By E.J. Crawford, USTA.com
Tennis facilities are the lifeblood of the game in the U.S., providing high-quality courts and places for players to gather, participate, form friendships and fall in love with the lifetime sport of tennis.
The USTA has recognized its best facilities for 2016, with 12 recipients honored in the categories of public small tennis centers (two to 10 courts), public large tennis centers (11 or more courts), private facilities and educational institutions.
The highest honor, the 2016 Featured Facility, went to the Candy Erickson Tennis Center at Park City Municipal Athletic Recreation Center in Park City, Utah. The Candy Erickson Tennis Center will be honored at the USTA Semi-Annual Meeting, held in New York in September.
“Great tennis facilities like the Candy Erickson Tennis Center help us to grow the game at the grass-roots level, and we are proud to recognize them for their ongoing impact on the sport of tennis,” said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA. “The Candy Erickson Tennis Center has embraced many of our tennis initiatives and kept the sport at the forefront of its community each year.”
To be considered for an award, facilities must be under the jurisdiction of a park and recreation department, an educational institution, a nonprofit corporation or be a private or commercially owned and operated facility that offers both USTA and public programming designed to help grow tennis.
Facilities were judged on the following: overall layout and adaptation to site; excellence of court surface and lights; ease of maintenance; accommodations for players, spectators and press/officials; aesthetics; graphics (including the use of signs and landscaping); amenities such as casual seating for spectators, food services and social areas; and the facilities’ participation in USTA programs.
2016 USTA Facility Awards Winners
Public Courts: Small Tennis Centers (2 to 10 courts)
San Sebastian Tennis Courts, San Sebastian, P.R.
Public Courts: Large Tennis Centers (11 or more courts)
Cherry Hill Health & Racquet Club, Cherry Hill, N.J.
Cooper Tennis Complex, Springfield, Mo.
Henry L. McMullen Tennis Complex, Clearwater, Fla.
Oak Brook Tennis Center, Oak Brook, Ill.
Oklahoma City Tennis Center, Oklahoma City
Sound Shore Indoor Tennis LLC, Port Chester, N.Y.
Owensboro Tennis Facility, Owensboro, Ky.
The Candy Erickson Tennis Center, Park City, Utah (Featured Facility)
Educational Institution
McCallie School Strang-Voges Tennis Center, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Michael & Anne Greenwood Tennis Center, Stillwater, Okla.
Private Facilities
Sea Colony Tennis, Bethany Beach, Del.