Hillwood CC’s racquet program’s strength relies on longtime member engagement. To keep these members happy, while also attracting new members, Thompson offers a mix of high-tempo and beginner clinics.
Racquet programs at clubs and resorts have expanded far beyond their tennis-only roots. As pickleball, padel, and platform tennis surge in popularity, forward-thinking clubs are embracing all four sports to meet evolving member interests. Yet tennis remains the cornerstone of racquet sports programming, pushing directors to innovate constantly by finding fresh ways to keep their offerings dynamic, relevant, and engaging for members.
We talked with two directors of racquets from clubs of different sizes to get an insight of what they are doing to keep members engaged in the sport.
Making investments at Hillwood CC
Michael Thompson, Director of Racquets at Hillwood Country Club (Nashville, Tenn.), officially took his role this past March following his time as the junior director.
Hillwood CC recently invested $28M in renovations of the club. Of that, $12M went toward the racquets program, generating member excitement and interest with the investment of a new pro shop with a self-pull beer and wine machine, seven clay courts, one hard court, and four pickleball courts. This brings Hillwood CC’s total court offerings to 19 tennis courts and six dedicated pickleball courts.
Hillwood CC offers multiple weekly beginner clinics, then provides a structured pathway for members to develop their skills and move into more advanced, faster-paced play.
A popular program at Hillwood CC is its Mixed 105—a high-tempo, hour-long clinic. Members play to 105 points, with winners gaining points based on different elements.
Thompson also offers ‘Grip and Rip’ classes, which blend learning with high- energy play. This class, along with the ‘Mix 105,’ gets members out of their comfort zones and the circle of friends
they usually play with.
This matters to Thompson because the program’s strength depends on longtime member engagement. By mixing skill levels in events, the club builds stronger community connections and gives newer players valuable court time with experienced members, which boosts engagement overall.
He also offers twisted aerobics, a take on aerobics class with high-tempo point play, cardio tennis to give members a good workout, and more mainstream clinics focused on court position, strategy, and techniques.
With offering so many clinics, Thompson says a big challenge is balancing them evenly.
“We have contract times here that people have owned for years, which can be challenging for new members who don’t have that,” says Thompson.
There’s now a waitlist for contract times, but Thompson balances getting these members on the court with generic classes.
“We adjust ratios of these classes and times depending on demand because a good amount of members work during the day. We try to offer classes that people could come to before or after work, and we leave the daytime options open for stay-at-home moms or retirees who can play during the workday,” Thompson notes. “From 6 am to 9 pm, Monday through Friday, our four indoor courts are at 92% capacity, and Saturday and Sunday are still at 78% capacity.”
In order to balance court time and develop an environment where all skill levels feel comfortable to play, Thompson says he and his team try to offer events like cardio tennis where there isn’t any interactive play, allowing all skill levels to take the court at the same time.
For clinics that do require interactive play, Thompson and his team will evaluate members’ skill levels based off of their ability to maintain a rally and group skill levels together accordingly.
“For example, we just hosted a clinic for USDA ladies with a 3.0 to 3.5 level,” he says. “So, players at a 4.0 or 5.0 level can’t sign up for these clinics. It can be a tricky balance if some members believe their levels are higher than they are, but we take it upon ourselves to sign them up for the correct clinic, or else the whole program suffers.”
Thompson tries to bring competitive tennis events to the Hillwood CC about once or twice a month to keep engage-
ment high and give members something to look forward to.
“If they’re just playing, and they are never competing or have something to get better from,” he says, “members tend to not be as motivated to come out and play.”
Offering opportunities for every skill level
Another Director of Racquets doing his best to expand member engagement is Chris Eriksson at Marin Country Club (Novato, Calif.).
Marin CC has about 200 active players around 20 different leagues in the racquets program, with four courts utilized for tennis and pickleball.
Marin CC has about 200 active players and around 20 different leagues in the racquets program, with four courts used for tennis and pickleball.
Eriksson his primary focus is ensuring there are offerings for all ages
that meet and exceed expectations.
“Anytime we get new members interested in tennis, I offer an orientation with a complementary lesson where I get to show off our program and offerings,” says Eriksson. “It’s a great bridge for new members to get involved. The hardest part of my job is usually getting new people out on the courts, but once they’re there and get a taste of what we offer, the program speaks for itself.”
Eriksson puts on 10 to 12 member events a year, ranging from casual Taco Thursday Tennis to World Team Tennis— the program’s marquee event.
The World Team Tennis event gives members the opportunity to choose a country, deck themselves out in their chosen country’s gear and play a round- robin-style tournament.
Member feedback drives a lot of Eriksson’s program offerings, he notes. For example, many members have expressed the desire for beginner clinics, given how ingrained other members are
in the program.
“Not being one-dimensional in our offerings is where a lot of our success comes from,” says Eriksson.
Another success story is the club’s Tennis Association, which is made up of around 105 member families.
“Through the association is a board made up of volunteers that are actively ingrained in the program and want to see it succeed,” notes Eriksson.
The association hosts monthly board meetings to brainstorm ideas for clinics or offerings and to get a feel for what is working within the program and what could be refined.
Events like Taste of Tennis bring association members together with newcomers for an hour-long clinic and catered reception. The pro staff handles introductions, while association members focus on welcoming new players and integrating them into the program. Eriksson keeps his thumb on the pulse by connecting with association members, other directors from clubs, and keeping up with racquet programs on LinkedIn.
