guedoguedo
Semi-Pro
What are the best areas in terms of access to courts, ability to play year round, quality and quantity of players etc?
The Best tennis scene in US?
- Thread starter guedoguedo
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TheMagicianOfPrecision
Guest
Im not American but i have asked the same in the past and to sum it up for you: Atlanta, Texas So-Cal and Florida.
guedoguedo
Semi-Pro
Florida and texas are big states..Anywhere in particular?
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TheMagicianOfPrecision
Guest
Houston comes to mind, Florida im not that sure...
guedoguedo
Semi-Pro
Im interested in hearing about Atlanta. Is it mostly hard or hartru? Are there a lot of public courts? Mostly usta? Is it indoors in the winter?
DNShade
Hall of Fame
As far as playing conditions year round - you really can't beat SoCal - perfect temps and sunshine year round. None of that unGodly heat or humidity in the summer of Texas and the south - or cold during winter - or pain in the *** winds in Florida.
San Diego has a good tennis scene - but really one of the best towns in the country tennis-wise is Ojai, Ca. Great weather, great small town - beautiful area - and lots of great courts and players and home to a great tourney: http://www.ojaitourney.org/
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San Diego has a good tennis scene - but really one of the best towns in the country tennis-wise is Ojai, Ca. Great weather, great small town - beautiful area - and lots of great courts and players and home to a great tourney: http://www.ojaitourney.org/
fe6250
Semi-Pro
Atlanta is tough to beat for sure and is one of the most active tennis cities in the country. I find the tennis here in Charlotte to be quite good too, but not nearly as good as Atlanta.
No doubt California is a good choice if it's an option for you, but I'm an East Coaster and it's a long way from my family. That said, I personally like a little humidity and a change of seasons, so the southeastern climate suits me fine and we have indoor for those couple of months where outdoor isn't a good option here.
No doubt California is a good choice if it's an option for you, but I'm an East Coaster and it's a long way from my family. That said, I personally like a little humidity and a change of seasons, so the southeastern climate suits me fine and we have indoor for those couple of months where outdoor isn't a good option here.
lagniappe12
New User
I'd say Atlanta... and not just because I live here. There are courts everywhere, mostly hard court. Tennis is huge. I think it's mostly due to the weather and suburban sprawl. Most subdivisions have tennis courts and there are several larger public & private facilities. ALTA (Atlanta Lawn & Tennis Association) is the name of the game here, probably bigger than USTA in the area ... at least from what I understand.
get it in
Rookie
You will get many answers to this one and none will probably be wrong either. I am very close to voting for Atlanta because it has a great tennis scene and you can play almost year round.
Where I live in Southern California, the weather cannot be beat by any other city. It is 19C or 67F in November with maybe 20 days of rain per year. The quality and quantity of players is very good but usually they are in leagues and tournaments. Access to courts depends on where you live, but every public high school has decent tennis courts. Public courts are pretty rare otherwise if you are thinking of your neighborhood park. It is 95% hard courts here.
Houston, Texas and Tampa, Florida get pretty humid in the summer so it would be challenge to play there. Not sure about the quality/quantity of players there.
There are plenty of other cities, but those are the larger ones with a better chance of finding a job, unless you don't have to work for a living. In that case, I recommend Hawaii!
darrinbaker00
Professional
I live in Berkeley, so I have to say NorCal is the best, especially in my age group (Men's 40s). Four out of the top 10, including #1 and #2, hail from NorCal.
It's where you want to make it. I've lived in almost every part of this country, Socal, Kansas, Minnesota, Texas and New York. In every one of those states, I had no problem finding guys to hit with. I've played in snow, indoor bubbles, summer in Kansas (humidity with lots of bugs) hot, dry and windy in El Paso, beautiful women and lots of sunshine in socal, way too expensive court time in New York, but in each of those cities, it was, "THE BEST TENNIS SCENE IN THE U.S."!!!
