Why the Savannah community is saying it’s time for new tennis courts

SAVANNAH, Mo. (KQTV) -- Savannah community leaders have assembled a non-tax-related solution to replace the courts near Savannah High School; however, some may be asking why.

According to the project's website, the courts have been on the land near Savannah High School for decades. Since the city reportedly received the land in 1973, the courts have been resurfaced multiple times, with costs split 50/50 between the city and the school.

However, as Savannah High School Athletic & Activities Director Anthony Hays shared, that can only get so far before they need to be replaced completely.

"There are just some massive cracks on the playing surface and all around that you could patch up," Hays shared. "But it's to the point now where just a few months later, they're going to reappear."

Under the new project, projections indicate the new courts would last 25 years.

These cracks allow common but cautious use during tennis team practices and for high school classes. However, as Hays and Savannah Girls Tennis Coach Kelly Jones shared, this fault court can take away community, as it has recently been shown.

During the fall 2026 season, Savannah's high school tennis team played no home games.

Beyond the weather, the bigger issue we're seeing across the courts is massive cracks that keep growing. As project organizer Wakefield Hare shared, some cracks are growing by the inch or more in just months.

The girls' tennis games were moved to Noyes Tennis Courts, 25 minutes away in St. Joseph, because of court conditions, or to Genesis Health Clubs because of weather.

Having "home" games farther away for classmates and friends who can't go, or are just learning to drive, can reduce the home atmosphere, according to head girls' tennis coach Savannah Kelly Jones.

"They were a little discouraged because their friends, when they get done with practices, can't just run over and catch the end of the match," Jones shared. "So it's nice when they can play at home, and people can come just from school."

But it's not just the high school that wants this project to come to fruition. Some community members are vying for the project grant to be approved not only for the students but for the community itself, with regulation pickleball courts in the plans.

Pickleball mimics the layout and purpose of tennis. According to Kelly and Suzie Speer, who love pickleball, they tried to use the courts for the smaller sport, but couldn't safely do so because of the larger layout and cracks in the surface.

"You hit a crack, and the ball's not gonna go where you thought it was going to go. So it definitely is a handicap," Suzie mentioned.

Kelly mentioned that it may not only give community members more to do without traveling to St. Joseph or Maryville, but also help grow the sport and bring interest in tennis to the high school.

"They cannot have matches here. They have to go down to St. Joe at Noyes to play, and that's just a hindrance for them. But they can practice here," Kelly shared. "But by bringing in new tennis courts, pickleball and even having young kids play pickleball, they may pick up tennis and like that in high school and go from there."

As of Monday, Nov. 2, project organizer Wakefield Hare shared that the projected $2.7 million project has entered its next stage after his community rally on Oct. 30. On Nov. 2, Hare said the team reached its goal of $890,000 in private commitments from area community members.

Next, the team will submit a grant application to the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. He shared that the City of Savannah is the applicant, and the Mo-Kan Regional Council is preparing the application.

The application must be postmarked by Nov. 13, and Hare shared that the city hopes to hear back from the fund by June 2027.

From there, the city signs final grant agreements between October 2027 and September 2028. Construction for the new courts, if possible, is hoped to start between late 2027 and early 2029.

To learn more about this project, go to courts.wakefieldhare.com.