How to Choose a Tennis Club

Most medium to large American cities feature more than one local tennis club. Choosing the right facility to join and give your money to requires a bit of research. Here’s a quick tutorial.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Pay a visit to each club you are considering and take a tour. You don’t have to set anything up, just stop in, stroll around and get an idea of what the place offers and how the operators maintain the facilities and treat the members. Notice if things appear organized and whether it is clean. Are the desk people and pros polite and courteous to members?
2. Study the pros. Tennis pros are the veteran teachers and coaches that give lessons, run clinics and handle the tennis activities at every club. The experience, certification level and general competence of club pros can vary greatly. Most clubs offer literature or a web page with bios on each of their teaching professionals—pick that up and look it over when you take your tour.
3. Review prices carefully. That may sound obvious, but there are a few things to keep in mind when considering the price of a tennis club membership. Take note of what the membership provides, if there is any free court time and what are the charges for court time, lessons, leagues and clinics. Some places have low membership fees, but make up for it with very high prices for everything else. Others require a larger membership fee with the understanding you will recoup much of that money in other ways. How often you play and how many activities you plan on being involved in will determine what is a value to you.
4. Ask about special programs and policies which others clubs don’t have. Some clubs now offer aerobics and fitness classes as well as strength and training facilities and personal trainers. Others provide daycare centers and playrooms for children so that stay-at-home parents can grab a lesson or play in a daytime league without having to pay for a babysitter. These types of things add value to a membership and save you time and money.

Tips & Warnings

• Some clubs offer a free lesson with one of their pros as an enticement to join. This is not only a great way to evaluate your potential new tennis coach at no cost to you, it is a great value, so if offered, take it.