Quikj
Rookie
SoCal hands down, 3 pro tourneys in the summer. Summer never ends...ever. The quality and depth of the junior scene is unbelievable, so there's never a shortage of top notch coaching. Let's not forget SoCal produced Pete Sampras, Billie Jean King, Lindsay Davenport, The Williams' sisters and from my junior class: Sam Querrey. If the tennis and the weather doesn't get you out here, the women surely will.
jazzyfunkybluesy
Banned
I live in Atlanta but I would have to say the weather in SoCal puts it ahead. Milder summers and winters, minimal pollen season.
Correct - and to put it into perspective: Atlanta is the biggest USTA local league in the country - about three times the size of the next biggest. ALTA is more than twice the size of USTA Atlanta.
guedoguedo
Semi-Pro
I lived in san diego for 2 years and it was a very good scene! The best part for me was there were some tennis social clubs with doubles events every week where they pair you up with people for a fee. There were lots of good players, and they did all the organizing. Pacific beach had friday night tennis and barb-que which was i miss a lot. World team tennis was big there and that was great.... But Playing on the hard courts so often did take a toll on my knee but after I left I started to strengthen my quad/hammie and that has made a huge improvement...
I am in DC now and it is very good here as well, but you gotta pay $$$ to play inside. All of the public courts are hard court and the most popular ones are in very poor condition.
Is atlanta all hard court?
Mikeler, is $300 just for one club in orlando, or is it a city fee? Are there any organized events outside of USTA?
I am in DC now and it is very good here as well, but you gotta pay $$$ to play inside. All of the public courts are hard court and the most popular ones are in very poor condition.
Is atlanta all hard court?
Mikeler, is $300 just for one club in orlando, or is it a city fee? Are there any organized events outside of USTA?
Mostly, but not exclusively. A lot of tennis is played in subdivisions and these will be hard courts as the HOA wouldn't want to take on the burden of maintaining clay. Private clubs often have both hard and Har-tru. Public courts are usually hard, although Bitsy Grant has quite a few Har-tru.
There are also a few indoor courts, again at private clubs.
My wife and I are thinking of moving from New England to Austin, TX. One of the reasons is for the tennis. Can you imagine not having to pay for indoor court fees in November or April! Any confirmation on Austin's Tennis scene being a good one?
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mikeler
Moderator
It is a city facility and it is $195 per year for City residents and I think $245 per year for non-City residents. There are two good singles leagues in town in addition to a spectacular doubles league.
guedoguedo
Semi-Pro
Mikeler, thanks for the info! I am actually visiting family in Tampa for a couple of days, which makes me curious about different areas. Do you know anything about tennis in tampa?
mikeler
Moderator
Austin does, in fact, have a fantastic tennis scene! Lots of different leagues. A huge variety of clubs from extremely high end to not so high end. Lots of public courts, many are free to play on. Usually two to three tournaments a month. Year round play. Newk's Ranch not too far away.
http://www.austintennis.org/index.cfm
Above is a link to a site that has a lot of information about tennis in Austin.
I think Florida is definately up near the top. Since I live down here it's going to be my pick. Yes it is hot and humid but for the next 6 months we will have great weather, besides the wind.
Good public courts are harder to find but a lot of residential communities have courts and there are numerous clubs available. There are a good amount of players with different skill levels. Most of the higher ranking players are usually members of a club.
If you find a good club but it's not in your city it can be pricey. The clubs rates are lowest to city residents, average for county residents, and expensive for out of town guests. This is the only area I know of you can drive through 9 cities in one county in under 30 minutes.
Good public courts are harder to find but a lot of residential communities have courts and there are numerous clubs available. There are a good amount of players with different skill levels. Most of the higher ranking players are usually members of a club.
If you find a good club but it's not in your city it can be pricey. The clubs rates are lowest to city residents, average for county residents, and expensive for out of town guests. This is the only area I know of you can drive through 9 cities in one county in under 30 minutes.
Thanks AbbeyTXS! How much can I expect to play at various clubs in Austin? What is the range, if you know, thanks!
