The USTA today announced that the Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter, S.C., is one of 24 winners in the 37th annual USTA Facility Awards program, which recognizes excellence in the construction and/or renovation of tennis facilities throughout the country. The Palmetto Tennis Center will be honored at the USTA Semi-annual Meeting at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City on Aug. 30.
The Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter, S.C., offers tennis play days and nights on 24 courts. The pro shop at the center offers equipment, stringing and restringing service. Two ball machines are available for rent, and four tennis professionals teach at the center. The PTC hosted 10 tournaments throughout 2017, for both local schools and the National Small College Championship. In total, 2,500 players participated in tournaments at the Palmetto Tennis Center in 2017. Last year, the PTC held its 10th USTA Womenâs Pro Circuit event, both 10K and 25K.
âGreat tennis facilities like the Palmetto 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,â said Kurt Kamperman, Chief Executive, USTA National Campus. âThe Palmetto Tennis Center has embraced many of our tennis initiatives and kept the sport at the forefront of its community each year.â
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 criteria: 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 facilitiesâ participation in USTA programs.
Nominated facilities were voted on in the following categories: Public Courts that are either small tennis centers with 2-10 courts or large tennis centers with 11 or more courts; and Private Facilities that support the USTA and other âgrowth of the gameâ programs open to the public.
All 2018 award winners will receive a wall plaque and an all-weather sign, which can be mounted at the facility. In addition, each awardee will receive a one night stay at the Grand Hyatt New York and two US Open Grounds passes.
The 2018 USTA Facility Awards Program winners are:
Public Courts: Small Tennis Centers (2 to 10 courts)
- Club de Tenis de Isla Verde, Carolina, Puerto Rico
- Oak Lawn Racquet, Fitness, & Gymnastics Center, Oak Lawn, Ill.
- Fort Boise Tennis Courts, Boise, Idaho
- Kings County Tennis League â Sumner Tennis Club, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Public Courts: Large Tennis Centers (11 or more courts)
- Southeast Tennis & Learning Center, Washington, D.C.
- McFarlin Tennis Center, San Antonio
- Mercer County Park Commission Tennis Facility, West Windsor, N.J.
- John Mott Tennis Center, Utica, N.Y.
- Jekyll Island Tennis Center, Jekyll Island, Ga.
- Case Tennis Center at LaFortune Park, Tulsa, Okla. (Featured Facility)
- Palmetto Tennis Center, Sumter, S.C.
- A.C. Nielsen Tennis Center, Winnetka, Ill.
Private Facilities
- YMCA Lamar Tennis Center, Baton Rouge, La.
- Twos Athletic Club, Toledo, Ohio
- Long Reach Tennis Club, Columbia, Md.
- Aspen Racquet Club, Wooster, Ohio
- James Creek Tennis Center, Cumming, Ga.
- Five Star Tennis Center, Plainfield, Ill.
- Greene Ridge Racquet Club, Snow Hill, N.C.
- Chelsea Piers Connecticut, Stamford, Conn.
- Eagle Tennis Club, Eagle, Idaho
- White Bear Lake - Life Time, White Bear Lake, Minn.
- Southern Oaks Golf & Tennis Club, Burleson, Texas
- Woodfield Country Club, Boca Raton, Fla.
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Photo: View of Palmetto Tennis Center 2018
The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level -- from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with more than 655,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, one of the highest-attended annual sporting events in the world, and launched the US Open Series, linking seven summer WTA and ATP World Tour tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns approximately 90 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S. and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTAâs philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships in addition to supporting tennis and education programs nationwide to benefit under-resourced youth through the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. For more information about the USTA, go to USTA.com or follow the official accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat.
For more information contact: Tom LaDue, Manager, USTA Corporate Communications, (914) 697-2352, ladue@usta.com