Less than an hour before qualifiers were to start for the inaugural Women’s USTA Pro Circuit tournament at the Southern Recreation Center this morning, Palm Coast officials, representatives of the USTA and players gathered at the newest court-side in town to cut the ribbon on four new clay courts.
The $700,000 projects, financed through a USTA grant, increases to 15 the the number of clay courts at the facility formerly known as the Palm Coast Tennis Center–and gives the USTA a foot in to perhaps manage the Southern Recreation Center in part or in whole.
The USTA is to conduct a “facilities assessment” focused on the Rec Center to gauge how it would manage the facility, if the city is interested. “They’ll do like a community outreach session where they want to talk to the players and the community about the facility, and they’ll bring all that data back to City Council,” Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston said.
The USTA’s Laura Bowen, executive director of Orlando-based USTA Florida, outlined to the council the organization’s wishes to manage the Palm Coast operation in a December presentation, when the four new courts were still under construction. There was little doubt then that the $700,000 grant was not stringless. USTA wants at least to be Palm Coast’s doubles partner in running the Rec Center.
The USTA likes to manage tennis and pickleball facilities. Being considered for that arrangement was part of the grant agreement with the city. Palm Coast had management agreements with private companies at its golf and tennis centers in the past. It did not go well, prompting the city to integrate its golf and tennis centers into its parks and recreation operations.
“We’re really good at running amenities,” Johnston, who had risen through the city’s ranks in part at the parks and recreation department. She said the department’s success is reflected in the biennial citizens’ survey, which gives city amenities (and public safety) the highest marks. “We try and deliver on the programs and events.”
None of the five members of the Palm Coast City Council were at this morning’s occasion, a surprising–if perhaps telling–absence considering the twin occasions at hand: the new courts and the new tournament. Nor was Agnes Lightfoot there, though her absence had nothing to do with the event (it was health related). Lightfoot, president of Palm Coast/Flagler Friends of Tennis, has been the voice of Palm Coast tennis for years. Speaking to the council in December, after Bowen’s presentation, Lightfoot raised questions about whether ceding management to another company would protect players’ interests.
Other residents and users of the Rec Center were also concerned, whether about ceding control or about the USTA’s natural predilection for tennis, which makes pickleball players nervous. For all the USTA’s newly ecumenical–and self-preserving–embrace of pickleball, and its efforts to portray itself as serving both sports, its grant did not build new pickleball courts.
At the time of the USTA’s presentation to the council in December, it did not appear then that the courts would be completed by the year-end deadline. Somehow, they were.
“Today as part of phase two of the Southern Recreation Center, we are happily unveiling four new clay courts,” Johnston said, “a state of the art LED lighting, making us eligible for nighttime tournaments. Today also makes the debut of Palm Coast’s very first show court, an open air stadium seating over 100 spectators, which will be a centerpiece for future tournaments.”
As she spoke, the rhythmic grunts of women warming up for the qualifiers pinged the cool air from the older courts. Palm Coast for years has hosted a men’s “Futures” tournament in January. “Women attendance is something that’s super close to my heart,” Bowen said. “It’s also something we focus on quite a bit at USTA Florida. It’s a big push for us to see more women at all levels of the game and in leadership roles. So having this here, thanks to your leadership and your team to really showcase women’s tennis on a large stage is very, very important to us.”
Bowen was equally complimentary of Palm Coast’s Friends of Tennis. “It’s a really special thing that you have here, and we’re so excited to work with you to bring core programs for events, anything that you need,” Bowen said. “We are here to serve you.”
The Women’s 35k tournament begins today with qualifiers and runs through Sunday’s final. The men’s 15k tournament starts with wildcard matches from Jan. 22 to Jan. 26, qualifiers on Jan. 27, and the tournament’s main draw from jan. 28 to Feb. 2. The Southern Recreation Center is at 1290 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast.
