It was always difficult to keep the courts watered. In the old days, Norm Doucette who worked for the public works department would drag around hoses with sprinklers on them. Needless to say this was not very efficient.
In 1991 the WTA hired a Forest Hills clay court expert to evaluate the courts. He recommended an in-ground pond-fed sprinkler system to serve all the courts with minimal labor and no demand on the public water supply. He also recommended a higher quality commercial topping for the courts. The WTA raised $12,000 and much volunteer labor to cover most of the sprinkler system installation, and the Town agreed to up-grade to Har Tru, the brand name of the specialized topping best suited to our courts. With these WTA inspired changes and the devoted daily care of the late Don Ellis, the Packer-Ellis tennis courts became known as one of New England’s finest public courts facility.
Glen Doyle has worked hard over the years to keep the system functioning, replacing sprinkler heads, fixing burst pipes, and hitting up suckers (oops, I meant players) for donations when needed to keep things going.