I've lived in Tampa, Orlando, Ft Lauderdale, and now Atlanta.
Florida in the summer is unbearable. At times I think it gets hot in Atlanta, then we go down to FL and I remember again what hot really is. On the converse, there are a couple months in Atlanta during the winter that you'd be equally crazy to attempt to play tennis outdoors. I've been to San Jose many times and it always seems to be low-70s and clear. If weather was the only consideration I'd say nor-cal / so-cal would win hands down. However...
If you live in Atlanta for more than a couple years you will (or at least be highly pressured to) run the peachtree road race and play ALTA. Tennis is a big part of Atlanta culture... it is almost mainstream here. In fact within 10 miles of my office there are at least 3 places to get your racket strung and that's not even including big box stores and private stringers.
Florida in the summer is unbearable. At times I think it gets hot in Atlanta, then we go down to FL and I remember again what hot really is. On the converse, there are a couple months in Atlanta during the winter that you'd be equally crazy to attempt to play tennis outdoors. I've been to San Jose many times and it always seems to be low-70s and clear. If weather was the only consideration I'd say nor-cal / so-cal would win hands down. However...
If you live in Atlanta for more than a couple years you will (or at least be highly pressured to) run the peachtree road race and play ALTA. Tennis is a big part of Atlanta culture... it is almost mainstream here. In fact within 10 miles of my office there are at least 3 places to get your racket strung and that's not even including big box stores and private stringers.
Can't say... plus I'd like to avoid the whole, "a 4.0 in so-and-so city is only a 3.0 in that city" conversation. Just strictly popularity of the sport, I would imagine its tough to beat Atlanta.
Which curiously does not have an ATP stop and is about to demolish the only facility that could host one.
Did you mean "pay" or "play"?
If you meant play - you can play all you want, just volunteer to captain a team!
If you meant pay, I'm afraid I really don't know. I am a public court girl. Austin has tons of public courts and they all have numerous teams.
On the website I sent you, there is a map of all the tennis court locations and it labels them whether they are public, country club, or neighborhood courts. I'm sure you can Google the different clubs and get an idea of what their fees are.
http://www.cytc.com/ The link is for Courtyard Tennis and Swim Club. They are not a high end club, but 90% of all the tournaments in Austin are held there.
Rumor has it that Andy Roddick plays at either Westwood Country Club or Austin Country Club when he is in town.
Woops meant pay. Really, I want to get involved in scheduled play, whether on public or private courts. I am looking forward to the move!
Did you mean "pay" or "play"?
If you meant play - you can play all you want, just volunteer to captain a team!
If you meant pay, I'm afraid I really don't know. I am a public court girl. Austin has tons of public courts and they all have numerous teams.
On the website I sent you, there is a map of all the tennis court locations and it labels them whether they are public, country club, or neighborhood courts. I'm sure you can Google the different clubs and get an idea of what their fees are.
http://www.cytc.com/ The link is for Courtyard Tennis and Swim Club. They are not a high end club, but 90% of all the tournaments in Austin are held there.
Rumor has it that Andy Roddick plays at either Westwood Country Club or Austin Country Club when he is in town.
cigrmaster
Semi-Pro
I don't mind the heat one bit here in Sarasota Florida. So what it gets hot and you sweat............if feels great on my arm and old joints........I love the humidity. I would much rather deal with that than having to play indoors or not at all in the winter months.
As far as California goes, I can join a private tennis club for the money I save not having to pay the ridiculous taxes everyone has to pay in that miserable state.
As far as California goes, I can join a private tennis club for the money I save not having to pay the ridiculous taxes everyone has to pay in that miserable state.
get it in
Rookie
"...ridiculous taxes..." I don't care what anyone else says, this statement is true in California. Miserable state? Not really. It's still a nice place to live despite the financial meltdown, the ridiculous taxes, and the cost of housing. Once you've gotten over all those problems, it's a neat place to live.
