For this group on the Top 45 list, the racquet facilities and programs are profiled for Blue Hills Country Club in Kansas City, Mo.; Boca Woods Country Club in Boca Raton, Fla.; Porters Neck Country Club in Wilmington, N.C.; The Clubs of Kingwood (Texas); Bayside Resort Golf Club in Selbyville, Del.; Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Md.; The Maryland Club in Baltimore, Md.; West Bay Club in Estero, Fla.; Reunion Golf & Country Club in Madison, Miss.; and Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, N.J.
Club + Resort Business’ capital expenditures study, conducted at the end of 2020 about clubs’ spending plans for 2021 showed that racquet sports are once again growing in popularity and gaining participation numbers. C+RB’s inaugural Top Ranked initiative for Racquet Facilities highlights the club and resort properties with the Top 45 Racquet Facilities and programs, as judged independently by a panel of racquet professionals and industry experts.
The full rankings can be viewed a on the main Top Ranked Listing Page. Here are profiles of the 26-35 Ranked Private Clubs in the Racquet Facilities category.
26. Blue Hills Country Club in Kansas City, Mo.
In November of 2019, the Heart of America region of the USTA presented Blue Hills Country Club in Kansas City, Mo. with the Tennis Facility of the Year award. In part, this award recognized the club for outstanding contribution to the tennis community.
From teams representing our region in the USTA national finals, to juniors who train at Blue Hills taking on challengers and succeeding at their state finals and other national tournaments, to hosting local tennis tournaments, and for the $1 million investment of the membership to replace the seasonal bubble, it is a tremendous honor to receive this award.
Blue Hills offers seven courts, five of which are bubbled in the winter for year-round play. First-class instruction, clinics tournaments, ladders, USTA, TenCap and other events are conducted throughout the year. The club also features golf, swimming and dining.
27. Boca Woods Country Club in Boca Raton, Fla.
Boca Woods Country Club in Boca Raton, Fla. has a growing tennis program with seven Har-Tru surface courts, lighted for evening play, and two recently added pickleball courts. Members enjoy year round-play racquet club activities and creative events that draw the entire membership.
A new hitting wall and remote controlled Bluetooth ball machine make training easy. Complimentary weekly clinics are offered to members of all skill levels.
The club also offers 36 holes of golf, an extensive fitness facility and multiple dining options.
28. Porters Neck Country Club in Wilmington, N.C.
Porters Neck Country Club in Wilmington, N.C. boasts eight tennis courts and four official pickleball courts that are kept in immaculate condition. The fact that they are all lighted, makes it easy for our members to play at their convenience.
What really sets the club apart is the level of involvement and sense of community within its racquet community. All of this is made possible by two incredible professionals who are even a part of the new member orientation.
Porters Neck has recently added a bocce court to its court racuet facilities and, due to its popularity, have already ensured space for a second court.
In addition to tennis, Porters Neck offers golf, swimming, fitness and dining.
29. The Clubs of Kingwood (Texas)
The Clubs of Kingwood (Texas) is the second largest ClubCorp tennis facility in Texas. The tennis department keeps five full-time Tennis Professionals and one full-time Pro Shop Manager on staff. Kingwood complements the staff with eight part-time Tennis Assistants.
The staff services a total membership of more than 2,800 memberships with 248 being tennis only.
The tennis and pickleball courts are consistently being used all hours of the day due to the large contingency of retired individuals and business owners who are flexible with their hours.
The Kingwood Tennis membership hosts events that raise money for Autism, HAAM (Humble Area Assistant Ministries), Society of St. Stephens and Memorial Tournaments for Cancer victims.
Kingwood tennis at night is considered the best in Houston with all 23 tennis courts and 6 pickleball courts under full LED. It would have to be experienced to be believed.
Kingwood has a full-service Pro Shop that carries vendors such as LuLulemon.
30. Bayside Resort Golf Club in Selbyville, Del.
Bayside Resort Golf Club in Selbyville, Del. has an extremely active racquet sports program made up of tennis and pickleball. The club has four certified professionals in both tennis and pickleball offering 45 clinics a week, plus additional private instruction and charity tournaments.
Both the pickleball and tennis programs are competitive, playing in local tournaments and traveling leagues.
The club added two Har-Tru courts and resurfaced the hard courts in 2019 due to the growing program.
In summer of 2020, our members were featured on KICKSERVERADIO.com in a new segment “Tennis Across America.”
31. Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Md.
A premier and historic racquet sports facility in the very near suburbs of Washington DC, Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Md. boasts more than 120 years of tennis and excellence. Through the decades, Columbia has hosted hundreds of tournaments and events as well as a host of touring professionals on their courts.
In addition to the racquets program, Columbia features a golf course that was one of the favorite courses of President Woodrow Wilson. In 2009 the club completed a major renovation and addition of the clubhouse—adding an indoor swimming facility, upgraded fitness center, new bowling alley (duckpin), locker rooms, ice skating rink (winter only) and additional parking among other things.
32. The Maryland Club in Baltimore, Md.
The Maryland Club in Baltimore, Md. has an extremely active and well supported squash program. The club has more than 350 registered squash players and the 2019 Club Championships had 185 participants.
The Club is the only facility in the USA that has three doubles courts.
Andrew Cordova, Director of Racquets, has served the club for more 21 years and is considered by many to be one of the best in his field and the program he runs is outstanding.
