digital tennis courts in North Rhine-Westphalia, says Andreas Fischer. "We are convinced that the younger generation in particular will take up the offer," says the club's chief financial officer.

On the other hand, the club has to postpone the start of construction for the new Zweifeld gym again. The work is not scheduled to begin until spring and will be completed in October, says Fischer. The club is reported to have submitted the building application two years ago. But the building permit was only granted this summer, says Fischer. The tennis club can also look forward to energy savings with the construction of the new 38 by 38 metre hall. In contrast to the previous hall, the new thermal insulation is expected to save 90 per cent in energy consumption. Part of the hall's façade will be made of translucent material.

In daylight, matches can be played in the hall using relatively little additional lighting. The Zweifeldturnhalle is intended primarily for older members, explains Fischer. The new sports facility is also intended to become a venue for tournaments in the next few years. "It will be approved for competitions because it will have the appropriate height and width," says Rheinwald. "That will also help us from a sporting point of view." The club is investing around 1.8 million euros for the floodlights, courts, access roads and tennis hall, says Andreas Fischer. Of that, 160,000 euros have already been invested to renovate the courts. The construction of the new gym alone will cost 1.4 million euros. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia is subsidising the construction project with 600,000 euros from the "Modern Sports Facility 2022" programme. The Stadtsportbund Bonn is contributing another 150,000 euros. The club is financing the remaining amount with a loan.

Günter Herzing paints picture for the tennis club

The tennis club now has another highlight hanging in its office: A work of art by Günter Herzing. The Bad Godesberg artist was commissioned to depict the tennis club in the Stadtpark, the heart of Godesberg, in his typical style as a district of Bonn.

The 1.5 by 1.2 metre oil painting depicts a previously non-existent portrait of Bad Godesberg's city centre, rich in detail and as comprehensive as possible, with a view over Bonn to Cologne Cathedral, Herzing explains. "That shows both the idyll and the love of the location as well as thematising insights into contemporary news and insider stuff." In addition to the tennis club, you can also make out the Godesburg, the Kleines Theatre and the Godesberg railway station in the picture. Fischer is enthusiastic about the new artwork. "We are very happy with the picture, the artist has perfectly executed our specifications and there is a lot of detail to see."

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