I already said my goodbyes to the Village Tennis Center, but now it is official. According to the redevelopment plans for The Village apartment complex, there are no more tennis courts. This just adds insult to the injury of the Dallas Parks and Recreation Department’s failure to execute contracts for the city’s five tennis centers before they expired October 1. It’s not like they saw the contracts’ expiration coming for five years plus three years. If you’ve been out to L.B. Houston lately, you’re well aware that it is currently operating with the help of part-time city staff but without a pro (Andrea Rains retired and the pro shop has been emptied). And contrary to exaggerated rumors of its closure, the Samuell Grand Tennis Center is at least being operated by the staff of the adjacent recreation center. Hours are unusual (currently 4-9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursdays, closed Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays), but you can still get in through the rec center itself as opposed to through the beautifully landscaped and designed tennis center entrance that was paid for with part of a $2 million bond election. It’s chaos out there in the tennis world, people. Chaos.
