Riley Jones is a student from Charlottesville, VA. With an unshakable affinity for basketball and all things ’90s, he can be found on Twitter @rchrstphr.
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1.
No. 1 – WimbleDon
Location: Baker City, OR
Fees: $20/hour
Based five hours east of Portland, WimbleDon pays homage to the historic tournament by providing public access to four natural grass courts. Local jeweler Don McClure purchased the facility from its original owners in 2007, and initially planned to subdivide and live on the property. After meeting local players and realizing just how important the grass surfaces were to them, he had a change of heart and has since devoted a majority of his time to making WimbleDon a thriving tennis atmosphere. Oh, and he can still take care of your fine jewelry needs, too!
No. 2 – International Tennis Hall of Fame
Location: Newport, RI
Fee: $110/hour
Home to the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships (the only grass court tournament hosted outside of Europe), the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island is truly bucket list-worthy. Home to 13 grass courts, this historic site also hosted the first US Open in 1881. Although the $110 hourly rate is considerably higher than other facilities, very few are as world class and state-of-the-art as the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
No. 3 – Buckskill Tennis Club
Location: East Hampton, NY
Fees: $60/hour for non-members, $50/hour for members, open to public
With three grass surfaces and ten courts total, Buckskill Tennis Club caters to tennis players in the Long Island area. Although members receive benefits such as discounts and advanced court bookings, Buckskill’s grass courts are open to the public for an hourly rate of $60.
No. 4 – Tennis Garden at the Phoenician
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Fees: $35/hour
As the only facility in the Southwest to offer four playing surfaces, the Tennis Garden at the Phoenician features breath-taking scenery in between the resort’s golf fairways. This five-star resort includes one grass court, available to guests at a rate of $35 an hour. Ten other courts are nestled in the Tennis Garden, and the resort’s Tennis Pro Shop carries all the equipment and apparel you’ll need.
No. 5 – Saddlebrook Golf & Tennis Resort
Location: Wesley Chapel, Florida
Fees: $25/hour for resort guests
Featuring a wide spread of playing areas, the Saddlebrook Golf & Tennis Resort includes two grass surfaces out of its 45 total courts. If you wind up in the Tampa area, this is the place to be for tennis. Saddlebrook offers adult and junior camps, clinics, and prep school to sharpen skills, and is home to the Harry Hopman training program.
No. 6 – Tennis at Fisher Island Club
Location: Fisher Island, FL
Fee: $17/daily
If you find yourself in the Miami Beach area, consider a stay at the Fisher Island Club. Home to two grass court surfaces, Fisher Island offers perhaps the best hourly value of any grass court tennis facility in the country. Sure, your wallet might be hurting after paying for your room, but $17 for a full day on natural grass is hard to beat.
No. 7 – All Iowa Lawn Tennis Club
Location: Charles City, IA
Fee: N/A, donations to All Iowa Lawn Tennis Club Sustaining Fund preferred
Established in 2003, the All Iowa Lawn Tennis Club was founded by Mark Kuhn. Based around Kuhn’s fascination with Wimbledon and the classic natural surface, the All Iowa Lawn Tennis Club is inspired by Wimbledon’s Centre Court. What began as a quiet, friends-and-family environment quickly took off after press acknowledgements and honors. Today, the All Iowa Lawn Tennis Club strives to provide a “Wimbledon experience”, accepting donations to its Sustaining Fund in lieu of court fees.
No. 8 – Palm Desert Tennis Facilities at Desert Springs JW Marriott
Location: Palm Desert, CA
Fees: $32/hour, open to public
Tennis Magazine named the Desert Springs Tennis & Lawn Club one of the “10 Greatest U.S. Tennis Resorts”, and with one look at the gorgeous facility, you’ll be able to see why. With 20 courts in all, Desert Springs is home to two stadium grass courts. They offer clinics and programs directed by Peter Burwash International, helping players of all levels to sharpen their skills. Completely open to the public, you can hit the grass courts for a rate of $32 an hour.
No. 9 – Tennis Center at Crandon Park
Location: Key Biscayne, FL
Fee: $11/hour
The Crandon Tennis Center has been the home of the annual Sony Ericsson Open since 1987, although the park is open to the public during when the tournament is not in session. Featuring two grass surfaces, Crandon Park offers play at a rate of $11 an hour, as well as offering lessons, programs, and camps.
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