Public Tennis: Beating the Racquet Racket

It’s one of those clear crisp autumn afternoons when the tingle in the air is telling you that you gotta get some exercise. Aaahhh – a perfect time for tennis. You round up a partner, jump into your sneakers, grab your racquet, and with visions of a thundering serve and a wicked backhand dancing in your head, you arrive at your neighborhood courts, the only place you know of to play.

Curses. Foiled again. Not only are the courts full, but there are six other people standing forlornly outside the fence waiting for the same opening you are. And they got there first.

As t,he recent surge in tennis popularity continues to bloom and boom, tennis frustration (no-court-itis) has become a more common ailment than tennis elbow. All that desire and no place to play.

You could join one of the private clubs-but the membership price you pay for that guaranteed court is steep <$350-$5,000 plus $20-$30 for monthly fees), especially if you’re a once-a-weeker. Or maybe the social frippery that seems to abound in those places - the jet-net-set scene -just isn’t your style. You just want a place where you can swat a few every once in a while. In your cut-offs, maybe. And without a cocktail.

You need not despair. As John Newcombe, who ought to know, said recently, “Dallas is almost the biggest tennis city in the world” (we respectfully defer top honors to Sydney). And one of the reasons is that Dallas has one of the better municipal tennis systems in the country. “We’ll probably never catch up with the demand for tennis courts,” says one city official, “but we’re in much better shape than most cities. City planners from around the country have been here to inspect our system. They’re always impressed.”

In fact, the Dallas Park and Recreation Department alone has dotted the city with some 159 courts in over 60 different locations. And that’s to say nothing of the hundreds of other courts at schools and churches and still more which are springing up almost daily in new apartment complexes.

Perhaps you’re a player whose game has reached such a level of expertise that you’ve become picky about such usual public court features as a wire net and a plain old concrete surface. Don’t worry, there’s a spot for you, too. The Samuell-Grand Tennis Center in East Dallas is one of the most highly-touted public tennis facilities in the country. “I probably shouldn’t admit this,” says one local private club pro, “but I think the Samuell-Grand courts are the best in Dallas, public or private.” The 20 courts there are surfaced in green Laykold (as are seven other locations), well lighted, and have string nets.

So how do you get one?

The most important facet of the public tennis game is not so much forehand as it is foresight. If you can anticipate your next tennis urge 24 hours ahead of time, you’ve got one foot on the court. The Samuell-Grand tennis office is the central clearinghouse for reservations for all courts within the park and recreation department system. Contrary to popular belief, which seems to ignore the signs posted at every location, reservations are required on all city-operated courts. Here’s where that good beforehand stroke comes into play: Reservations are accepted beginning 24 hours in advance of the desired day of play.

Say you want to play on Saturday, the most popular day of the week to play. The tennis office begins taking reservations for Saturday at 6 a.m. on Friday. 6 a.m., you laugh. Who would be crazy enough to get up at 6 in the morning to make a tennis reservation? All those folks who have left you standing outside the fence, that’s who.

Respect your competition, says a rule of sports, and in this case it begins before you ever get to the court. The magic reservation number is 823-7630 and the three extension lines stay active, to say the least. In the summer (peak season), the reservation desk receives an average of 1,000-1,300 calls on Friday (peak day) for Saturday reservations. “Some days those phones don’t even touch the hook until 10:30 in the morning,” says one reservationist. A busy signal at 6:05 a.m. is not unusual. (An added note of warning: The courts in North Dallas locations are generally in highest demand).

If you re beginning to despair again, comfort yourself by remembering that all of this is for a summer Saturday. On a Tuesday in February you probably can get a court anywhere at any time. But no matter the day or season, it’s always worth a try. Cancellations, alternative locations, and less popular time slots provide plenty of possible openings.

The reservation desk is open seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., 363 days a year (you’ll just have to fend for yourself on Christmas and New Years). Courts are reserved for 90 minutes. Forfeit time is 30 minutes after your reservation begins. All reservations, including use of lights, are free, except for the courts at Samuell-Grand which go for $1 per hour and a half, per court, from 6 a.m.-6 p.m., and $2 per hour and a half, per court, from 6 p.m.-10 p.m.

(As long as we’re speaking of tennis dollars, it’s worth mentioning that for a complete stock of tennis equipment and a knowledgeable sales staff, the Golf-Tennis Discount Center in Hillside Village (Mockingbird at Abrams) has the best prices in town. Even the pros at the club shops admit, it.)

For detailed information on public tennis facilities and lessons available, see chart on page 62.