In non-pandemic times the club has a number of member tournaments with other clubs and is a regular stop on the SDA Pro Tour. The club has won SDA Event of the Year (voted on by participating pros) on numerous occasions.
During the pandemic of 2020 the club launched a pickleball program that now has in excess of 150 registered members.
33. West Bay Club in Estero, Fla.
The state-of-the-art tennis facility at West Bay Club in Estero, Fla. is nicknamed “The Net” and offers a design element that few tennis clubs around the county have—center court viewing on all eight courts.
The Net’s octagon-shaped building fits into the quad compound at the heart of the courts. The design incorporates a balcony that extends one foot short of the court, combining intimacy with on-court excitement.
The tennis program is available to all residents.
West Bay Club offers eight Har-Tru courts, four lighted for night play. Programs have been designed for every age and ability level beginning with a Pee-Wee Program right up to challenging programs for the nationally ranked player.
Currently there are nine men’s, ladies’, and mixed league teams representing West Bay Club.
Each clinic is directed by a seasoned tennis professional who will lead players through a fun experience that incorporates world-class tennis.
The tennis program at West Bay Club offers a wide array of special events including regular themed round robins, pro-ams, exhibitions, and tournaments providing plenty of options to fill up any social calendar.
34. Reunion Golf & Country Club in Madison, Miss.
Reunion Golf & Country Club in Madison, Miss. is a destination unlike any other in area. Upon entering both the community and club, you will find it is a blend of the rolling hills of Augusta National and the perfectly manicured tennis facilities of South Carolina’s low country.
It would be easy to focus on the endless amenities, newly constructed 33,000 sq. ft. clubhouse, world-class golf course and facilities, but if you were to remove those amenities, you’d see what really separates Reunion Tennis from any other club in the country.
Reunion has nine Har-Tru courts that are impeccably maintained and are accessible for members from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The courts are spread out over roughly 3 acres with substantial changes in elevation from one bank of courts to the next. The backdrop consists of an extension of the development’s 400-acre lake, Olympic sized swimming pool and newly constructed clubhouse.
Originally, the tennis pro shop was adjacent to the pool and slightly removed from the top two courts. In 2016, due to the explosion of member participation, a quaint Tennis Pro Shop/Pavilion and outdoor patio was constructed directly in between the top two banks of courts. The new shop gives the members a perfect place to relax after a drill, gather before a league match or just have a drink and watch the Grand slams on a 60-inch outdoor TV.
The tennis facility is unquestionably world class, but what truly separates Reunion tennis is the staff and membership.
In 2011, there were a handful of juniors ages 10-17 who met twice a week and a small group of juniors ages 5-9 who primarily came once a week for a drill session. There were four ladies’ teams who were drilling with the Assistant Professional and another three or four who were taking lessons/drills at other local facilities. The club’s priority was to get members back to the club and develop a calendar of programs, social events, team clinics, tournaments and small groups that satisfied our members.
Reunion had two part-time teaching pros who were both extremely talented in their areas of expertise, so an immediate hire wasn’t critical. Within a month, there was a buzz about the changes that were taking place and the club had brought back nearly all the members who’d chosen to play elsewhere. Good things were happening!
What Reunion saw from the beginning was that the membership was primarily young families with children. The club developed programming to accommodate every age group and dynamic, and it didn’t take long for these to grow.
Reunion added a Head Professional and two additional Assistants to the staff, and within a year, it had the most active junior programs in Mississippi and the adult participation wasn’t far behind.
The quality of the staff and attention to the smallest details were areas that were critical if Reunion expected to keep its membership happy. Good was no longer good enough, the club was striving for perfection in every area of the tennis operation.
Today Reunion has eight certified teaching professionals and three part-time pros who teach and assist during larger camps and clinics. The junior programs consist of 45 active juniors (ages 4-6), 115 active juniors (ages 7-10) and 110 active juniors ages (11-18). Currently, 13 juniors from our programs have or are playing college tennis.
The adult participation is at an all-time high with more than 185 members participating in some capacity. Reunion has eight Ladies JLTA teams (day league) and had a total of 21 USTA Night League teams participate in various USTA Leagues.
Reunion runs its own Intra-Club Mixed Doubles League which started three years ago and has consistently had more than 100 members involved. The club runs two six-week adult beginner sessions each year designed to get players involved who have no experience in tennis. Reunion had more than 60 players involved in USTA Night League based on this programming.
Reunion’s Tennis Pro Shop offers the latest in tennis gear, clothing, and accessories, including racquets, string, shoes and accessories from Head and Wilson. The shop features merchandise from Lululemon and Under Armour and surpassed $120K in sales in 2020.
Reunion is a one-of-a-kind facility that can thrive based on the passion of its staff and a membership that continues to grow and stay fully engaged.
35. Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, N.J.
Under the Direction of four-time platform tennis national champion and former N.J. State tennis champion Drew Broderick, Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, N.J. is recognized by racquets players from all across the United States.
In addition to recently hosting the 2021 APTA men & women’s platform tennis national championship (online viewership exceeded 20,000) CBCC is also home to the APTA Junior National Championship (seven years straight) as well as the NJWPTL state paddle championship (seven straight years).
Founded in 2018, the Pro Flight Paddle tour has already taken place three times at Canoe Brook showcasing the best men and women platform tennis players in the world.
In addition to daily lessons/clinics, team play or social events, Canoe Brook tennis is home of the New Jersey Junior Inter Club Tennis League. The club takes pride in developing its junior players to keep the tradition of racquets sports growing.
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