The Top Five clubs in C+RB‘s 2022 Top Ranked Racquet Facilities are Woodfield Boca Raton (Fla.); Braemar Country Club in Tarzana, Calif.; The Clubs of Kingwood (Texas); BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; and The Philadelphia (Pa.) Cricket Club.
Inclusion on this list highlights the investments these clubs have made in their racquet facilities, as well as programming, and the commitment to the guest experience. All listings were selected and ranked by a panel of judges. The rankings reflect the judges’ scoring of submitted entries that included data on the number and variety of courts, retail/F&B size, percentage of member usage, number of interclub teams, number of junior players, and full- and part-time staff members. We would like to thank the following judges for their time and effort on ranking the top racquet facilities.
1. Woodfield Boca Raton; Boca Raton, Fla.
Woodfield has been recognized by the Tennis Industry as the Private Club of the Year for its programming, and by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) as the Private Facility of the Year for its amenities. The Club’s racquet facilities are second to none with a newly renovated 20-court tennis complex, eight-court pickleball complex and full service tennis pro shop.
The versatile tennis court complex includes 18 HydroGrid Courts, one Italian red clay court and one Decoturf hard court all lighted with LED lights. The pickleball complex features eight well-lit Plexicushion courts and a large pavilion.
For those looking for reprieve from the sun, Woodfield’s tennis pro shop offers men’s and ladies’ locker rooms, a café with grab-and-go breakfast offerings, and expansive retail space featuring top brands in tennis/pickleball apparel, footwear, racquets and more.
Woodfield’s unique and all-encompassing racquet sports program features match play, clinics, leagues and events for all levels, including Boot Camps, Member-Guest Tournaments, pro exhibitions, tennis and pickleball mixers, club Championships and more.
The club also offers a complete Junior program with tournaments, championships, after-school programs and camps tailored to the junior level. Throughout the year, Juniors have an opportunity to compete against local players at interclub matches and Junior USTA Tournaments.
Members looking for more personalized training have access to private and group lessons with the club’s award-winning tennis and pickleball professional staff.
2. Braemar Country Club; Tarzana, Calif.
Braemar is a top tennis facility in the Los Angeles market. With a total of 650 family tennis memberships (and another 850 golf memberships with tennis access), the club is one of the largest tennis memberships in California.
The club has 19 tennis courts, as it recently converted one court to four permanent pickleball courts. Braemar’s tennis facility was remodeled in 2018, and features a second-to-none social setting.
“Deuce”, the tennis F+B outlet, features an outdoor grill and seating area with a converted airstream bar. “Vijay’s Veranda” named in recognition of long-time honorary member, Vijay Amritraj, is the perfect courtside patio on which to watch tennis, relax and socialize before or after play.
There is an additional outdoor viewing and lounge area next to the recently converted pickleball courts, further enhancing the ability to connect with fellow members.
3. The Clubs of Kingwood; Kingwood, Texas
The Clubs of Kingwood Tennis and Pickleball Facilities are not only one of the largest in Houston and surrounding areas, but the courts are nestled into the forest providing a private club feel like no other.
The LED lighting setup for tennis and pickleball gives members night-time activities that are second to none. The Fitness & Sports Center’s retail shop is full service and fully stocked with lifestyle merchandise for tennis, pickleball and fitness including clothes, sports equipment and shoes as well as racquet stringing services.
The professional staff offers 26 drop in clinics a week. The clinics are for tennis and pickleball ranging in levels from beginner to advanced. The junior program has more than 100 kids get on the courts each month. The program utilizes the colored ball pathway system into Academy classes. The Professionals also offer private and group instruction for adults and kids if that is something more desirable.
The club offers recreational play and competitive play options for its membership. The HLTA Monday morning traveling league has 15 teams from the club. Kingwood also has USTA league options for men, women and mixed doubles.
Kingwood has seven days of drop in pickleball play, USTA tournaments for adults and juniors, and at least 19 socials or events a year for tennis and pickleball players. This, along with casual play, makes this one of the more active racquet programs in Texas.
The racquet facilities are one of the wonderful features of one of the world’s largest and most unique private clubs. The Clubs of Kingwood also features five golf courses, three driving ranges, golf academy, 20,000 of state-of-the-art work out facilities, waterpark including lazy river, heated adult pool, slides, diving boards and splashpad.
Extensive dining options include Tavern 91, 1700 Grille, DW Grille, Kahuna Cafe, Claudia’s Taco Shop and more.
4. BallenIsles Country Club; Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Now at BallenIlses is a nine-court dedicated pickleball complex complementing one of the top tennis programs in the country. BallenIsles Country Club’s 65,000-sq.-ft. Sports Complex features 30 courts—20 Har-Tru clay courts, including one hard court and nine pickleball courts. The new pickleball complex features the latest LED lighting, drink stations, comfortable seating areas, and beautiful landscaping.
The impressive stadium court provides an expansive 500-seat venue where Venus and Serena Williams trained and hosted exhibitions for more than a decade. The complex offers a full-service racquet sports shop, offering racquet stringing, for all our racquet sports members’ needs.
BallenIlses’ invitational tournaments regularly feature world-ranked players, and the list of those who’ve played our stadium court includes former and current Grand Slam champions. BallenIsles was the host site where the top tennis players from around the world competed at the 2022 ITF Seniors World Championships.
BallenIsles tennis program features year-round exhibitions, club tournaments and clinics for all ages. Both the avid and novice player can count on an exceptional racquet sports experience and friendly concierge service that provides guidance into an active tennis lifestyle.
In addition, BallenIsles has an excellent Junior Development Tennis Program led by former world-ranked players Gary Henderson and Andrei Daescu. Andrei’s recent pickleball accolades include a seventh highest rating in Men’s Doubles, currently ranked 12th in the World Men’s Doubles and winner of two Tour stops in 2022: St. Louis and Cincinnati.
Locally BallenIsles was voted 2022 Best Country Club, Best Sports Attraction, Best Fitness Center, and Best Golf Course in Palm Beach County.
5. The Philadelphia (Pa.) Cricket Club
Founded in 1854, The Philadelphia Cricket Club is the oldest private club in the United States. With a trio of campuses, the club offers its membership three different types of surfaces on which to play tennis, 21 grass courts, nine Har-Tru courts, and two indoor hard courts.
Tennis players enjoy a pavilion with an indoor/outdoor fireplace, two outdoor decks, and comfortable inside seating areas to complement a fully stocked bar.
In addition, PCC has seven platform courts, eight singles squash courts and two doubles squash courts. The club is also building four new padel courts to truly be an all racquets facility. The Philadelphia Cricket Club will be the only club in the country to have tennis, paddle, padel, squash and pickleball all on one campus!
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