TennisCoachFLA
Banned
I agree 100%. We moved to Sarasota 3 months ago and just love it. The Har Tru that is everywhere is way better on the knees and back. I can't even imagine playing everyday on hard courts now.
mikeler
Moderator
Once your body adapts to playing on the clay, it is even more brutal on your body when you do have to play on a hard court.
guedoguedo
Semi-Pro
What part of florida would you say is the best between it being young, good tennis, and having business jobs? Miami?
mikeler
Moderator
I'd say Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, South Florida (West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami) meet the criteria. Some well known tennis cities may be excluded Naples older players, I know Sarasota is becomming pretty popular as a city and for tennis but I'm not sure about having a large amount of business jobs.
borg number one
Legend
There are lots of tennis facilities here in Houston and many good/great players, but I like one place in particular now. It is a brand new private tennis club headed up by Niclas Kroon (great guy and player!) with other really good and nice/friendly tennis pros. It has a great tennis atmosphere and the facilities are first rate (8 indoor courts).
Website: http://www.thegtac.com/0/1211178/0/33081/
It has replaced a prior tennis facility in the same location and it is within a great high-end shopping mall (The Galleria).
I really like hitting there and going there for lessons, because it has the feel of a place where Pros would train (and some do).
If you're from the Houston area, you should check it out for sure.
Website: http://www.thegtac.com/0/1211178/0/33081/
It has replaced a prior tennis facility in the same location and it is within a great high-end shopping mall (The Galleria).
I really like hitting there and going there for lessons, because it has the feel of a place where Pros would train (and some do).
If you're from the Houston area, you should check it out for sure.
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Not quite true as Atlanta Athletic Club, former host site of an ATP event for several years, still exists. But your general point is correct - Atlantans are too busy playing tennis to go watch it.Which curiously does not have an ATP stop and is about to demolish the only facility that could host one.
clay courts in California? grass in America?
The tennis weather in California is great, but they have very few clay courts like the east. I went to college in Florida, and I thoroughly enjoyed playing on the clay. I have been living in California for over 20 years, and I really miss the clay courts. The clay is so much easier on your joints. The closest clay courts for me is a 2 hour drive to Pismo Beach. The courts were once red clay, but they are using a different clay these days.
I wonder where the best tennis places in America are for those who would like to play on the grass?
The tennis weather in California is great, but they have very few clay courts like the east. I went to college in Florida, and I thoroughly enjoyed playing on the clay. I have been living in California for over 20 years, and I really miss the clay courts. The clay is so much easier on your joints. The closest clay courts for me is a 2 hour drive to Pismo Beach. The courts were once red clay, but they are using a different clay these days.
I wonder where the best tennis places in America are for those who would like to play on the grass?
Originally Posted by Sublime
Which curiously does not have an ATP stop and is about to demolish the only facility that could host one.
I read an article yesterday that Indy will lose their ATP stop and it will move to Atlanta. Host will be Atl. Athletic Club. July in Atlanta can be brutal.
Which curiously does not have an ATP stop and is about to demolish the only facility that could host one.
I read an article yesterday that Indy will lose their ATP stop and it will move to Atlanta. Host will be Atl. Athletic Club. July in Atlanta can be brutal.
dlk
Hall of Fame
Obviously, the warm weather cities rule in tennis, especially Florida. But let's look at a smaller northern city like Indianapolis. I believe there are at least 6 indoor facilities/clubs. So not too back for our population. We even had a tournament here for a long time until recently.
http://www.indytennis.iupui.edu/WTT.htm
http://www.indytennis.iupui.edu/WTT.htm
Wish we had indoor courts here in AZ! It would be a great way to escape the summer heat.
borg number one
Legend
Do it TexasDoc, maybe I'll run into you sometime at the GTAC, who knows? Happy tennis! They're very welcoming of new folks.
SirSweetSpot
Banned
Without a doubt, Atlanta.
My job is taking me to Tucson, and I hope the scene there is good. I know the weather will be at least.
My job is taking me to Tucson, and I hope the scene there is good. I know the weather will be at least.
