Rent... a tennis court? I've never even heard of such a practice before. You just wait until there's a free court, then use it. I can imagine places where it's exceptionally popular and the perfect weather where a rental system would be viable, but I'm curious if it's the norm in places.
This is a very US-centric view, where public subsidies for tennis courts exist. In Germany for example, there's no such thing as a public tennis court, as far as I can tell.
Do parks in Germany have basketball courts, football pitches, or baseball diamonds? Is it that parks provide for sports that's US centric, or is it including tennis courts in that set of amenities that's US centric?
There was definitely a public basketball court and a football pitch within a few blocks of where I lived in suburban Münster. So can't speak for all of Germany, but there are some public spaces for the common sports in that country.
In Menlo Park, you have to pay something like $50/yr to get a key to the courts. The key price is higher if you live outside the city limits, in unincorporated Menlo Park (I assume because you're not paying city taxes). Fortunately there are unlocked courts in Palo Alto.
You don't need a tennis court unless you're getting serious. I used to play cricket with apples[0]. As a kid I always had more fun from freeform play than from rules.
(Also strken wrote "throw" so I think they were thinking of a game of catch).
The wikipedia link is for the apple tree genus. The word generic literally comes from the word genus, i.e. they couldn't be less specific when talking about apples.
I think this is just an unfortunately reality of almost any public resource... my community just built a new pickleball complex, but there is still an opportunity for a private pickleball club that has an indoor space. Government is constantly caught in the middle trying to provide resources while also controlling costs and not wanting any project to look like a boondoggle or overspend.
I could look harder, but I think my local parks only have basketball courts and a large field. The biggest park in my town has a baseball field. Never had a public access tennis court.
There are tennis courts in town, but they tend to be part of clubs or whatnot, similar to golf courses. Not public parks.
Or they're always free of charge. I'm also used to there being dozens of free public tennis courts all over town, in multiple parts of the US, in both public parks and schools. I believe even the local private schools have courts that are open to the public.
> Renting a tennis court will cost you more than 5 dollars, even in a public park.
A great example of how even similar experiences can cost whatever you want to pay. You can throw some balls for free or rent a tennis court to do it. Some rich people rent an entire venue for themselves when they go out. You can camp in some nearby woods or go on safari in Africa. Experiences cost however much you want to pay for them. Exclusivity though, that's expensive.
I think baseballs or Footballs (both American and normal) would have been a better metaphor. tennis balls have this odd air resistance to them that make them less satifying to throw with your hands. Which makes sense, since they are designed to be whacked with a racket.