Clay Courts and Lush Surroundings

Take every image you have of public tennis courts and forget it. 

Now, envision standing on a manicured clay court on a bright summer morning. A light breeze is blowing off the Seddon Channel. Harbor Island appears in the background. 

That's what you get with the Sandra W. Freedman Tennis Complex. Owned and operated by the City of Tampa, the Davis Islands complex features the only public clay tennis courts in the region.

It has incredible atmosphere, too.

"(These are the) best clay courts in the area," said longtime player Neil Brundage, "and you can't beat the view."

Brundage has been playing in leagues and pick up matches at the Freedman complex for more than a decade. 

Multiple leagues play at the complex, including a doubles' league, and a ladies' league on weekday mornings. A regular participant, Jane Daniels nearly lives on the courts, playing there several days a week. Seeking new competition, Daniels said new players are always welcome at the complex.

For newbies, the Round Robin games on Sunday afternoon offer an opportunity for adults to experience the courts. The fee is $7.50 per person, and reservations are not required. Neither is a partner. Just show up with a racquet - the complex even supplies the balls. 

Orlando Temple is the resident pro at the Freedman complex. He offers regular clinics for all ages, from beginners to advanced-level players. Some of his charges are three years old.

"The little ones love (Temple's) classes, and they have the best time playing," said Marcelle Thomas, a staffer at the complex since 1977. 

Temple also runs a tennis camp for kids during the summer months. He teaches pre-schoolers through high school-ages kids at the weekday camp, which runs through August. 

Sandra Freedman, a former Tampa mayor for whom the Complex is named, was a youth tennis champion. In 1959, she won the prestigious Orange Bowl Championship as a teen. She also won the Dixie International Title two weeks later. 

From its air-conditioned clubhouse with private showers to lighted clay courts with a panoramic view, the Freedman Tennis Complex is not your run-of-the-mill tennis facility - at least not one that's open to the public. Rather, it's a Tampa treasure just waiting to be experienced by tennis aficionados young and old. 

Information about the facility, leagues, camps and clinics is available at www.tampagov.net or by calling the Sandra W. Freedman Tennis Complex at 813-259-1664.