'FREE TENNIS' ??? ( NOT LIKELY )

As always I like to leave the year on a note, not always a positive note, but a note none the less. So this time the note is all about tennis and the cost for the little man, the 'insignificant' man and the everyday family man who simply just wants to play tennis with a minimum of fuss.
Oh and with a minimum of cost.
Being New Years eve I decided to finish the year on a tennis court, well at least the last evening on a tennis court anyway. Ripper of an evening, no wind, balmy conditions, no excuses.
One issue, no practice partner. ( Not many friends ).
Think buddy, think.
OK let's go and hit some serves, so that I did.
I turn up to the local tennis club with a few dollars in the pocket ( I do not own a membership ) and make my way to the local shop adjacent to the club that takes court bookings.

'Hi, just looking for half an hour court time thanks'.
Sorry, we only hire courts out for an hour.
'Sorry' ?
We only hire courts for an hour.
'OK how much please' ?
$12.
'OK can you please write me out a receipt that says 'Paid $12 for one hour, but played for 30 minutes' ?
Yes I suppose I can.
'Thanks'.
(Now just on the membership thing; If I do not play enough to warrant taking out a membership I should not be discriminated against, just the same as a holiday maker. If I want to play for 30 or 60 minutes I should be allowed to, surely.)
So off I go, armed with a key, a receipt that tells me I can play for 30 minutes but have a credit for another 30 at a later date and I set about hitting some serves.
I hit 107 serves in 25 minutes. I hit the net twice, yep just twice, I pride myself on serving accuracy as I simply do not serve hard. I hit maybe 15 long and a couple wide but all in all I was happy with the session as I have not really played much lately due to coaching.
On my drive home it dawned on me. What the f... is wrong with tennis clubs, tennis committees and tennis in general where someone enters a shop asking to hire a court for 30 minutes and the answer is no ?
I will tell you the problem.
Tennis in the Land of Oz is f....d.
My son joined a local basketball association just recently and he doesn't even play basketball, this is how he learned to play. 
He goes down to the park where basketball is FREE and he and his mates throw hoops, they play scratch matches, they develop their skills FOR FREE. No one asks them to pay, basketball at the local park is FREE.
My son and his mates simply have a bit of FREE fun though when they joined the local association in C GRADE they were way too good. So they were elevated to B GRADE.
They have only lost two games in B Grade and sit second on the ladder, not bad for a team of non basket ballers who simply go down to the local park to practice their skills for FREE.
When I got to the local tennis club today the weather was perfect, better than perfect even, it was simply magnificent. 5 pm is always the best time to play tennis down here in 'Sleepy Hollow'.
Now here's the thing, I was the ONLY one at the tennis club, yep the ONLY player wanting to play tennis at the best time of the evening. The courts were locked, YES LOCKED, not sure why, it's holiday season, tennis season, the time of year when tennis clubs should have HAPPY HOUR for tourists.
The tennis club backs onto a caravan park that is full of holiday makers, how about getting a few of them onto a tennis court between 5 and 7 pm for a minimal cost ? Perhaps even a bit of free time ?
Tennis Clubs all around Australia at this time of year should swing the gates open for tourists just like basketball does all year round for youngsters wanting to trow a hoop or two.
Tennis is always a cost, to play, to get coaching, to have fun, it always costs money to play tennis. Tennis ALWAYS COSTS MONEY, even when a kid just wants to have a hit and a giggle at holiday time.
Scenario; two 10 year old kids;
'Excuse me I would like to play tennis for half an hour with my buddy'.
Sorry we don't hire for 30 minutes.
'OK we are going to go throw a basketball instead'.
Those two kids may have been future tennis players, they may have owned some ability to play tennis. They may have hit some shots in that 30 minute session that would bring them back the next day for another 30 minutes, maybe even an hour.
Tennis can grow on you.
Tennis is also full of money making committees, Dinosaur type committee members who only see dollar signs even at holiday time and it's full of people who can't see the forest for the trees.
FREE basketball may just be a whole lot more appealing.....